Fuel composition

Abstract

There is described a fuel composition incorporating levulinic acid or a functional derivative thereof.

1 . A fuel composition comprising levulinic acid or a functional derivative thereof, as an oxygenate in the fuel composition, wherein the fuel composition is substantially free of alkanolamides and contains at least 95% by volume of a diesel fuel, from 0.1 to 5% by volume of levulinic acid or a functional derivative thereof, and from 0.1 to 5% by volume of an additive selected from:
 a) alkoxylated linear or branched saturated or unsaturated monoalcohols 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;   b) polyols having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, optionally partially esterified with fatty acids having 12 to 24 carbon atoms;   c) alkoxylated fatty acids having 12 to 24 carbon atoms and 4 to 20 mol of ethylene oxide per mol of fatty acid; and   d) ethoxylated dimeric fatty acids.   
     
     
         2 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the levulinic acid or functional derivative thereof is an alkyl levulinate. 
     
     
         3 . A fuel composition according to  claim 2 , wherein the alkyl group has from 1 to 10 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         4 . A fuel composition according to  claim 3 , wherein the alkyl levulinate is ethyl levulinate. 
     
     
         5 . A fuel composition according to  claim 3 , wherein the alkyl levulinate is methyl levulinate. 
     
     
         6 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the levulinic acid or functional derivative thereof is present in an amount of from 2 to 5% by volume. 
     
     
         7 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the component a) is selected from the group of primary aliphatic alcohols of the formula (I)
   R 1 OH  (I)   in which R 1  represents an aliphatic, linear or branched hydrocarbon radical having 8 to 24 carbon atoms and 0 and/or 1, 2 or 3 double bonds.   
     
     
         8 . A fuel composition according to  claim 7 , wherein the primary aliphatic alcohol is selected from:
 (i) 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, petroselinly alcohol, linolyl alcohol, linolenyl alcohol, elaeostearyl alcohol, arachyl alcohol, gadoleyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, erucyl alcohol or brassidyl alcohol;   (ii) coconut fatty alcohol, palm fatty alcohol, palm kernel fatty alcohol or tallow fatty alcohol; and   (iii) one or more of the Guerbet alcohols having 12 to 16 carbon atoms.   
     
     
         9 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the component b) is selected from:
 (i) ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol and their oligomers, for example butylene diglycol;   (ii) glycerol;   (iii) neopentyl compounds, such as pentaerythritol or trimethylolpropane;   (iv) glycerol mono- and/or diesters with fatty acids having 8 to 22 carbon atoms;   (v) pentaerythrityl esters partially esterified with the fatty acids; and   (vi) diethylene glycol monobutyl ether.   
     
     
         10 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the component c) is selected from the group including ethylene oxide groups as alkoxides. 
     
     
         11 . A fuel composition according to  claim 10 , wherein the component c) contains between 4 and 20 mol of ethylene oxide, e.g. from 2 to 10 mol of ethylene oxide per mol of ester. 
     
     
         12 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid components of component c) are fatty acids having 5 to 30 C atoms and of natural or synthetic origin, in particular straight-chain, saturated or unsaturated fatty acids, including industrial mixtures thereof, as obtainable by lipolysis from animal and vegetable fats and oils, for example from coconut oil, palm kernel oil, soya oil, sunflower oil, colza oil, cottonseed oil, fish oil, beef tallow, and lard; specific examples are caprylic, capric, lauric, lauroleic, myristic, myristoleic, palmitic, palmitoleic, oleic, elaidic, arachic, gadoleic, behenic, and erucic acid. 
     
     
         13 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the component d) is selected from:
 (i) dimers of the group palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, petroselinic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, conjuenic fatty acid, elaeostearic acid, ricinoleic acid, gadoleic acid, erucic acid, and their industrial mixtures with saturated fatty acids; and   (ii) dimers of the group palm oil acid, tallow fatty acid, colza fatty acid and sunflower fatty acid.   
     
     
         14 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition includes an ester of rape-seed or soya fatty acid. 
     
     
         15 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition includes a nitrogen compound selected from the group consisting of ammonia, hydrazine, alkyl hydrazine, dialkyl hydrazine, urea, ethanolamine, monoalkyl ethanolamine, and dialkyl ethanolamine wherein alkyl is independently selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl or isopropyl. 
     
     
         16 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition includes a cetane booster in amount of from 0.1% v/v to 1.0% v/v. 
     
     
         17 . A fuel composition according to  claim 16 , wherein the cetane booster is selected from 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, tertiary butyl peroxide, diethylene glycol methyl ether, cyclohexanol, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         18 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition includes a demulsifier in an amount of less than 5% v/v and preferably less than 1% v/v. 
     
     
         19 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition includes water. 
     
     
         20 . A fuel composition comprising levulinic acid or a functional derivative thereof, as an oxygenate in the fuel composition, wherein the composition comprises a diesel fuel and wherein the composition comprises a fatty acid diethanolamide, an ethoxylate of a long chain fatty acid and optionally an alcohol ethoxylate, the degree of ethoxylation being selected so that a long term stable fuel composition is formed. 
     
     
         21 . A fuel composition comprising levulinic acid or a functional derivative thereof, as an oxygenate in the fuel composition, wherein the composition is substantially free of alkoxylated compounds and is substantially free of long-chain alkyl alcohols having at least 6 C atoms, and contains at least 93% by volume of a diesel fuel, from 0.1 to 5% levulinic acid or a functional derivative thereof, and from 0.1 to 2% by volume of an additive of the formula (I):
   R—CO—NR 1 R 2   (I)   in which R is a saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched alkyl radical having 6 to 21 C atoms; and   R 1  and R 2 , which may be the same or different, each represent a hydroxyalkyl radical having 1 to 4 C atoms.   
     
     
         22 . A fuel composition according to  claim 21 , wherein the levulinic acid or functional derivative thereof is an alkyl levulinate. 
     
     
         23 . A fuel composition according to  claim 21 , wherein the composition includes an ester of rape-seed or soya fatty acid. 
     
     
         24 . A fuel composition according to  claim 21 , wherein the composition includes a cetane booster in amount of from 0.1% v/v to 1.0% v/v. 
     
     
         25 . A fuel composition according to  claim 21 , wherein the composition includes a demulsifier in an amount of less than 5% v/v and preferably less than 1% v/v.