What is the percentage of hydrogen in heating oil?

Heating oil is primarily composed of hydrocarbons, which are compounds made up of hydrogen and carbon. The composition of heating oil typically contains around 86-87% carbon by weight, with the remaining portion made up largely of hydrogen and other components.

When focusing specifically on the hydrogen content, it is generally estimated that heating oil consists of approximately 12-15% hydrogen. Given this percentage, the closest representation is 15%, which makes it a reasonable approximation.

In practical applications, this understanding of the hydrogen content is important because it influences combustion efficiency and emissions produced during the burning of heating oil. A solid grasp of fuel composition helps inform best practices for using heating oil systems responsibly and efficiently.