Tags: Chemical Compound, Chemical Substance.
Tetraethyllead (common name tetraethyl lead) abbreviated TEL is an organolead compound with the formula (CH3CH2)4Pb.It was mixed with gasoline (petrol) beginning in the 1920s as a patented octane booster that allowed engine compression to be raised substantially which in turn increased vehicle performance or fuel economy. Ethanol was already known as a widely available inexpensive low toxicity octane booster but TEL was promoted because it was uniquely profitable to the patent holders.
