Alkyl esters of fatty acids in fuel microemulsions for the internal combustion engine and for oil furnaces

Abstract

Alkyl esters of Fatty Acids such as methyl stearate are valuable renewable energy resources that can be used to replace in part petroleum products such as diesel oil and fuel oil for furnaces. Microemulsion fuels made by blending diesel oil at low shear with an Additive containing the ester result in stable compositions at sub-freezing temperatures and also, have advantages of good engine performance and abatement of pollution. Compositions of diesel oil/Additive plus Fatty Acids Esters at 95/05, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30 and 60/40 weight/weight were investigated. The utilization of the alkyl esters of the fatty acids depends on the particular unsaturated fatty acid used in the Additive, the fuel composition and the particular ester. Summaries in graph form show how several esters of fatty acids are used in the microemulsion fuels both for diesel oil used in the internal combustion engine and heating oil for furnaces.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A composition of matter made by dissolving an alkyl ester of a fatty acid in an Additive to give a clear solution and blending this solution with diesel oil or home heating oil to give a clear, low viscosity microemulsion fuel stable over a wide range of temperatures including sub-freezing temperatures like −15° C. whereby the microemulsion remains fluid with low viscosity and free of gels, with said Additive consisting of an unsaturated fatty acid partially neutralized with ammonia, a water-insoluble alkyl alcohol melting below 0° C., a non-ionic surfactant, a water-soluble alkyl alcohol, water, sodium salt of the unsaturated fatty acid and a NOx scavenger.  
     
     
         2   claim 1  in which the unsaturated fatty acid in the Additive is oleic acid and is neutralized with ammonia from about 60 to 70 mol percent.  
     
     
         3 .  Claim 1  in which a mixture of unsaturated fatty acids predominant in linoleic acid containing less than 10% saturated fatty acids such as Emersol 315 Linoleic Acid is used and neutralized with ammonia from about 60 to 70 mol percent.  
     
     
         4 .  Claim 1  in which the microemulsion fuel is defined as Petroleum Product/Additive plus Fatty Ester with percent ratios ranging from 95/05 to 60/40 weight/weight measured at compositions of 95/05, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30 and 60/40, the extent of the dispersibility of the fatty ester being expressed as a percent ratio of the calculated fatty acid in the ester to the total calculated unsaturated fatty acid in the Additive.  
     
     
         5 . Claims  2  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and methyl stearate is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 70% for 95/05, 35% for 90/10, 15% for 80/20, 10% for 70/30 and 5% for 60/40.  
     
     
         6 . Claims  2  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and methyl palmitate is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 80% for 95/05, 60% for 90/10, 40% for 80/20, 30% for 70/30 and 20% for 60/40.  
     
     
         7 . Claims  2  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and methyl myristate is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 85% for 95/05, 110% for 90/10, 105% for 80/20, 85% for 70/30 and 60% for 60/40.  
     
     
         8 . Claims  2  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and ethyl stearate is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 80% for 95/05, 60% for 90/10, 35% for 80/20, 20% for 70/30 and 15% for 60/40.  
     
     
         9 . Claims  2  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and ethyl palmitate is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 85% for 95/05, 110% for 90/10, 80% for 80/20, 55% for 70/30 and 35% for 60/40.  
     
     
         10 . Claims  2  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and ethyl myristate is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 90% for 95/05, 120% for 90/10, 115% for 80/20, 105% for 70/30 and 90% for 60/40.  
     
     
         11 . Claims  2  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and butyl stearate is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 80% for 95/05, 210% for 90/10, 130% for 80/20, 80% for 70/30 and 50% for 60/40.  
     
     
         12 . Claims  2  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and the methyl ester CE-1618 is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 120% for 95/05, 230% for 90/10, 150% for 80/20, 120% for 70/30 and 100% for 60/40.  
     
     
         13 . Claims  3  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and methyl stearate is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 100% for 95/05, 50% for 90/10, 25% for 80/20, 15% for 70/30 and 10% for 60/40.  
     
     
         14 . Claims  3  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and methyl palmitate is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 110% for 95/05, 140% for 90/10, 40% for 80/20, 25% for 70/30 and 20% for 60/40.  
     
     
         15 . Claims  3  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and methyl myristate is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 140% for 95/05, 300% for 90/10, 180% for 80/20, 90% for 70/30 and 60% for 60/40.  
     
     
         16 . Claims  3  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and ethyl stearate is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 130% for 95/05, 80% for 90/10, 40% for 80/20, 25% for 70/30 and 15% for 60/40.  
     
     
         17 . Claims  3  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and ethyl palmitate is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 170% for 95/05, 280% for 90/10, 90% for 80/20, 60% for 70/30 and 40% for 60/40.  
     
     
         18 . Claims  3  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and ethyl myristate is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 210% for 95/05, 340% for 90/10, 200% for 80/20, 110% for 70/30 and 70% for 60/40.  
     
     
         19 . Claims  3  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and butyl stearate is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 240% for 95/05, 300% for 90/10, 230% for 80/20, 170% for 70/30 and 70% for 60/40.  
     
     
         20 . Claims  3  and  4  in which the petroleum product is diesel oil or furnace heating oil and the methyl ester CE-1618 is the fatty ester with maximum percent ratios of 270% for 95/05, 340% for 90/10, 280% for 80/20, 200% for 70/30 and 100% for 60/40.  
     
     
         21 . Claims  1  in which the fatty ester comprises a mixture of saturated fatty esters.  
     
     
         22 .  Claim 1  in which the fatty ester comprises a mixture of unsaturated fatty esters.  
     
     
         23 .  Claim 1  in which the fatty ester comprises a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty esters.