Improvements in fuels

Abstract

A fuel composition including renewable diesel and one or more low temperature enhancing additives selected from (a) a copolymer comprising units of formula (I): and units of formula (II): In which the R is an alkyl group and each of R 1 and R 2 is an alkyl or alkenyl group having 6 to 22 carbon atoms; (b) the reaction product of a polycarboxylic acid having at least one tertiary amino group and a primary or secondary amine; and (c) the reaction product of secondary amines and a copolymer of maleic anhydride and an α-olefin.

1 . A fuel composition comprising renewable diesel and one or more low temperature enhancing additives selected from:
 (a) a copolymer comprising units of formula (I):   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       and units of formula (II): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R is an alkyl group and each of R 1  and R 2  is an alkyl or alkenyl group having 6 to 22 carbon atoms;
 (b) the reaction product of a polycarboxylic acid having at least one tertiary amino group and a primary or secondary amine; and 
 (c) the reaction product of secondary amines and a copolymer of maleic anhydride and an α-olefin. 
 
     
     
         2 . A method of improving the low temperature properties of a fuel composition comprising renewable diesel, the method comprising admixing into the composition one or more low temperature enhancing additives selected from:
 (a) a copolymer comprising units of formula (I):   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       and units of formula (II): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R is an alkyl group and each of R 1  and R 2  is an alkyl or alkenyl group having 6 to 22 carbon atoms;
 (b) the reaction product of a polycarboxylic acid having at least one tertiary amino group and a primary or secondary amine; and 
 (c) the reaction product of secondary amines and a copolymer of maleic anhydride and an α-olefin. 
 
     
     
         3 . The use of one or more low temperature enhancing additives selected from:
 (a) a copolymer comprising units of formula (I):   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       and units of formula (II): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R is an alkyl group and each of R 1  and R 2  is an alkyl or alkenyl group having 6 to 22 carbon atoms;
 (b) the reaction product of a polycarboxylic acid having at least one tertiary amino group and a primary or secondary amine; and 
 (c) the reaction product of secondary amines and a copolymer of maleic anhydride and an α-olefin 
 
       to improve the low temperature properties of a fuel composition comprising renewable diesel. 
     
     
         4 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein each of R 1  and R 2  is an alkyl or alkenyl group having 8 to 14 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         5 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more low temperature enhancing additives comprises component (a). 
     
     
         6 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more low temperature enhancing additives comprises component (b). 
     
     
         7 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more low temperature enhancing additives comprises component (c). 
     
     
         8 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more low temperature enhancing additives comprises a copolymer comprising units of formula (I): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       and units of formula (II): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R is an alkyl group each of R 1  and R 2  is an alkyl group having 10 to 14 carbon atoms, preferably 12 to 14 carbon atoms and which copolymer has a number average molecular weight of 4000 to 25000, preferably 5000 to 20000, more preferably 6000 to 15000. 
     
     
         9 . The composition according to  claim 8  wherein the copolymer comprises from 40 to 60 mol % of units of formula (I) and from 60 to 40 mol % of units of formula (II). 
     
     
         10 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more low temperature enhancing additives comprises the reaction product of 1 mole of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid and 4 moles of hydrogenated tallow fatty amine. 
     
     
         11 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more low temperature enhancing additives comprises the reaction product of a copolymer of maleic anhydride and a C 18  α-olefin and 2 equivalents of ditallow fatty amine. 
     
     
         12 . The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel comprises a blend of renewable diesel and a further diesel fuel. 
     
     
         13 . The composition according to  claim 12 , wherein the further diesel fuel is selected from biodiesel, mineral diesel and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 2 , which depress the cloud point of the fuel composition by at least 1° C. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein each of R 1  and R 2  is an alkyl or alkenyl group having 8 to 14 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more low temperature enhancing additives comprises component (a). 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more low temperature enhancing additives comprises component (b). 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more low temperature enhancing additives comprises component (c). 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more low temperature enhancing additives comprises a copolymer comprising units of formula (I): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       and units of formula (II): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R is an alkyl group each of R 1  and R 2  is an alkyl group having 10 to 14 carbon atoms, preferably 12 to 14 carbon atoms and which copolymer has a number average molecular weight of 4000 to 25000, preferably 5000 to 20000, more preferably 6000 to 15000. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the copolymer comprises from 40 to 60 mol % of units of formula (I) and from 60 to 40 mol % of units of formula (II).