Fuel additive and fuel composition containing the same

Abstract

A fuel additive containing an alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide is disclosed. The alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide is surprisingly useful for improving the acceleration response and the driving performance of internal combustion engines when used as fuel additives in hydrocarbon-based fuels, such as gasoline fuel or diesel fuel.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A fuel additive comprising an alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide having from 3 to 50 moles of alkylene oxide per mole of hydrocarbyl amide.  
     
     
         2 . The fuel additive according to  claim 1 , wherein the alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide has from 3 to 20 moles of alkylene oxide per mole of hydrocarbyl amide.  
     
     
         3 . The fuel additive according to  claim 2 , wherein the alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide has from 4 to 15 moles of alkylene oxide per mole of hydrocarbyl amide.  
     
     
         4 . A fuel additive according to  claim 1 , wherein the alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide is derived from an alkyl or alkenyl amide having from 4 to 75 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         5 . A fuel additive according to  claim 4 , wherein the alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide is derived from an alkyl or alkenyl amide having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         6 . A fuel additive according to  claim 5 , wherein the alkyl or alkenyl amide is a coconut oil fatty acid amide.  
     
     
         7 . A fuel additive according to  claim 1 , wherein the alkylene oxide is selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, pentylene oxide, or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         8 . A fuel additive according to  claim 7 , wherein the alkylene oxide is elected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         9 . A fuel additive according to  claim 1 , wherein the alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide is derived from an alkylene-oxide-adduction reaction involving a coconut oil fatty acid amide with ethylene oxide and propylene oxide.  
     
     
         10 . A fuel composition for automotive fuels comprising a major amount of hydrocarbon boiling in the gasoline or diesel range and, from 10 to 10,000 ppm weight per weight of fuel, of an alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide having from 3 to 50 moles of alkylene oxide per mole of hydrocarbyl amide.  
     
     
         11 . The fuel composition according to  claim 10 , wherein the alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide has from 3 to 20 moles of alkylene oxide per mole of hydrocarbyl amide.  
     
     
         12 . The fuel composition according to  claim 11 , wherein the alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide has from 4 to 15 moles of alkylene oxide per mole of hydrocarbyl amide.  
     
     
         13 . A fuel composition according to  claim 10 , wherein the alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide is derived from an alkyl or alkenyl amide having from 4 to 75 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         14 . A fuel composition according to  claim 13 , wherein the alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide is derived from an alkyl or alkenyl amide having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         15 . A fuel composition according to  claim 14 , wherein the alkyl or alkenyl amide is a coconut oil fatty acid amide.  
     
     
         16 . The fuel composition according to  claim 10 , wherein the alkylene oxide is selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, pentylene oxide, or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         17 . A fuel composition according to  claim 16 , wherein the alkylene oxide is elected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         18 . A fuel composition according to  claim 10 , wherein the alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide is derived from an alkylene-oxide-adduction reaction involving a coconut oil fatty acid amide with ethylene oxide and propylene oxide.  
     
     
         19 . The fuel composition according to  claim 10 , wherein the alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide is in the range of from 10 to 5,000 ppm weight per weight of fuel.  
     
     
         20 . The fuel composition according to  claim 19 , wherein the alkylene-oxide-adducted hydrocarbyl amide is in the range of from 10 to 1,000 ppm weight per weight of fuel.  
     
     
         21 . A method of operating gasoline automobile engines comprising operating said engine with the fuel composition according to  claim 10 .  
     
     
         22 . The method of operating gasoline automobile engines according to  claim 21 , wherein the amount of alkylene oxide is from 3 to 20 moles per mole of hydrocarbyl amide and said alkylene oxide is selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, pentylene oxide, or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         23 . A method of improving the acceleration performance of gasoline automobile engines comprising additizing the fuel additive of  claim 1  to a gasoline and operating said engine with said gasoline.  
     
     
         24 . The method of improving the acceleration performance of gasoline automobile engines according to  claim 23 , wherein the amount of alkylene oxide is from 3 to 20 moles per mole of hydrocarbyl amide and said alkylene oxide is selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, pentylene oxide, or mixtures thereof.