Water blended fuel composition

Abstract

This invention relates to a water blended fuel composition made by combining: (i) a normally liquid hydrocarbon fuel; (ii) water; and (iii) a nitrogen-free surfactant. The fuel composition may be used as the fuel for use in an open flame burning apparatus or in an internal combustion engine.

1 . A water blended fuel composition made by combining: 
 (i) a normally liquid hydrocarbon fuel;    (ii) water; and    (iii) a nitrogen-free surfactant comprising:    (iii)(a) a hydrocarbyl substituted carboxylic acid, or a reaction product of the hydrocarbyl substituted carboxylic acid or reactive equivalent of such acid with an alcohol, the hydrocarbyl substiuent of the acid or reactive equivalent containing at least about 30 carbon atoms; and    (iii)(b) at least one compound represented by one or more of the formulae:   RO(R′O) n R′″  (iii-b-1)                  RCOO(R′O) n R′″  (iii-b-3)                      wherein each R is independently hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group of up to about 60 carbon atoms; each R′ and R″ is independently an alkylene group of 1 to about 20 carbon atoms; each R′″ is independently hydrogen, or an acyl or hydrocarbyl group of up to about 30 carbon atoms; n is a number in the range of zero to about 50; and x, y and z are independently numbers in the range of zero to about 50 with the total for x, y and z being at least 1.    
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition further comprises an acid having a pKa of up to about 6.  
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the normally liquid hydrocarbon fuel comprises a petroleum distillate fuel such as diesel fuel, gasoline, fuel oil or mixtures thereof; an alcohol; an ether; an ethanol; a fuel derived from a vegetable source; a biodegradable fuel; a biodiesel fuel; a fluid derived from a mineral source; a residual fuel; bitumen; a liquid fuel derived from corn, alfalfa, rapeseed, soybeans, shale, coal, or a mixture of two or more thereof; a fuel derived from a Fischer-Tropsch synthesized hydrocarbon; or a mixture of two or more thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition further comprises a cetane improver, non-metallic combustion modifier, metallic combustion modifier, water-soluble salt, antiknock agent, lead scavenger, ashless dispersant, deposit preventor or modifier, dye, antioxidant, rust inhibitor, corrosion inhibitor, bacteriostatic agent, gum inhibitor, metal deactivator, upper cylinder lubricant, antifreeze agent, biocide, organic solvent, or a mixture of two or more thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the hydrocarbyl substituent for the surfactant (iii)(a) is derived from polyisobutene, polypropylene, polyethylene, a copolymer derived from isobutene and butadiene, or a copolymer derived from isobutene and isoprene.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the surfactant (iii)(a) comprises a polyisobutene substituted succinic acid.  
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the surfactant (iii)(a) comprises the reaction product of a polyisobutene substituted succinic acid or reactive equivalent thereof with an alcohol.  
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the surfactant (iii)(b) is represented by formula (iii-b-1) where R is a hydrocarbyl group of about 6 to about 30 carbon atoms, R′ is an alkylene group of about 2 to about 4 carbon atoms, R′″ is hydrogen, and n is a number in the range of 1 to about 10.  
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the surfactant (iii)(b) is represented by formula (iii-b-1) wherein R is a hydrocarbyl group of about 9 to about 11 carbon atoms, R′ is an alkylene group of about 2 carbon atoms, R′″ is hydrogen, and n is about 8.  
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the surfactant (iii)(b) is represented by the formula (iii-b-1), wherein R is a hydrocarbyl group of about 14 to about 30 carbon atoms, R′ is an alkylene group of about 2 carbon atoms, R′″ is hydrogen, and n is in the range of about 5 to about 10.  
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the compound represented by formula (iii-b-1) is C 9 -C 11  alkoxy poly (ethoxy) 8  alcohol; C 12 -C 15  alkoxy poly (isopropoxy) 22 - 26  alcohol; oleyl alcohol pentaethoxylate, or a mixture of two or more thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the compound represented by formula (iii-b-2) is diglycerol monooleate, diglycerol monosteaate, polyglycerol monooleate, or a mixture of two or more thereof.  
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the compound represented by formula (iii-b-3) is polyethylene glycol distearate, polyethylene glycol dioleate, polyethylene glycol soya bean oil ester, or a mixture of two or more thereof.  
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the compound represented by formula (iii-b-4) is glycerol monooleate, diglycerol dioleate, diglycerol distearate, polyglycerol dioleate, or a mixture of two or more thereof.  
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the compound represented by formula (iii-b-5) is sorbitan monooleate, sorbitan monoisostearate, sorbitan sesquioleate, sorbitan trioleate, or a mixture of two or more thereof.  
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the compound represented by formula (iii-b-6) is polyethoxy glycerol trioleate.  
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition further comprises carboxylic acid, succinic acid, formic acid, acetylenedicarboxylic acid, benzenehexacarboxylic acid, benzenepentacarboxylic acid, benzenetetracarboxylic acid, benzenetricarboxylic acid, 2-butyn-1,4-dioic acid, 2-butynoic acid, citraconic acid, cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylic acid, 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid, dihydroxymaleic acid, dihydroxymalic acid, dihydroxytatric acid, alpha, alpha-dimethyloxaloacetic acid, dipropylmalonic acid, ethylene oxide dicarboxylic acid, hydroxyaspartic acid, maleic acid, 2-oxobutanoic acid, triethylsuccinic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, glyoxalic acid, oxalic acid, lactic acid, oxomalonic acid, or a mixture of two or more thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition further comprises tartaric acid.  
     
     
         19 . A combustion process comprising combusting the fuel composition of  claim 1  in equipment selected from the group comprising an open flame burner, engine and combination thereof.  
     
     
         20 . A water blended fuel composition made by combining: 
 a normally liquid hydrocarbon fuel;    water;    a polyisobutene -substituted succinic acid wherein the polyisobutene group has a number average molecular weight in the range of about 750 to about 3000; and    an alkoxy polyethoxy alcohol wherein the alkoxy group contains about 9 to about 11 carbon atoms and the polyethoxy group contains about 8 ethoxy groups.    
     
     
         21 . A water blended fuel composition made by combining: 
 a normally liquid hydrocarbon fuel;    water;    a polyisobutene -substituted succinic acid wherein the polyisobutene group has a number average molecular weight in the range of about 750 to about 3000; and    an alkoxy polyethoxy alcohol wherein the alkoxy group contains about 14 to about 30 carbon atoms and the polyethoxy group contains up to about 10 ethoxy groups.    
     
     
         22 . A method of making a water blended fuel composition, comprising mixing at a shear rate of up to about 500,000 sec −1 : 
 (i) a normally liquid hydrocarbon fuel;    (ii) water; and    (iii) a nitrogen-free surfactant comprising:    (iii)(a) a hydrocarbyl substituted carboxylic acid, or a reaction product of the hydrocarbyl substituted carboxylic acid or reactive equivalent of such acid with an alcohol, the hydrocarbyl substiuent of the acid or reactive equivalent containing at least about 30 carbon atoms; and    (iii)(b) at least one compound represented by one or more of the formulae:   RO(R′O) n R′″  (iii-b-1)                  RCOO(R′O) n R′″  (iii-b-3)                      wherein each R is independently hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group of up to about 60 carbon atoms; each R′ and R″ is independently an alkylene group of 1 to about 20 carbon atoms; each R′″ is independently hydrogen, or an acyl or hydrocarbyl group of up to about 30 carbon atoms; n is a number in the range of zero to about 50; and x, y and z are independently numbers in the range of zero to about 50 with the total for x, y and z being at least 1.