Additives for Fuel Oils

Abstract

A fuel oil composition comprising a major amount of a fuel oil and a minor amount of a compound being the product of the reaction between (i) a primary or secondary hydrocarbyl-substituted amine or a mixture thereof and (ii) a species containing two or more epoxy groups being: a glycidyl ether (a) or (b), a glycidyl amine (c), a glycidyl ester (d) or a poly-epoxy alkane (e).

1 . A fuel oil composition comprising a major amount of a fuel oil and a minor amount of a compound being the product of the reaction between (i) a primary or secondary hydrocarbyl-substituted amine or a mixture thereof and (ii) a species containing two or more epoxy groups being:
 (a) a glycidyl ether of general formula I:   
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       
         where A represents a moiety of formula II: 
       
     
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       
         where X represents R or OR; where R represents a linear or branched alkyl linkage, preferably of between 1 and 12 carbon atoms or a polyalkylene glycol segment of number average molecular weight of between 200 and 1000; and n is from 0 to 20; or 
       
       (b) a glycidyl ether of general formula III:
   CB 2 DD′  (III) 
 where B is a moiety of formula II where X is OR and n is at least 1, and where D and D′ are independently either the same as B, a substituted or unsubstituted linear or branched alkyl group or hydrogen; or 
 
       (c) a glycidyl amine of general formula IV:
   ANR 3 R 4    (IV) 
 where A is a moiety of formula (II) as above and where R 3  and R 4  may be the same or different and are independently chosen from hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted linear or branched alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic aliphatic or aromatic group, or a moiety of formula (II), provided that at least one of R 3  or R 4  is a moiety of formula (II); or 
 
       (d) a glycidyl ester of general formula (V) 
     
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       
         where E is a substituted or unsubstituted linear or branched alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic aliphatic or aromatic group, nitrogen or a tertiary amine or tertiary polyamine group, R 5  is a moiety of formula (VI): 
       
     
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       
         and m is an integer from 2 to 10, preferably from 2 to 5; or 
       
       (e) a poly-epoxy alkane. 
     
   
   
       2 . A fuel oil composition according to  claim 1  wherein species (ii) is a glycidyl ether (a) or a glycidyl ether (b). 
   
   
       3 . A fuel oil composition according to  claim 1  wherein (i) is of the formula NHR 1 R 2 , where R 1  independently represents a hydrocarbyl group, such as an alkyl group, containing from 8 to 40 carbon atoms, and R 2  independently represents hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group, such as an alkyl group, containing up to 40 carbon atoms. 
   
   
       4 . A fuel oil composition according to  claim 1  wherein at least 10 mol % of (i) comprises a secondary hydrocarbyl-substituted amine. 
   
   
       5 . A fuel oil composition according to  claim 1  further comprising one or more of an ethylene-unsaturated ester copolymer, a fumarate-vinyl acetate copolymer, an alkyl-phenol formaldehyde condensate, a hydroxy-benzoate formaldehyde condensate and a hydrocarbon polymer. 
   
   
       6 . A fuel oil composition according to  claim 1  further comprising a fuel oil detergent. 
   
   
       7 . A fuel oil composition according to  claim 6  where in the fuel oil detergent comprises a polyamine detergent. 
   
   
       8 . A fuel composition according to  claim 1  which exhibits improved low temperature properties. 
   
   
       9 . A fuel oil composition comprising a fuel oil detergent present in an amount in excess of 50 ppm by weight and an oil-soluble compound effective as a wax anti-settling additive present in an amount ranging from 10-500 ppm by weight , both amounts based on the weight of the fuel oil, which exhibits improved detergency and low-temperature properties.