Emulsified fuel compositions prepared employing emulsifier derived from high polydispersity olefin polymers

Abstract

A water blended fuel composition comprising water, a normally liquid fuel and an emulsifying amount of at least one of a hydrocarbyl-substituted acylating agent and the reaction product of said hydrocarbyl-substituted acylating agent and an amine, an alcohol, a metal, reactive metal compound or a mixture of two or more thereof, wherein the hydrocarbyl substituent is a polymerized olefin having a polydispersity {overscore (M)} w /{overscore (M)} n greater than 5. Such polyolefin substituents can be prepared by polymerization of olefins in the presence of a calcined catalyst comprising a partially or fully neutralized ammonium salt of a heteropolyacid.

1 . An emulsified water-blended fuel composition comprising: 
 (A) a liquid hydrocarbon based fuel;    (B) water; and    (C) a minor, emulsifying amount of at least one of a fuel-soluble hydrocarbyl-substituted carboxylic acylating agent and a reaction product of said acylating agent and at least one of ammonia, an amine, an alcohol, a reactive metal, a reactive metal compound and a mixture of two or more thereof, wherein the hydrocarbyl substituent comprises a group derived from at least one polyolefin, said polyolefin having {overscore (M)} w /{overscore (M)} n  greater than 5 resulting in a water in fuel emulsion.    
     
     
         2 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  wherein the hydrocarbon fuel (A) is present at a level about 50 to about 99% by weight of the water-blended fuel composition; water (B) is present at a level of about 1 to about 50% by weight of the water-blended fuel composition; and component (C) is present at a level of about 0.005 to about 10% by weight of the water-blended fuel composition.  
     
     
         3 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  wherein the polyolefin has {overscore (M)} w /{overscore (M)} n  ranges from about 6 to about 20; wherein less than 5 percent by weight of the polyolefin molecules have a number average molecular weight of less than 250; wherein the polyolefin has {overscore (M)} n  of at least about 800; wherein the polyolefin has at least about 30% terminal vinylidene (I) groups.  
     
     
         4 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  wherein the polyolefin comprises polyisobutylene.  
     
     
         5 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  wherein the polyolefin is prepared by contacting (a) at least one C 2 -C 30  olefin or polymerizable derivative thereof with (b) a catalyst comprising a partially or fully neutralized salt of a heteropolyacid, wherein said catalyst has been calcined at from about 500° C. for about 1 to about 4 hours; and wherein the heteropolyacid is a phosphotungstic acid, a phosphomolybdic acid, a silicotungstic acid or a silicomolybdic acid.  
     
     
         6 . The fuel composition of  claim 5  wherein the salt is selected from the group comprising ammonium salt, cesium salt and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  wherein the polyolefin is prepared by blending at least two polyolefin components having different number average molecular weights, each such component having a {overscore (M)} w /{overscore (M)} n  of less than 5.  
     
     
         8 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  wherein the hydrocarbyl substituted carboxylic acylating agent is selected from the group comprising at least one monocarboxylic acid or a reactive equivalent thereof; at least one hydrocarbyl-substituted succinic acylating agent consisting of at least one hydrocarbyl substituent and at least one succinic group wherein the hydrocarbyl substituent is derived from a polyolefin; at least one hydrocarbyl-substituted succinic acid or succinic anhydride represented correspondingly by the formulae  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R is a hydrocarbyl group.  
     
     
         9 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  wherein the hydrocarbyl substituted carboxylic acylating agent is reacted with an amine selected from the group comprising at least one monoamine; at least one polyamine; at least one hydroxylamine and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         10 . The fuel composition of  claim 8  wherein the hydroxyamine is selected from the group consisting of primary, secondary and tertiary alkanolamines represented correspondingly by the formulae  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       and mixtures of two or more thereof; wherein in the above formulae each R is independently a hydrocarbyl group of one to about 8 carbon atoms, and each R′ is independently a hydrocarbylene group of about 2 to about 18 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         11 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  wherein the hydrocarbyl substituted carboxylic acylating agent is reacted with an alcohol or water.  
     
     
         12 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  further comprising (D) an emulsifying amount of at least one cosurfactant distinct from (C).  
     
     
         13 . The fuel composition of  claim 12  wherein said at least one cosurfactant has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) in the range of about 1 to about 40 and is selected from the group comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of (a) Poly(oxyalkylene) compounds; (b) sorbitan esters; and (c) fatty acid diethanolamides and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         14 . The fuel composition of  claim 12  wherein said at least one cosurfactant comprises a fatty monocarboxylic acid containing from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms or an amine salt thereof.  
     
     
         15 . The fuel composition of  claim 12  wherein the at least one cosurfactant comprises a hydrocarbyl substituted succinic acid or anhydride containing from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms in the hydrocarbyl group.  
     
     
         16 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  further comprising (E) at least one organic nitrate cetane improver and is present at a level of about 0.05 to about 10% by weight of the water-blended fuel composition.  
     
     
         17 . The fuel composition of  claim 15  wherein component (E) comprises 2-ethylhexyl nitrate.  
     
     
         18 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  further comprising (F) at least one antifreeze and is present at a level of about 0.1 to about 10% by weight of the water-blended fuel composition.  
     
     
         19 . The fuel composition of  claim 1  further comprising (G) at least one water-soluble, ashless, halogen-, boron-, and phosphorus-free amine salt, distinct from component (C) and is present in amounts ranging from about 0.001 to about 15% by weight of the emulsified water-blended fuel composition.  
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 19  wherein the amine salt (G) is selected from the group consisting of ammonium nitrate, hydroxyammonium nitrate, methylammonium nitrate, ethylene diamine diacetate, urea dinitrate, and mixtures of at least two thereof.  
     
     
         21 . An emulsified water blended fuel composition comprising: 
 (A) a normally liquid hydrocarbon based fuel boiling in the gasoline or diesel fuel range;    (B) water;    (C) a minor emulsifying amount of the reaction product of a hydrocarbyl substituted carboxylic acylating agent and at least one of ammonia, an amine, an alcohol or a mixture of two or more thereof wherein the hydrocarbon substituent is derived from at least one polymerized olefin which has been prepared by contacting (a) at least one C 2 -C 30  olefin or polymerizable derivative thereof with (b) a catalyst comprising a partially or fully neutralized salt of a heteropolyacid, wherein said catalyst has been calcined; and    (G) at least one water-soluble, ashless, halogen-, boron-, and phosphorus-free ammonium or amine salt, distinct from component (C).    
     
     
         22 . A method for operating an internal combustion engine comprising fueling said engine with the fuel composition of  claim 1.