Clear Stable Motor Fuel Composition

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to fuels for internal combustion engines and more particularly to a novel process whereby a hazy alcohol-gasoline motor fuel composition can be converted to a clear, stable blend to about -10.degree. F.

The use of aliphatic alcohols such as methanol and ethanol to extend gasoline fuels while imparting a higher octane rating to the gasoline has been desired for some time. However, alcohol-gasoline blends have a low tolerance for water that is encountered in the blending and distribution systems. Methanol-gasoline blends are much less water tolerant than ethanol-gasoline blends. Unstable hazy blends may result when water is present in such systems and/or when there is a sudden drop in ambient temperature. Hazy gasolines are unacceptable by the public since they may indicate that the fuel may be contaminated or perform unsatisfactorily. Further, phase separation may occur with water and alcohol separating out and contributing to corrosion problems and motor starting difficulties.

Although, it has been recognized that some water in the gasoline is desirable since the presence of water will reduce the Octane Requirement Increase (ORI) and will increase the Octane Rating (OR), a hazy blend will result when a commercial alcohol-gasoline blend, e.g., Oxinol 30* gasoline, is contaminated with water, i.e., saturated with water.

An alcohol-gasoline blend may become hazy when any moisture comes in contact with it when the alcohol-gasoline is in storage tanks or is being transported, in any system, e.g., trucking, etc., or when it comes in contact with other gasoline blends, e.g., unleaded gasolines, other grades of gasolines, etc., or when the ambient temperature suddenly drops below about 35.degree. F.

Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a process for converting a hazy water-saturated alcohol-gasoline into a clear stable gasoline blend down to sub-zero temperatures, i.e., less than 0.degree. F., and improve the Octane Rating (OR) of the gasoline.

2. Disclosure Statement

U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,391 discloses clear motor fuel microemulsions comprising gasoline, water, two different surfactants and a water soluble and insufficiently gasoline soluble additive. The gasoline does not contain any alcohol.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,872 discloses a motor fuel composition comprising gasoline, alcohol, and an interfacial modifying agent. The gasoline does not contain any water.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,822,119, 3,876,391, 4,002,435, and 4,445,908 disclose the addition of an excessive amount of surfactants and alcohol to manufacture a clear emulsion of methanol-water-gasoline, or an excessive amount of alcohol to solubilize water into gasoline whereby a lean fuel/air ratio is obtained resulting in an engine's difficult cold start and poor drivability.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,920 discloses the addition of an excessive amount of butanol-acetone as a cosolvent for methanol, acetone, and isopropanol and gasoline where severe corrosion and wear will occur in the internal combustion engine besides having a difficult cold start and lack of drivability.

A process for making a clear, stable gasoline from a hazy water-saturated gasoline containing a mixture of hydrocarbons in the gasoline boiling range, from about 2.0 to about 12.0 of methanol, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 of a cosolvent (C.sub.2 -C.sub.5) aliphatic alcohol, and from about 0.1 to about 0.5 volume percent of contaminating water, said process comprising adding to said water-saturated gasoline from about 0.05 to about 3.0 weight percent of a nonionic surfactant of an alkanoic acid derivative, ##STR1## wherein R is a (C.sub.9 -C.sub.30) alkyl group and R' is

wherein x is a numeral of about 2 to about 10, or R' is

wherein y is a numeral of about 4 to about 20, and R" is ##STR2## wherein one M is ##STR3## a second M is H(OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.y and the remaining M's are H.

The present invention provides a process for rendering a hazy, water-saturated gasoline blend clear and stable. The water-saturated, i.e., water contaminated, alcohol-gasoline blend may become hazy when the ambient temperature decreases below about 35.degree. F. This hazy gasoline can be rendered clear and stable down to a temperature of about -10.degree. F. by adding to such water-saturated gasoline, a nonionic surfactant of an alkanoic acid derivative represented by the formula ##STR4## wherein R is a (C.sub.9 -C.sub.24) alkyl or alkylene group, and R' is polyethylene glycol

where x is a numeral of about 1 to about 10; or R' is

wherein y is a numeral of about 4 to about 20,

and R" is ##STR5## wherein one M is ##STR6## a second M is H(OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.y and the remaining M's are H.

The concentration of the nonionic surfactants as based on the gasoline composition ranges from about 0.05 to about 3.0 weight percent, preferably from about 0.5 to about 2.0 weight percent. A low dosage, e.g., about 2.0 weight percent or less of the nonionic adduct will solubilize the water and form a microemulsion. The microemulsion is of the "water-in-petroleum" type in which the average particle diameter of the dispersed phase is about 0.1 micron or smaller. By the addition of such surfactant, clear stable gasoline-alcohol-water motor fuel compositions having upgraded performance characteristics are provided.

According to the present process, a hazy, water-saturated gasoline which can be converted to a clear, stable gasoline blend, comprises methanol in the amount of about 2.0 to about 12.0 volume percent, preferably from about 2.0 to about 5.0, and more preferably from about 2.70 to about 4.75 volume percent; a cosolvent (C.sub.2 -C.sub.5) aliphatic alcohol selected from the group consisting of ethanol in the amount of about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent, preferably from about 4.75 to about 9.0 volume percent; isopropanol in the amount of about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent, preferably from about 4.75 to about 9.0 volume percent; secondary butyl alcohol in the amount of about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent, preferably from about 4.75 to about 9.0 volume percent; tertiary butyl alcohol in the amount of about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent, preferably from about 4.75 to about 9.0 volume percent; pentanol in the amount of about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent, preferably from about 4.75 to about 9.0 volume percent, and mixtures thereof in the amount of about 3.0 to about 0.1 to about 0.5 weight percent.

The alcohols in the clear, stable gasoline blend contribute a total oxygen content to the fuel, ranging from about 1.0 to about 7.5 weight percent.

The clear stable alcohol-gasoline composition, which is made from a hazy or potentially hazy gasoline comprises from about 2.0 to about 12.0 volume percent methanol from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of a cosolvent (C.sub.2 -C.sub.5) aliphatic alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, secondary butyl alcohol, tertiary butyl alcohol, pentanol, and mixtures thereof; about 0.1 to about 0.5 weight percent of water due to contamination; and about 0.05 to about 3.0 weight percent, preferably from about 0.1 to about 2.5 weight percent of a nonionic surfactant of an polyethoxylated sorbitan monooleate. Preferably, the volumetric ratio of tertiary butyl alcohol and/or isopropanol to methanol and/or ethanol in the clear, stable gasoline composition ranges form about 0.3 to about 3.0, and more preferably from about 0.5 to about 2.0.

The hazy, water-saturated gasoline is converted to a clear, stable gasoline by the addition to the hazy gasoline of a nonionic surfactant of alkanoic acid derivative in the amount of about 0.05 to about 3.0 weight percent, preferably from about 0.5 to about 2.0 weight percent, and blended with the hazy gasoline until a clear stable gasoline is obtained.

The additive which is used to convert a hazy gasoline into a clear, stable motor fuel composition is a nonionic surfactant of an alkanoic acid derivative represented below by Formula I: ##STR7## wherein R is an alkyl group having from about 9 to about 24 carbon atoms preferably from about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms, and R' is represented by Formula II:

or by formula III: ##STR8## wherein x is a numeral of about 1 to about 10, preferably about 2 to about 5 and more preferably about 3 to about 4.

In the above Formula (I) R may be a C.sub.10 -C.sub.25 alkyl or alkenyl group typified by capryl (C.sub.10), lauryl (C.sub.10), myristyl (C.sub.14), palmityl (C.sub.16), stearyl (C.sub.18), etc., or oleyl (C.sub.18), coco (C.sub.12 -C.sub.18) etc. Preferably, the group contains 9-24 carbon atoms. In the more preferred embodiment R may have 12-18 carbon atoms.

The R' of Formula (I) is a (C.sub.2 -C.sub.3) alkoxy group such as oxyethylene --(CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 O).sub.x or oxyisopropylene ##STR9## and x is a numeral of about 1 to about 10, preferably about 2 to about 5, and more preferably about 3 to about 4.

These polyethoxylated fatty acids may be available commercially under the tradenames of NOPALCOL or ETHOFAT. The fatty acids sold under the tradename of NOPALCOL are manufactured by Diamond Shamrock Corporation of Morristown, N.J.; and the fatty acids sold under the tradename of ETHOFAT are manufactured by Akzo Chemie of Chicago, Ill.

Illustrative of these compositions may be those listed below in Table I, the first listed being the most preferred. In the compositions, as represented by the Formula (II) above, x is 4.

The R' of Formula (I) may be the radical

wherein y is a numeral of about 4 to about 20, and R" is ##STR14## where one M is ##STR15## a second M is H(OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.y and the remaining M's are H.

The alkanoic acid represented by the above radical ##STR16## may be lauric acid, oleic acid, stearic acid or isostearic acid.

The polyoxyethylene sorbitan monoalkanoates are commercially available under the tradename of TWEENS which are manufactured by ICI Americas, Inc., of Wilmington, Del.

Illustrative of these compositions may be those listed below in Table II and represented by the above radical

the first listed being the most preferred.

Also, according to the present invention, a clear, potentially hazy, water-saturated alcohol-gasoline blend may be rendered clear and stable by the present process where the alcohol-gasoline blend contains more than about 0.4 volume percent of contaminating water and the ambient temperature is less than about 35.degree. F.

However, where the clear, potentially hazy, water-saturated gasoline blend contains less than about 0.4 volume percent of contaminating water and the ambient temperature is greater than about 35.degree. F., an alternate process of the present invention is preferably used. In this process, the clear, potentially hazy, water-saturated gasoline blend is first diluted with unleaded gasoline in a volume ratio of unleaded gasoline to water-saturated gasoline in the ratio of about 10:90 to about 50:50, preferably about 30:70, and then, as described above, there is added a nonionic surfactant of an alkanoic acid derivative represented by Formula I: ##STR17## wherein R is a (C.sub.9 -C.sub.24) alkyl or alkylene group, and R' is polyethylene (as defined above).

Any gasoline suitable for a spark-ignited internal combustion engine can be extended and its octane rating increased by being blended with water and a specific alcohol or mixture of alcohols in accordance with the practice of this invention. Clear stable gasoline-alcohol-water motor fuel compositions are thereby produced. In general, the base fuel will consist of a mixture of hydrocarbons in the gasoline boiling range, i.e., boiling from about 75.degree. to 450.degree. F. The hydrocarbon components may consist of paraffinic naphthenic, aromatic and olefinic hydrocarbons. This gasoline can be obtained naturally or it may be produced by thermal or catalytic cracking and/or reforming of petroleum hydrocarbons. The base fuel will generally have a Research Octane Number (RON) above 85 and up to about 102 with the preferred range being from about 90 to about 100.

In most cases, water from an external source is introduced unintentionally into the motor fuel composition alcohol-gasoline blend and/or gasoline. Sources of water can be from methanol, humidity, and distribution system.

In another embodiment, gasoline contaminated with water may be processed into an upgraded clear stable motor fuel. In such case, the gasoline-water mixture is mixed with a mixture of the aforesaid alcohols, any additional water, and said nonionic alkanoic acid derivative having the previously described Formula (I). The amount of each constituent is the same as that previously described in the preferred embodiment. Agitation is continued until a clear dispersion is produced.

Advantages of the present invention are illustrated by the following examples. These examples are set forth for the purpose of illustration and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

A clear stable gasoline-alcohol-water fuel Composition No. 1 was made by mixing together 50 parts by volume of a clear unleaded gasoline (base fuel) and 50 parts by volume of a clear gasoline with the addition of 4,000 parts per million of water to simulate water contamination, 2.7 volume percent of methanol, and 6.3 volume percent of tertiary butyl alcohol to produce a hazy fuel composition. A nonionic surfactant (Formula I) comprising an adduct of a stearic acid and ethylene oxide having 1 to 10 ethylene oxide groups was then added dropwise at room temperature (70.degree.-75.degree. F.) to the hazy fuel composition until the mixture was clear. The amounts of surfactant required to obtain a clear blend from a hazy blend of gasoline at different temperature, are provided below in Table III.

From Table III above, it is apparent that the value for x in Formula (I) should be in the range of 1-10, and a specific amount of surfactant is required to produce a clear stable motor fuel composition comprising alcohol, gasoline and water.

A clear stable gasoline-alcohol-water fuel composition was made by mixing together 50 parts by volume of a clear unleaded gasoline (base fuel) and 50 parts by volume of a clear gasoline with the addition of 4,000 parts per million of water to simulate water contamination, 2.7 volume percent of methanol, and 6.3 volume percent of tertiary butyl alcohol to produce a hazy fuel composition. Then, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monoalkanoates were added in different tests, to the hazy fuel composition to convert such to a clear and stable fuel composition. In the first test, polyoxyethylene (4) sorbitan monolaurate (TWEENS 21) was added, and in the second test run polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (TWEENS 80) was added. The amounts of the two monoalkanoates required to obtain a clear blend from a hazy blend of gasoline at different temperatures, are provided below, respectively, in Table IV (TWEENS 21) and Table V (TWEENS 80).

Additional examples of various formulations of the subject clear stable gasoline-alcohol-water motor fuel compositions are shown below in Table VI.

Although this invention has been illustrated by reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made which clearly fall within the scope of this invention.