Emulsified water blended fuels produced by using a low energy process and novel surfuctant

Abstract

A novel low energy process to produce water in oil emulsions in particular water blended fuels by employing a low molecular weight surfactant with an emulsifier package.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . An emulsified water in oil composition comprising: 
 A) a fuel;    B) a water;    C) a high molecular weight emulsifier;    D) a surfactant having a molecular weight of about less than or equal to about 950 g/mol wherein the surfactant comprises: 
 i) natural fats;  
 ii) non-ionic and ionic surfactants;  
 iii) co-surfactanta;  
 iv) fatty acids and their amine salts; or  
 v) combinations thereof; and  
   E) optionally ammonium nitrate.    
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 2  wherein a fuel is in the range of about 50% to about 99% by weight of the composition; the water is in the range of about 1% to about 50% by weight of the composition; the emulsifier is in the range of about 1% to about 50% by weight of the composition; and the surfactant in the range of about 0.001% to about 15% by weight of the composition.  
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 2  wherein a fuel is in the range of about 50% to about 99% by weight of the composition; the water is in the range of less than 1% by weight of the composition; the emulsifier is in the range of about 1% to about 50% by weight of the composition; and the surfactant in the range of about 0.001% to about 15% by weight of the composition.  
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the fuel is a diesel fuel.  
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the water in oil composition is an emulsified water blended fuel and wherein the fuel is selected from the group consisting of petroleum distillate fuel such as diesel, gasoline, fuel oil a mixture thereof; a fuel derived from vegetables, corn, alfalfa, rapeseed, soybeans, shale, coal or mixtures thereof; a biodegradable fuel; biodiesel; residual fuel; bitumen; alcohol; ether; ethanol; Fischer-Tropsch fuels; and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the surfactant has a low molecular weight in the range of about 900 g/mol to about 30 g/mol.  
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the surfactant has a low molecular weight in the range of about 400 g/mol to about 90 g/mol.  
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the surfactant is in the range of about 0.01% to about 10% by weight of the water in oil composition.  
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the natural fat surfactant is selected from the group consisting of triglycerides, hydrolyzed triglycerides, oxidized products of triglycerides, vegetable oils, refined vegetable oils, used vegetable oils and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the non ionic and ionic surfactants are selected from the group consisting of alkyl ethoxylates, ethoxylated alkylphenols, alkyl glucosides, ethoxylated alcohols, ethoxylated amines, ethoxylatedamides amides derived from fatty acids, amides derived from fatty alcohols, ethers alcohols, fatty alcohols, esters of fatty acids ethers of fatty acides, esters of fatty alcohols and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the non-ionic and ionic surfactants have a hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) in the range of about 2 to about 40.  
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 11  wherein the non-ionic and ionic surfactants are selected from the group consisting of alkanolamides, alkylarylsulfonates, amine oxides, poly(oxyalkylene) compounds, including block copolymers comprising alkylene oxide repeat units (Pluronic™), carboxylated alcohol ethoxylates, such as fatty esters, glycerol esters, glycol esters, imidazoline derivatives, lecithin and derivatives, lignin and derivatives, monoglycerides and diglycerides and derivatives, phosphate esters and derivatives, propoxylated fatty acids, propoxylated fatty alcohols, alkyl phenols, sorbitan derivatives, sucrose esters, derivatives of sucrose esters, sulfates or alcohols or ethoxylated alcohols or fatty esters, sulfonates of dodecyl aoxtridecyl benzenes or condensed naphthalenes, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 8  wherein the non-ionic and ionic surfactants are selected from the group consisting of C12-C14 alcohol with two ethoxylates, ethomeen C12, Neodol 25-3, oleylic alcohol with 5 ethoxylates, (nonylphenoxypoly(ethyleneoxy) ethanol, nonoxynol-8), (a-(4-nonylphenyl)-∞-hydroxypoly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), alcohol ethoxylates, sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan monoisostearate, glycerol dioleate, glycerol monooleate, lauric acid, myristic acid, coconut acid, coconut oil, oleic acid, tall oil fatty acid, linoleic acid, soybean oil, apricot kernel oil, wheat germ oil, monocarboxylic fatty acids, triglycerides, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the co-surfactant is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, amines, amides, ketones, esters, ethers and combinations thereof and further wherein the co-surfactant has from about 1 to about 24 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 14  wherein the alcohols are selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, isopropanol, 2 ethyl hexanol, stearyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol methanol, ethanol and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the fatty acids and their amine salt surfactants are selected from the group consisting of diethyl ethanolamine salts of oleic acid, tall oil fatty acids, stearic acid, palmitic acid, lauric acid and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         17 . A process for making a water in oil composition comprising shearing; 
 A) a fuel in the range of about 50% to about 99% by weight of the composition;    B) a water in the range of about 1% to 50% by weight of the composition;    C) a high molecular weight emulsifier in the range of about 1% to about 50% by weight of the composition;    D) a low molecular weight surfactants in the range of about 0.001% to about 15% by weight of the composition wherein the surfactant comprises natural fats, non ionic surfactants, co-surfactant having about 1 to 24 carbon atoms; fatty acids and their amine salts; and combinations thereof and wherein the shearing mixing occurs at a shear rate in the range of less than or equal to 50,000 s −1 ; and    E) optionally ammonium nitrate.    
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17  wherein the shear rate in the range of about 20,000 s −1  to about 1 s −1 .  
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 17  wherein the shear rate is in the range of about 1,000 s −1  to about 1 s −1 .  
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 17  wherein the water in oil composition is an emulsified water in fuel and wherein the fuel is selected from the group consisting of petroleum distillate fuel such as diesel, gasoline, fuel oil a mixture thereof, a fuel derived from vegetables, corn, alfalfa, rapeseed, soybeans, shale, coal or mixtures thereof, a biodegradable fuel, biodiesel, residual fuel, bitumen, alcohol, ether, ethanol and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of 
 A) at least one fuel-soluble product made by reacting at least one hydrocarbyl-substituted carboxylic acid acylating agent with ammonia or an amine including but not limited to alkanol amine, hydroxy amine, and the like, the hydrocarbyl substituent of said acylating agent having about 50 to about 500 carbon atoms;  
 B) a second acylating agent having at least one hydrocarbyl substituents of up to about 40 carbon atoms, and reacting that said acylating agent with ammonia or an amine;  
 C) a water-soluble compound selected from the group consisting of amine salts, ammonium salts, azide salt, nitrate ester salt, alkali metal salts, alkaline earth metal salts or mixtures thereof in combination with A, B, D, E, F or G;  
 D) the reaction product of polyacidic polymer with at least one fuel soluble product made by reacting at least one hydrocarbyl-substituted carboxylic acid acylating agent with ammonia, an amine, a polyamine, an alkanol amine or hydroxy amines;  
 E) an amino alkylphenol which is made by reacting an alkylphenol, an aldehyde and an amine resulting in an amino alkylphenol;  
 F) nitrogen free emulsifier; or  
 G) the combination of (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F) or combinations thereof.  
 
     
     
         22 . The composition  claim 1  wherein the water in oil composition is an emulsified fuel used to operate an apparatus selected from the group consisting of an engine, an open flame burner, and an internal combustion engines.  
     
     
         23 . A process for making a water in oil composition comprising shearing; 
 A) a fuel in the range of about 50% to about 99% by weight of the composition;    B) a water in the range of less than about 1% by weight of the composition;    C) a high molecular weight emulsifier in the range of about 1% to about 50% by weight of the composition;    D) a low molecular weight surfactants in the range of about 0.001% to about 15% by weight of the composition wherein the surfactant comprises natural fats, non ionic surfactants, co-surfactant having about 1 to 24 carbon atoms; fatty acids and their amine salts; and combinations thereof and wherein the shearing mixing occurs at a shear rate in the range of less than or equal to 50,000 s −1 ; and    E) optionally ammonium nitrate.    
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 23  wherein the water is in the range of about 0.01% to about 1% by weight of the composition.  
     
     
         25 . A process for making a water in oil composition comprising shearing; 
 A) a fuel in the range of about 50% to about 99% by weight of the composition;    B) a water in the range of less than about 1% by weight of the composition;    C) a high molecular weight emulsifier in the range of about 1% to about 50% by weight of the composition; and    D) a low molecular weight surfactants in the range of about 0.001% to about 15% by weight of the composition wherein the surfactant comprises natural fats, non ionic surfactants, co-surfactant having about 1 to 24 carbon atoms; fatty acids and their amine salts; and combinations thereof and wherein the shearing mixing occurs at a shear rate in the range of less than or equal to 50,000 s −1 .    
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 25  wherein the water is in the range of about 0.01% to about 1% by weight of the composition.