Lubricity improver for diesel oil

Abstract

A fuel oil composition is comprised of diesel oil and a lubricity additive of the formula (I): R—COO—(AO) n —H  (I) wherein R is an alkyl or alkenyl group having from 5 to 19 carbon atoms, AO is a CH 2 CH 2 or C 3 H 6 group and n is a number of 0.5 to 6, wherein the additive is a liquid at 21° C. and having a narrow homolog distribution. The compounds of formula (I) are particularly useful in diesel oils having low sulfur content.

1 - 14 . (canceled)  
     
     
         15 . A fuel oil composition comprising diesel oil and a lubricity additive of the formula (I):  
       R—COO—(AO) n —H  (I)  
       wherein r is an alkyl or alkenyl group having from 5 to 19 carbon atoms, ao is a CH 2 CH 2  or C 3 H 6  group and n is a number of 0.5 to 6, wherein the additive is a liquid at 21° C. and having a narrow homolog distribution.  
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 15  wherein n is equal to from 0.5 to 2.5.  
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 16  wherein n is equal to from 0.5 to 1.5.  
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 15  wherein the compound of formula (I) is the product of the process comprising reacting ethylene and/or propylene oxide and a fatty acid selected from the group consisting of sunflower oil fatty acid, rapeseed oil fatty acid, tall oil fatty acid and/or soybean oil fatty acid.  
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 15  wherein the amount of the compound of formula (I) in the fuel oil composition is from 10 to 1,000 ppm.  
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 19  wherein the amount of the compound of formula (I) in the fuel oil composition is from 10 to 250 ppm.  
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 20  wherein the amount of the compound of formula (I) in the fuel oil composition is from 10 to 100 ppm.  
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 15  wherein the diesel oil has a sulfur content of up to 0.05% by weight.  
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 15  wherein the composition is free from other lubricity additives.  
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 15  wherein the composition is free from acylated nitrogen-containing compounds.  
     
     
         25 . The composition of  claim 15  wherein the composition is free from a C 6-22  fatty alcohol and/or a derivative thereof.  
     
     
         26 . The composition of  claim 15  wherein the derivative is an alkoxylate.  
     
     
         27 . A process for improving the lubricity of diesel adding to diesel fuel up to 1,000 ppm of an additive of  claim 15.