Fuel Compositions Containing Fuel Additive

Abstract

A fuel composition consisting of at least 95% by weight of predominantly or entirely hydrocarbon liquid fuel and 0.001 to 5.0% by weight of fuel additive, wherein the additive consists of: a) 20 to 90% by weight of at least one alkoxylated alcohol corresponding to Formula (I) R 2 R 1 —O—(—CHCH 2 O—) x —H (I) where —R 1 is C 6 -C 16 , —R 2 is H or CH 3 , and -x is 1-7; (b) 40 to 10% by weight of at least one polyalkylene glycol ester corresponding to the following general Formula (II) OR 4 R 3 —C-0(—CHCH 2 O—)- y —R 5 (II) wherein —R 3 is C11-C 19 , —R 4 is H or CH 3 , -y is 1-20, —R 3 is H or COR 3 ; and

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
   
   
       31 . A fuel composition comprising at least 95% by weight of at least predominantly hydrocarbon liquid fuel and 0.001 to 5.0% by weight of fuel additive, wherein the additive comprises:
 a) 20 to 90% by weight of at least one alkoxylated alcohol corresponding to general Formula (I)   
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       
         wherein
 R 1  is C 6 -C 16 , 
 R 2  is H or CH 3 ; and 
 x is 1-7; 
 
       
       b) 40 to 10% by weight of at least one polyalkylene glycol ester corresponding to the following general Formula (II) 
     
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       
         wherein
 R 3  is C 11 -C 19 , 
 R 4  is H or CH 3 , 
 y is 1-20, 
 R 5  is H or COR 3 ; and 
 
       
       c) 40 to 0% by weight of at least one alkanolamide corresponding to the following general Formula (III) 
     
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       
         wherein
 R 6  is C 12 -C 18 , 
 R 7  is H or CH 2 CH 2 OH 
 provided that the sum of (a), (b) and, when present, (c), constitutes 100% by weight of said fuel additive present in the fuel composition. 
 
       
     
   
   
       32 . A composition as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein alkoxylated alcohol (a) comprises 20 to 70% by weight of the additive, preferably 40 to 60% by weight, more preferably 50 to 60% by weight. 
   
   
       33 . A composition as claimed in  claim 31  wherein R 1  is C 9 -C 11 , and x is about 2.5. 
   
   
       34 . A composition as claimed in  claim 32  wherein R 1  is C 9 -C 11 , and x is about 2.5. 
   
   
       35 . A composition as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein polyalkylene glycol ester (b) comprises 40 to 15% by weight of the additive, preferably 35 to 25% by weight, more preferably 30 to 25% by weight. 
   
   
       36 . A composition as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein R 3  is C 17  and R 5  is COR 3 . 
   
   
       37 . A composition as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein alkanolamide (c) when present comprises 40 to 15% by weight of the additive, preferably 25 to 15% by weight. 
   
   
       38 . A composition as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein R 6  is C 17  and R 7  is CH 2 CH 2 OH. 
   
   
       39 . A composition as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the liquid hydrocarbon fuel is naturally obtained petroleum distillate fuel or residual fuel oil such as diesel fuel, gasoline, or kerosene, optionally blended with other alternative predominantly hydrocarbon fuel. 
   
   
       40 . A composition as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein the fuel is gasoline optionally blended with gas-to-liquid condensate and/or alkanol such as ethanol. 
   
   
       41 . A composition as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein the fuel is kerosene optionally blended with any predominantly hydrocarbon based alternative thereto. 
   
   
       42 . A composition as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein the fuel is diesel optionally blended with biodiesel, gas-to-liquid diesel condensates, and diesel/alkanol such as diesel/ethanol blends. 
   
   
       43 . A composition as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein the fuel comprises of residual heavy fuel oil. 
   
   
       44 . A fuel additive concentrate which comprises about 80 to 20% by weight of a fuel additive comprising (a) plus (b) optionally plus (c) as defined in claim  1  and about 20 to 80% of fuel solvent. 
   
   
       45 . A concentrate as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the fuel additive comprises about 70 to 30% by weight of the concentrate and the fuel solvent comprises about 30 to 70% by weight of the concentrate. 
   
   
       46 . A concentrate as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the fuel additive comprises about 60 to 40% by weight of the concentrate and the fuel solvent comprises about 40 to 60% by weight of the concentrate. 
   
   
       47 . A concentrate as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the solvent is a fuel selected from the group consisting of petroleum distillate fuel and/or alternative diesel, gasoline fuels, kerosene fuels, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       48 . A fuel composition formulated to produce improved fuel economy when subject to combustion, said composition comprising:
 about 95 to 99.9999% by weight of predominantly hydrocarbon liquid fuel; and   about 0.0001 to 5% by weight of fuel additive concentrate as defined in  claim 44 .   
   
   
       49 . A method of making a fuel additive suitable for use in a composition as claimed in claim  1 , the method comprising the steps of admixing in any order a blend comprising the following components:
 a) 20 to 90% by weight of at least one alkoxylated alcohol having the following general Formula (I)   
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       
         wherein
 R 1  is C 6 -C 16 , 
 R 2  is H or CH 3 ; and 
 x is 1-7; 
 
       
       b) 40 to 10% by weight of at least one polyalkylene glycol ester corresponding to the following general Formula (II) 
     
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       
         wherein
 R 3  is C 11 -C 19 , 
 R 4  is H or CH 3 , 
 y is 1-20, 
 R 5  is H or COR 3 ; and 
 
       
       optionally 
       c) 40 to 0% by weight of at least one alkanolamide corresponding to the following general Formula (III) 
     
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       
         wherein
 R 6  is C 12 -C 18 , 
 R 7  is H or CH 2 CH 2 OH 
 
       
       subject to the proviso that the sum of the amounts of components (a), (b), and, when present, (c) equates to 100% by weight of said fuel additive. 
     
   
   
       50 . A method as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein the step of preparing the blend comprises admixing about 20 to 70% by weight, preferably 40 to 60%, more preferably 50 to 60% of alkoxylated alcohol (a). 
   
   
       51 . A method as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein R 3  is C 17  and R 5  is COR 3 . 
   
   
       52 . A method as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein R 6  is about C 17  and R 7  is —CH 2 CH 2 OH. 
   
   
       53 . A method of making fuel additive concentrate comprising, in any order, the steps of:
 preparing an additive blend comprising the steps of  claim 49 , in any order;   admixing about 80 to 20% by weight of the additive blend with about 20 to 80% by weight of at least predominantly hydrocarbon fuel solvent.   
   
   
       54 . A method as claimed in  claim 53 , wherein the solvent is a fuel selected from the group consisting of petroleum distillate derived diesel, gasoline, kerosene, or combinations thereof, optionally blended with alternative non-petroleum distillate derived predominantly hydrocarbon fuel. 
   
   
       55 . A method of making a fuel composition formulated to improve fuel economy when subject to combustion, said method comprising the steps of:
 preparing a fuel additive concentrate according to a method as claimed in  claim 53 ; and   admixing about 95 to 99.9999% by weight of predominantly hydrocarbon liquid fuel with 0.0001 to 5% by weight of said fuel additive concentrate.