Reduced RVP Oxygenated Gasoline Composition and Method

Abstract

Compositions of oxygenated gasolines are disclosed that have reduced vapor pressure compared to those containing a single oxygenate and no RVP reducing compound. Such compositions can be formed at a refinery or at a terminal. Methods of reducing vapor pressure of an oxygenated gasoline are disclosed and methods of reducing vapor pressure constraints upon a refinery in the production of oxygenated gasoline are disclosed. Fundamental properties of RVP reducing compounds are disclosed including IR spectrum analysis. Processes and methods for blending and distributing these fuels are also disclosed.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gasoline composition comprising:
 a gasoline blend stock;   an oxygenate selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ketones, esters, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, ethers, ether alcohols, and poly alcohols present at from about one percent (1%) to about ten percent (10%) by volume to form a gasoline-oxygenate blend; and   isobutanol produced from biomass present at from about one percent (1%) to about five percent (5%) by volume to form a gasoline-oxygenate-isobutanol blend, wherein the difference between the infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-oxygenate blend and the infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-oxygenate-isobutanol blend falls within a ratio corresponding to a predetermined Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) value limit.   
     
     
         2 . The gasoline composition of  claim 1 , wherein the isobutanol has a RVP blend value less than about zero point zero pounds per square inch (0.0 psi). 
     
     
         3 . The gasoline composition of  claim 1 , wherein the gasoline-oxygenate blend's RVP value is at least about six point nine pounds per square inch (6.9 psi). 
     
     
         4 . The gasoline composition of  claim 1 , wherein the gasoline-oxygenate blend has a normalized relative absorbance greater than about zero point zero five (0.05). 
     
     
         5 . The gasoline composition of  claim 4 , wherein the gasoline-oxygenate-isobutanol blend has a normalized relative absorbance less than about zero point four five (0.045). 
     
     
         6 . The gasoline composition of  claim 1 , wherein the oxygenate comprises ethanol. 
     
     
         7 . The gasoline composition of  claim 1 , wherein the difference between the infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-oxygenate blend and the infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-oxygenate-isobutanol blend indicates a synergistic RVP reduction in comparison to the gasoline-oxygenate blend. 
     
     
         8 . The gasoline composition of  claim 1 , wherein the gasoline-oxygenate-isobutanol blend exhibits a normalized relative absorbance associated with a synergistic RVP reduction from three-thousand six-hundred eighty reciprocal centimeters (3680 cm −1 ) to three-thousand one-hundred reciprocal centimeters (3100 cm −1 ). 
     
     
         9 . A method of reducing the RVP of a gasoline blend stock in the production of oxygenated gasolines having a predetermined maximum RVP limit comprising:
 providing a gasoline blend stock;   adding at least about one percent (1%) to about ten percent (10%) by volume of one oxygenate selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ketones, esters, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, ethers, ether alcohols and poly alcohols to form a gasoline-oxygenate blend;   measuring the infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-oxygenate blend;   reducing the RVP of the gasoline-oxygenate blend by adding isobutanol to form a gasoline-oxygenate-isobutanol blend;   measuring the infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-oxygenate-isobutanol blend; and   repeating the reducing and the measuring the infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-oxygenate-isobutanol blend until a difference spectrum for the gasoline-oxygenate-isobutanol blend falls within a ratio corresponding to a predetermined RVP limit.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising using empirically gathered RVP data for isobutanol over a range of oxygenate concentrations and a range of gasoline blend stocks to determine the gasoline-oxygenate blend's RVP. 
     
     
         11 . A method of reducing Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) constraint on a gasoline blend stock for production of oxygenated gasolines with a predetermined maximum RVP limit comprising:
 providing a gasoline blend stock;   reducing the gasoline blend stock's RVP by adding isobutanol to the gasoline blend stock to form a gasoline-isobutanol blend;   measuring the gasoline-isobutanol blend's infrared absorbance spectrum;   adding an oxygenate selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ketones, esters, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, ethers, ether alcohols, and poly alcohols to form a gasoline-isobutanol-oxygenate blend;   measuring the gasoline-isobutanol-oxygenate blend's infrared absorbance spectrum; and   repeating the adding and the measuring the infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-isobutanol-oxygenate blend until a difference between the infrared absorbance spectrum for the gasoline-isobutanol blend and the infrared absorbance spectrum for the gasoline-isobutanol-oxygenate blend falls within a ratio corresponding to a predetermined RVP limit.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the oxygenate and isobutanol are added in different locations. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising using empirically gathered RVP data to determine the RVP of a gasoline blend that includes the oxygenate. 
     
     
         14 . A method of blending oxygenated gasoline to meet a predetermined Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) limit comprising:
 providing a gasoline blend stock;   measuring an infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline stock;   adding a pre-blend of isobutanol and at least one oxygenate selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ketones, esters, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, ethers, ether alcohols, and poly alcohols to form a gasoline-isobutanol-oxygenate blend;   measuring an infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-isobutanol-oxygenate blend; and   repeating the adding and the measuring an infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-isobutanol-oxygenate blend until a difference between the infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-isobutanol-oxygenate blend and the infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline blend stock falls within a ratio corresponding to a predetermined RVP limit.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the oxygenate and isobutanol are added in different locations. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising using empirically gathered RVP data for isobutanol over a range of concentrations for oxygenate and gasoline blend stocks to determine a RVP for a gasoline blend that includes the oxygenate. 
     
     
         17 . A gasoline composition comprising:
 (a) a gasoline blend stock;   (b) ethanol present at from about one percent (1%) to about ten percent (10%) by volume to form a gasoline-oxygenate blend; and   (c) isobutanol produced from biomass present at from about one percent (1%) to about five percent (5%) by volume to form a gasoline-oxygenate-isobutanol blend, wherein the difference between the infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-oxygenate blend and the infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-oxygenate-isobutanol blend falls within a ratio corresponding to a predetermined RVP value limit.   
     
     
         18 . The gasoline composition of  claim 17 , wherein the difference between the infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-oxygenate blend and the infrared absorbance spectrum of the gasoline-oxygenate-isobutanol blend indicates a synergistic RVP reduction in comparison to the gasoline-oxygenate blend. 
     
     
         19 . The gasoline composition of  claim 17 , wherein the isobutanol has a RVP blend value less than about zero point zero pounds per square inch (0.0 psi). 
     
     
         20 . The gasoline composition of  claim 17 , wherein the gasoline-oxygenate-isobutanol blend is associated with a normalized absorbance spectrum from three-thousand six-hundred eighty reciprocal centimeters (3680 cm −1 ) to three-thousand one-hundred reciprocal centimeters (3100 cm −1 ) that identifies the synergistic RVP reduction. 
     
     
         21 . A gasoline composition comprising:
 an oxygenate gasoline blend in which the oxygenate comprises from about one percent (1%) to about ten percent (10%) by volume in the oxygenate gasoline blend; and   isobutanol that is produced from biomass and exhibits a synergistic Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) reduction associated with an normalized absorbance in band areas from three-thousand six-hundred eighty reciprocal centimeters (3680 cm −1 ) to three-thousand one-hundred reciprocal centimeters (3100 cm −1 ) in a blend with the oxygenate gasoline in comparison to the gasoline included in the oxygenate gasoline blend.   
     
     
         22 . The gasoline composition of  claim 21 , wherein the oxygenate comprises ethanol. 
     
     
         23 . The gasoline composition of  claim 21 , wherein oxygenate is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ketones, esters, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, ethers, ether alcohols, and poly alcohols. 
     
     
         24 . The gasoline composition of  claim 21 , wherein the oxygenate comprises an oxygenate that increases the gasoline composition's RVP over that of the gasoline included in the oxygenate gasoline blend.