JP-4 (Jet Fuel)

CAS NO.：50815-00-4
Molecular Weight: 0
MDL number: MFCD01773343
Update Date: 2025-12-10 11:56:18

What is JP-4 (Jet Fuel)?

The Uses of JP-4 (Jet Fuel)

JP-4 and JP-7 (jet propellant-4 and jet propellant-7) are used by the US Air Force as aircraft fuels.

General Description

Watery colorless liquids. Less dense than water and insoluble in water. Hence float on water.

Air & Water Reactions

Highly flammable. Insoluble in water.

Reactivity Profile

JP-4 (Jet Fuel) may be incompatible with strong oxidizing agents like nitric acid. Charring may occur followed by ignition of unreacted material and other nearby combustibles. In other settings, mostly unreactive. Not affected by aqueous solutions of acids, alkalis, most oxidizing agents, and most reducing agents. When heated sufficiently or when ignited in the presence of air, oxygen or strong oxidizing agents, burns exothermically to produce mostly carbon dioxide and water.

Health Hazard

Vapor causes slight irritation of eyes and nose. Liquid irritates stomach; if taken into lungs, causes coughing, distress, and rapidly developing pulmonary edema.

Properties of JP-4 (Jet Fuel)

form

JP-4 is a colorless to strawcolored liquid with the odor of gasoline and/or kerosene. JP-7 is a liquid, usually colorless and with the odor of kerosene. JP-4 can be made by refining either crude petroleum oil or shale oil. It is called a wide cut fuel because it is produced from a broad distillation temperature range and contains a wide array of carbon chain lengths, from 4- to 16. It consists of approximately 13% (v/v) aromatic hydrocarbons, 1.0% olefins, and 86% saturated hydrocarbons.1 JP- 7 is made by refining kerosene, a product of refined crude petroleum. It was developed for use in advanced supersonic jets because of its thermal stability and high flash point.
Aviation fuels consist primarily of hydrocarbons (paraffins and cycloparaffins or naphthenes primarily but also aromatics and olefins). Paraffins have a high hydrogen-tocarbon ratio, with a high heat release per unit of weight and a cleaner burn than other hydrocarbons. Cycloparaffins have a lower hydrogen- to-carbon ratio and produce less heat release but increase the density and reduce the freezing point of the fuel. Aromatic hydrocarbons are a good energy source but produce smoke on burning; therefore, the maximum levels are restricted (20–25% by volume in JP- 4, 5% by volume in JP-7). Olefins are similar to paraffins but are unsaturated (double and triple C-C bonds) with lower hydrogen-tocarbon ratios, are the most reactive of the hydrocarbons, and are allowed at only 5% by volume in JP-4. Benzene is present as a contaminant at less than 0.5% in JP-4. Other ingredients of lesser importance are sulfur and sulfur compounds as well as additives to improve performance (antioxidants, metal deactivators, fuel system icing inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors, static dissipater additives).

Dielectric constant

1.7（21.0℃）