US2003110684A1PendingUtilityA1

Extremely stable diesel fuel compositions

44
Priority: Dec 18, 2001Filed: Dec 18, 2001Published: Jun 19, 2003
Est. expiryDec 18, 2021(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Timothy J. Henly
C10L 1/231C10L 1/08C10L 10/02C10L 10/04C10L 10/12
44
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Claims

Abstract

The present invention relates to diesel fuel compositions that are extremely stable against thermal degradation, sedimentation, and discoloration. The diesel fuel compositions of the present invention are void or essentially void of certain heteroatomic compounds often present in diesel fuel and which have been discovered to cause the thermal degradation in the presence of nitrate-based cetane improver additives. The specific deleterious heteroatomic compounds include pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A diesel fuel composition comprising a major amount of a hydrocarbon fuel boiling in the middle distillate boiling range, and a minor amount of a nitrate-containing cetane improver, wherein the composition is essentially free of one or more heteroatomic compounds selected from pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and/or indolines.  
     
     
         2 . The fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is essentially free of pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines.  
     
     
         3 . The fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is free of pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines.  
     
     
         4 . The diesel fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nitrate-containing cetane improver is present in an amount of from about 100 to about 10,000 ppm, and the heteroatomic compounds, if present, are present at a level of less than 2 ppm total heteroatomic content.  
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nitrate-containing cetane improver is selected from methyl nitrate, ethyl nitrate, propyl nitrate, isopropyl nitrate, allyl nitrate, butyl nitrate, isobutyl nitrate, sec-butyl nitrate, tert-butyl nitrate, amyl nitrate, isoamyl nitrate, 2-amyl nitrate, 3-amnyl nitrate, n-pentyl nitrate, hexyl nitrate, heptyl nitrate, 2-heptyl nitrate, octyl nitrate, isooctyl nitrate, 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, nonyl nitrate, decyl nitrate, undecyl nitrate, dodecyl nitrate, cyclopentyl nitrate, cyclohexyl nitrate, methylcyclohexyl nitrate, cyclododecyl nitrate, 2-ethoxyethyl nitrate, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyl nitrate, tetrahydrofuranyl nitrate, tetraethyleneglycol dinitrate, isomers thereof, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nitrate-containing cetane improver is 2-ethyl hexyl nitrate.  
     
     
         7 . The fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nitrate-containing cetane improver is 2-ethylhexyl nitrate and the composition is essentially free of pyrroles.  
     
     
         8 . The fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nitrate-containing cetane improver is 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, and the composition is essentially free of indoles.  
     
     
         9 . The fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nitrate-containing cetane improver is 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, and the composition is essentially free of sulfides.  
     
     
         10 . The fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nitrate-containing cetane improver is 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, and the composition is essentially free of disulfides.  
     
     
         11 . The fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nitrate-containing cetane improver is 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, and the composition is essentially free of mercaptans.  
     
     
         12 . The fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nitrate-containing cetane improver is 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, and the composition is essentially free of thioacids.  
     
     
         13 . The fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nitrate-containing cetane improver is 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, and the composition is essentially free of sulfonic acids.  
     
     
         14 . The fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nitrate-containing cetane improver is 2-ethylhexyl nitrate and the composition is essentially free of indolines.  
     
     
         15 . A method of reducing the amount of discoloration which occurs in diesel fuel containing a major amount of a hydrocarbon fuel boiling in the middle distillate boiling range, and a minor amount of a nitrate-containing cetane improver, said method comprising removing from said diesel fuel essentially all of the pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines.  
     
     
         16 . A method of reducing the amount of discoloration which occurs in diesel fuel containing a major amount of a hydrocarbon fuel boiling in the middle distillate boiling range, and a minor amount of a nitrate-containing cetane improver, said method comprising removing from said diesel fuel all of the pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines.  
     
     
         17 . A method of reducing the amount of sedimentation which occurs in diesel fuel containing a major amount of a hydrocarbon fuel boiling in the middle distillate boiling range, and a minor amount of a nitrate-containing cetane improver, said method comprising removing from said diesel fuel essentially all of the pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines.  
     
     
         18 . A method of reducing the amount of sedimentation which occurs in diesel fuel containing a major amount of a hydrocarbon fuel boiling in the middle distillate boiling range, and a minor amount of a nitrate-containing cetane improver, said method comprising removing from said diesel fuel all of the pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines.  
     
     
         19 . A low sulfur D-2(ASTM D975) diesel fuel having the following properties: 
 Cetane number ASTM D613 35 to 60    Cetane index ASTM 4737 <60    Aromatics, total, wt. % ASTM D5186 <40    Polynuclear aromatics, wt. %, ASTM D2425 <11    Sulfur, ppmw, ASTM D2622-1 <50    Nitrogen, ppmw ASTM D4629 <1000, and    A total amount of nitrogen and sulfur from pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines of no more than 5 ppm.    
     
     
         20 . The fuel of  claim 19 , wherein the amount of each of the heteroatomic compounds pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines is no more than 5 ppm.  
     
     
         21 . The fuel of  claim 19 , wherein the amount of pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines is no more than 5 ppm.  
     
     
         22 . A diesel fuel meeting the requirements of ASTM D 975 for a low sulfur No. 2-D diesel and providing emission benefits at least equivalent to a diesel fuel as per Section 2282(g), Title 13, California Code of Regulations, said fuel containing from about 10 vol. % to about 30 vol. % aromatics and having a Cetane number of at least 40 but less than 60; a nitrogen content of no greater than 1000 ppmw; a sulfur content of no greater than 50 ppmw; and a total amount of nitrogen and sulfur from pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids and/or indolines of no more than 5 ppm.  
     
     
         23 . A diesel fuel composition comprising: 
 a major amount of a hydrocarbon boiling in the middle distillate boiling range; 2-ethyl hexyl nitrate cetane improver present in an amount of from about 100 to about 10,000 ppm; and    wherein the total amount of nitrogen and sulfur present in the fuel from pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids and/or indolines is no more than 5 ppm.    
     
     
         24 . The diesel fuel composition of  claim 23 , wherein the total amount of nitrogen and sulfur present in the fuel from pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids and/or indolines is no more than 2 ppm.  
     
     
         25 . The diesel fuel composition of  claim 23 , wherein the amount of each of pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids and/or indolines is no more than 5 ppm.  
     
     
         26 . The diesel fuel composition of  claim 23 , wherein the amount of each of pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids and/or indolines is no more than 2 ppm.

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