Used primarily as a reference standard in determining fuel quality for gasoline engines. Its high resistance to knocking makes it ideal for rating the performance of automotive fuels on the octane scale. Pure octane is assigned a value of 100 on the research octane scale, serving as a benchmark for comparing the anti-knock properties of different fuel blends. It is also used in laboratories as a solvent and in the calibration of fuel testing equipment. In internal combustion engine research, octane helps evaluate engine efficiency and combustion characteristics under controlled conditions.