Surfactant package and water in hydrocarbon emulsion using same

Abstract

A surfactant package for a water-in-hydrocarbon emulsion includes a fatty acid component; a fatty acid salt component; an alcohol component and a salt of carboxylic acid. Emulsions formed using this surfactant package are stable and have ratios of water to surfactant of at least about 3.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A surfactant package for a water-in-hydrocarbon emulsion, comprising: 
 a fatty acid component;    a fatty acid and salt component;    an alcohol component; and    a salt of carboxylic acid.    
     
     
         2 . The surfactant package of  claim 1 , wherein said fatty acid component is selected from the group consisting of neat oleic acid, neat linoleic acid and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The surfactant package of  claim 1 , wherein said fatty acid salt component comprises a salt of a fatty acid and a water soluble amine.  
     
     
         4 . The surfactant package of  claim 3 , wherein said water soluble amine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine, ethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, n-propylamine, iso-propyl amine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, ethylenediamine, isopropanolamine, 2-amino-2-methyl 1-propanol and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         5 . The surfactant package of  claim 1 , wherein said carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of mono-carboxylic acid, dicarboxylic acid and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The surfactant package of  claim 1 , wherein said carboxylic acid comprises C 4 -C 12  molecules.  
     
     
         7 . The surfactant package of  claim 1 , wherein said salt of said carboxylic acid is a salt of an acid selected from the group consisting of dodecanodioic acid, dodecanoic acid, hexanodioic acid, hexanoic acid, pentanoic acid, pentanodioic acid, isobutiric acid, isobutanodioic acid, octanodioic acid, octanoic acid, nonadioic acid, nonanoioic acid, heptanodioic acid, heptanoic acid, decanodioic acid, decanoic acid and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The surfactant package of  claim 1 , wherein said salt of said carboxylic acid is a salt of water soluble amine and said carboxylic acid.  
     
     
         9 . The surfactant package of  claim 8 , wherein said water soluble amine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine, ethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, n-propylamine, iso-propyl amine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, ethylenediamine, isopropanolamine, 2-amino-2-methyl 1-propanol and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         10 . The surfactant package of  claim 1 , wherein said salt of carboxylic acid comprises carboxylate ions.  
     
     
         11 . The surfactant package of  claim 1 , wherein said fatty acid component and said fatty acid salt component are present in a ratio by volume to said salt of carboxylic acid of between about 3.33 and about 20.  
     
     
         12 . The surfactant package of  claim 1 , wherein said alcohol component comprises C 4 -C 8  alcohols.  
     
     
         13 . A water-in-hydrocarbon emulsion, comprising a water phase; a hydrocarbon phase; and a surfactant package, wherein said surfactant package comprises: 
 a fatty acid component;    a fatty acid salt component;    an alcohol component; and    a salt of carboxylic acid.    
     
     
         14 . The emulsion of  claim 13 , wherein said fatty acid component is selected from the group consisting of neat oleic acid, neat linoleic acid and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         15 . The surfactant package of  claim 13 , wherein said fatty acid salt component comprises a salt of a fatty acid and a water soluble amine.  
     
     
         16 . The surfactant package of  claim 15 , wherein said water soluble amine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine, ethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, n-propylamine, iso-propyl amine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, ethylenediamine, isopropanolamine, 2-amino-2-methyl 1-propanol and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         17 . The surfactant package of  claim 13 , wherein said carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of mono-carboxylic acid, dicarboxylic acid and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         18 . The surfactant package of  claim 13 , wherein said carboxylic acid comprises C 4 -C 12  molecules.  
     
     
         19 . The surfactant package of  claim 13 , wherein said salt of said carboxylic acid is a salt of water soluble amine and said carboxylic acid.  
     
     
         20 . The surfactant package of  claim 19 , wherein said water soluble amine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine, ethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, n-propylamine, iso-propyl amine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, ethylenediamine, isopropanolamine, 2-amino-2-methyl 1-propanol and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         21 . The surfactant package of  claim 13 , wherein said salt of carboxylic acid comprises carboxylate ions.  
     
     
         22 . The surfactant package of  claim 13 , wherein said salt of said carboxylic acid is a salt of an acid selected from the group consisting of dodecanodioic acid, dodecanoic acid, hexanodioic acid, hexanoic acid, pentanoic acid, pentanodioic acid, isobutiric acid, isobutanodioic acid, octanodioic acid, octanoic acid, nonadioic acid, nonanoioic acid, heptanodioic acid, heptanoic acid, decanodioic acid, decanoic acid and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         23 . The surfactant package of  claim 13 , wherein said fatty acid component and said fatty acid salt component are present in a ratio by volume to said salt of carboxylic acid of between about 3.33 and about 20.  
     
     
         24 . The emulsion of  claim 13 , wherein said emulsion contains said water phase in an amount between about 5% vol and about 20% vol based upon volume of said emulsion.  
     
     
         25 . The emulsion of  claim 13 , wherein said fatty acid component and said fatty acid salt component are present in an amount between about 3.0% vol and about 5.5% vol based upon volume of said emulsion.  
     
     
         26 . The emulsion of  claim 25 , wherein said salt of said carboxylic acid is present in an amount between about 0.1% vol and about 1.2% vol based upon volume of said emulsion.  
     
     
         27 . The emulsion of  claim 26 , wherein said emulsion has a ratio by volume of said water phase to said surfactant package of at least about 3.0.  
     
     
         28 . The emulsion of  claim 13 , wherein said alcohol component comprises C 4 -C 8  alcohol.  
     
     
         29 . The emulsion of  claim 13 , wherein said hydrocarbon phase is Diesel fuel.  
     
     
         30 . The emulsion of  claim 13 , wherein said emulsion is a stable microemulsion.