Alkanolamide free fuel additives

Abstract

There is described a fuel composition which is substantially free of alkanolamides, containing at least 95 % by volume of a hydrocarbon-based fuel and from 0.1 to 5 % by volume of an additive selected from the groups consisting of: a) the optionally alkoxylated linear or branched saturated or unsaturated monoalcolhols having 8 to 24 C atoms, containing zero or 1 to 20 mol of ethylene oxide and/or 1 to 5 mol of propylene oxide per mol of alcohol, or b) the polyols having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, optionally partially esterified with fatty acids having 12 to 24 carbon atoms, or c) the alkoxylated fatty acids having 12 to 24 carbon atoms and 4 to 20 mol of ethylene oxide per mol of fatty acid, or d) the ethoxylated dimeric fatty acids.

1 . A fuel composition which is substantially free of alkanolamides, comprising at least 95% by volume of hydrocarbon-based fuel and from 0.1 to 5% by volume of an additive selected from the groups consisting of: 
 (a) optionally alkoxylated linear or branched saturated or unsaturated C 8-24  monoalcohols, comprising 0 to 20 mol of ethylene oxide or 1 to 5 mol of propylene oxide per mol of alcohol; or    (b) C 2-6  polyols, optionally partially esterified with C 12-24  fatty acids; or    (c) alkoxylated C 12-24  fatty acids having 4 to 20 mol of ethylene oxide per mol of fatty acid; or    (d) ethoxylated dimeric fatty acids.    
     
     
         2 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1  wherein the hydrocarbon-based fuel comprises an oxygenator.  
     
     
         3 . A fuel composition according to  claim 2  wherein the oxygenator is an alcohol.  
     
     
         4 . A fuel composition according to  claim 3  wherein the alcohol is a C 1-6  alkanol.  
     
     
         5 . A fuel composition according to  claim 4  wherein the alkanol is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, propanol and butanol, and isomers thereof.  
     
     
         6 . A fuel composition according to  claim 5  wherein the alcohol is ethanol.  
     
     
         7 . A fuel composition according to  claim 3  wherein the alcohol is present in an amount of from 1 to 10% by volume of the composition.  
     
     
         8 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1  wherein the fuel composition comprises component (a).  
     
     
         9 . A fuel composition according to  claim 5  wherein component (a) is a primary aliphatic alcohols of the formula (I) R 1 OH, wherein R 1  is an aliphatic, linear or branched C 8-24  hydrocarbon radical having 0, 1, 2 or 3 double bonds.  
     
     
         10 . A fuel composition according to  claim 9  wherein component (a) is selected from the group consisting of caproic alcohol, caprylic alcohol, 2-ethylhexyl alcohol, capric alcohol, lauryl alcohol, isotridecyl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, palmoleyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, isostearyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, elaidyl alcohol, petroselinyl alcohol, linolyl alcohol, linolenyl alcohol, elaeostearyl alcohol, arachyl alcohol, gadoleyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, erucyl alcohol and brassidyl alcohol and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         11 . A fuel composition according to  claim 9  wherein component (a) is a C 12-18  fatty alcohol.  
     
     
         12 . A fuel composition according to  claim 11 , wherein the fatty alcohol is selected from the group consisting of coconut fatty alcohol, palm fatty alcohol, palm kernel fatty alcohol or tallow fatty alcohol.  
     
     
         13 . A fuel composition according to  claim 9  wherein component (a) is oleyl alcohol.  
     
     
         14 . A fuel composition according to  claim 9  wherein component (a) is a C 12-16  Guerbet alcohol.  
     
     
         15 . A fuel composition according to clam  8  wherein component (a) is an alkoxylated alcohol.  
     
     
         16 . A fuel composition according to  claim 15 , wherein the alkoxylated alcohol in an ethoxylated alcohol.  
     
     
         17 . A fuel composition according to  claim 16  wherein component (a) is octanol, ethoxylated with 8 mol of ethylene oxide.  
     
     
         18 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1  wherein the fuel additive comprises component (b).  
     
     
         19 . A fuel composition according to  claim 17  wherein component (b) is an organic compound having 2 to 8 carbon atoms and 2 to 4 hydroxyl functions per molecule.  
     
     
         20 . A fuel composition according to  claim 17  wherein component (b) is selected from the group consisting of ethylene gylcol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol and their oligomers.  
     
     
         21 . A fuel composition according to  claim 20  wherein component (b) is an oligomer selected from the group consisting of butylene diglycol, glycerol, and neopentyl compounds.  
     
     
         22 . A fuel composition according to  claim 21  wherein component (b) is a neopentyl compound selected from the group consisting of pentaerythritol and trimethylopropane.  
     
     
         23 . A fuel composition according to  claim 18  wherein component (b) is a partially esterified derivative of a polyol.  
     
     
         24 . A fuel composition according to  claim 18  wherein component (b) is a glycerol mono or diester with C 8-22  fatty acids.  
     
     
         25 . A fuel composition according to  claim 18  wherein component (b) is a pentaerythrityl ester partially esterified with fatty acids.  
     
     
         26 . A fuel composition according to  claim 18  wherein component (b) is selected from the group consisting of the partially esterified diethylene glycols, pentaerythritols or trimethylolpropane.  
     
     
         27 . A fuel composition according to  claim 18  wherein component (b) is glycerol.  
     
     
         28 . A fuel composition according to  claim 26  wherein the component (b) is diethylene glycol monobutyl ether.  
     
     
         29 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1  wherein the fuel additive comprises component (c).  
     
     
         30 . A fuel composition according to  claim 28  wherein component (c) is one or more ethoxylated fatty acids.  
     
     
         31 . A fuel composition according to  claim 29  wherein the ethoxylates contain exclusively ethylene oxide groups as alkoxides.  
     
     
         32 . A fuel composition according to  claim 29  wherein the ethoxylates contain between 4 and 20 mol of ethylene oxide per mol of ester.  
     
     
         33 . A fuel composition according to  claim 28  wherein component (c) is a C 5-30  fatty acid of natural or synthetic origin.  
     
     
         34 . A fuel composition according to  claim 31  wherein the fatty acid is selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, palm kernel oil, Soya oil, sunflower oil, colza oil, cottonseed oil, fish oil, beef tallow, and lard.  
     
     
         35 . A fuel composition according to  claim 32  wherein the fatty acid is selected from the group consisting of caprylic, capric, lauric, lauroleic, myristic, palmitic, palmitoleic, oleic, elaidic, arachic, gadoleic, behenic and erucic acid.  
     
     
         36 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1  wherein the fuel additive comprises component (d).  
     
     
         37 . A fuel composition according to  claim 35  wherein the fatty acid is dimeric fatty acid with dimer content of from 50 to 99% by weight.  
     
     
         38 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1  wherein the hydrocarbon based fuel comprises a diesel oil.  
     
     
         39 . A fuel composition according to  claim 37  wherein the diesel oil is petroleum diesel.  
     
     
         40 . A fuel composition according to  claim 37  wherein a proportion of the diesel oil is a biodiesel.  
     
     
         41 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1  wherein the components (a) to (d) each have an HLB value of less than 12.  
     
     
         42 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1  wherein the diesel oil: additive volume ratio (v/v) is the range of 1,000:0.5 to 1,000:50.  
     
     
         43 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1  wherein the composition is substantially anhydrous.  
     
     
         44 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises water and consists of a substantially stable, clear and substantially homogeneous solution.  
     
     
         45 . A fuel composition according to  claim 37  wherein the composition consists of 88 to 98.5% by volume of diesel oil, 1 to 10% by volume of ethanol and 0.5 to 2% by volume of additive (a), (b), (c) or (d).  
     
     
         46 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1  which further comprises a nitrogen source.  
     
     
         47 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1  which further comprises a cetane booster in amount of from 0.1% v/v to 1.0% v/v, based on the volume of the mixture.  
     
     
         48 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1  which further comprises a demulsifier in an amount of less than 5% v/v.  
     
     
         49 . A process for the preparation of a fuel composition according to  claim 37  which comprises mixing the additive selected from groups (a), (b), (c) or (d), in an amount of from 0.1 to 5% by volume with diesel oil and splash blending the mixture into a clear, stable fuel.  
     
     
         50 . A process for the preparation of a fuel composition according to  claim 3  which comprises 
 (i) dissolving an additive selected from groups (a), (b), (c) or (d) in an amount of from 0.1 to 5% by volume in an alcohol; and  
 (ii) splash blending the solution into a hydrocarbon fuel.  
 
     
     
         51 . A process according to  claim 49  wherein the hydrocarbon fuel is diesel oil.  
     
     
         52 . A method of running an internal combustion engine comprising the use of a fuel composition according to  claim 1.