Strained ring compounds as combustion improvers for normally liquid fuels

Abstract

Fuel compositions comprising a major amount of a normally liquid hydrocarbon based fuel and a minor amount of a compound having at least one strained ring group containing from 3 to 5 ring atoms.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . a fuel composition comprising a major amount of a normally liquid hydrocarbon based fuel and a minor amount of a compound having at least one strained ring group containing from 3 to 4 ring atoms per ring.  
     
     
         2 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  wherein the ring group is a hydrocarbyl group substantially free of heteroatoms.  
     
     
         3 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  wherein the ring contains both carbon atoms and heteroatoms, said heteroatoms being selected from the group consisting of O and N.  
     
     
         4 . (canceled)  
     
     
         5 . The fuel composition of  claim 3  wherein the ring contains no more than 2 heteroatoms.  
     
     
         6 . The fuel composition of  claim 5  wherein the ring contains only one heteroatom being oxygen.  
     
     
         7 . The fuel composition of  claim 2  wherein the hydrocarbyl group is a cyclopropyl group or a cyclobutyl group.  
     
     
         8 . The fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein said compound comprises bicyclopropyl or a lower alkyl (C1-C5) mono or di-substituted bycyclopropyl compound.  
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 6  wherein the ring is an epoxy group or an oxetane group.  
     
     
         10 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  wherein the compound comprises at least two strained ring groups.  
     
     
         11 . The fuel composition of  claim 10  wherein the compound has two strained ring groups.  
     
     
         12 . The fuel composition of  claim 11  wherein the two strained ring groups are fused bicyclo groups or spirocyclic groups.  
     
     
         13 . The fuel composition of  claim 10  wherein the strained ring groups are hydrocarbyl groups substantially free of heteroatoms.  
     
     
         14 . The fuel composition of  claim 13  wherein the compound comprises dicyclopropyl ketone or dicyclobutyl ketone.  
     
     
         15 . The fuel composition of  claim 7  wherein the compound comprises cyclopropyl methanol, cyclobutyl amine and cyclobutyl hydroxylamine.  
     
     
         16 . The fuel composition of  claim 9  wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of 3,3-dimethyloxetane and 1-methoxy-2-methylpropylene oxide.  
     
     
         17 . The fuel composition of  claim 8  wherein the compound comprises 3,3-dimethyloxetane.  
     
     
         18 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  further comprising a hydroxylamine wherein the hydroxylamine has the general formula  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein each of R a  and R b  is, independently, a member selected from the group consisting of H, a primary hydrocarbyl group and a secondary hydrocarbyl group, and n ranges from 1 to about 30.  
     
     
         19 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  further comprising a hydroxylamine wherein the hydroxylamine has the general formula  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein each R c  is, independently, H or a hydrocarbyl group, each R d  is, independently, a lower alkylene group and x ranges from 1 to about 29.  
     
     
         20 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  further comprising a hydroxylamine salt.  
     
     
         21 . The fuel composition of  claim 20  wherein the salt is at least one member of the group consisting of nitrates, sulfates, sulfonates, carbonates and carboxylates.  
     
     
         22 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  further comprising a nitro compound.  
     
     
         23 . (canceled)  
     
     
         24 . (canceled)  
     
     
         25 . (canceled)  
     
     
         26 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  wherein the fuel comprises oxygenates.  
     
     
         27 . The fuel composition of  claim 26  wherein the oxygenates comprise at least one member of the group consisting of lower alkanols and ethers.  
     
     
         28 . (canceled)  
     
     
         29 . (canceled)  
     
     
         30 . (canceled)  
     
     
         31 . (canceled)  
     
     
         32 . (canceled)  
     
     
         33 . (canceled)  
     
     
         34 . (canceled)  
     
     
         35 . (canceled)  
     
     
         36 . (canceled)  
     
     
         37 . (canceled)  
     
     
         38 . (canceled)  
     
     
         39 . (canceled)  
     
     
         40 . (canceled)  
     
     
         41 . (canceled)  
     
     
         42 . (canceled)  
     
     
         43 . (canceled)  
     
     
         44 . (canceled)  
     
     
         45 . (canceled)  
     
     
         46 . (canceled)  
     
     
         47 . (canceled)  
     
     
         48 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  further comprising at least one component selected from the group consisting of a) dispersants, b) combustion modifiers, c) lubricity agents, d) cold flow improvers, e) fluidizers, (f) surfactants and g) corrosion inhibitors.  
     
     
         49 . (canceled)  
     
     
         50 . (canceled)