Because the production of olefin dimers and oligomers almost invariably produces a
blend of isomers and often also a lighter and a heavier fraction, the production of these
olefins for petrochemical applications cannot be easily segregated from their application
in gasoline and diesel fuel uses. However, it is usually the case that catalysts
can be tailored within certain limits so as to yield more branched compounds (higher
octane) for gasoline applications and less branched products for petrochemical applications.
Because the products from such processes always have some branching, the
quality of the products in the diesel range is somewhat poor (low cetane numbers)
and their use in diesel applications is not that extensive.