Process for enhancing gasoline octane boosters, gasoline boosters, and gasolines

Abstract

A gasoline additive composition includes an oxygenate gasoline additive; and an optical brightener. The gasoline additive composition can be used in a gasoline blend.

1 . An octane boosting, gasoline additive composition, comprising:
 an oxygenate gasoline additive; and   an optical brightener.   
     
     
         2 . The gasoline additive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the oxygenate comprises methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isobutanol, n-butanol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, gasoline grade tert butyl alcohol, tert-amyl alcohol, methyl tert-butyl ether, ethyl tert-butyl ether, tert-amyl methyl ether, tert-amyl ethyl ether, tert-hexyl methyl ether, diisopropyl ether or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing,
 preferably wherein the oxygenate comprises methyl tert-butyl ether.   
     
     
         3 . The gasoline additive composition of  claim 1 , comprising
 99.5 to 99.9 wt %, or 97.5 to 99.9 wt %, or 99.9 to 95 wt % of the oxygenate, and   0.01 to 3 wt %, or 0.1 to 2.5 wt %, or 1 to 5 wt %, of the optical brightener, each based on the combined amount of oxygenate and optical brightener.   
     
     
         4 . The gasoline additive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the optical brightener is an azole derivative, benzoxazole derivative, biphenyl derivative, cinnamic acid derivative, fumaric acid derivative, coumarin derivative, dibenzothiophene-5,5-dioxide derivative, diphenyl styryl derivative, methinecyanine derivative, oxazole derivative, phenyloxazole derivative, pyrazoline derivative, stilbene derivative, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing;
 preferably wherein the optical brightener is a cinnamic acid derivative, a diphenyl derivative, or a stilbene derivative.   
     
     
         5 . The gasoline additive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the optical brightener comprises a compound of the formula 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein
 R a  and R b  are each independently a C 1-60  hydrocarbyl group optionally containing up 1 to 20 heteroatoms, a halide, a nitro group, a C 1-5  alkyl group, or a sulfonic acid group, and 
 preferably wherein R a  and R b  are each independently a halide, a nitro group, a C 1-5  alkyl group, or a sulfonic acid group. 
 
       
     
     
         6 . The gasoline additive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the optical brightener comprises a compound of the formula 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein
 R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4  are each independently a halide, a nitro group, a C 1-5  alkyl group, a C 1-5  alkoxy group, a sulfonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, or a phosphonic acid group. 
 
       
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the optical brightener comprises a compound of the formula 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein
 R 1  is carbonyl or sulfonyl; 
 R 3  is hydroxyl, —O − M +  wherein M +  is a positively charged counterion, or a C 6-200  substituent further containing at least one primary, secondary, tertiary, or quaternary amino group, ether group, ketone group, and at least one hydroxyl, primary or secondary amino group, quaternized (C 1-10  alkyl)ammonium group, tri(C 1-10 )alkoxysilyl group, or carboxy (C 1-10  alkyl), or ether; and 
 R 4  and R 5  are each independently hydrogen, hydroxy, amino, (C 1-10 alkoxy)amino, (C 1-10  alkyl)amino, (C 6-12  aryl)amino, hydroxy(C 1-10  alkyl)amino, morpholino, aniline, (C 1-10  alkyl)anilino, (C 1-10  alkylene)sulfonic acid, piperazinyl, piperidinyl, or a C 6-200  substituent further containing at least one primary, secondary, tertiary, or quaternary amino group, ether group, ketone group, and at least one hydroxyl, primary or secondary amino group, quaternized (C 1-10  alkyl) ammonium group, tri(C 1-10 )alkoxysilyl group, carboxy (C 1-10  alkyl), or ether. 
 
       
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the optical brightener comprises a compound of the formula 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein
 R 1  is carbonyl or sulfonyl; 
 R 3  is hydroxyl, —O − M +  wherein M +  is a positively charged counterion, or a C 6-200  substituent further containing at least one primary, secondary, tertiary, or quaternary amino group, ether group, ketone group, and at least one hydroxyl, primary or secondary amino group, quaternized (C 1-10  alkyl)ammonium group, tri(C 1-10 )alkoxysilyl group, carboxy (C 1-10  alkyl), or ether, 
 R 4  and R 5  are each independently hydrogen, hydroxy, amino, (C 1-10 alkoxy)amino, (C 1-10  alkyl)amino, (C 6-12  aryl)amino, hydroxy(C 1-10  alkyl)amino, morpholino, aniline, (C 1-10  alkyl) anilino, (C 1-10  alkylene)sulfonic acid, piperazinyl, piperidinyl, or a C 6-200  substituent further containing at least one primary, secondary, tertiary, or quaternary amino group, ether group, ketone group, and at least one hydroxyl, primary or secondary amino group, quaternized (C 1-10  alkyl)ammonium group, tri(C 1-10 )alkoxysilyl group, carboxy (C 1-10  alkyl), or ether, 
 R 50  is —R 1 -R 3  or —OR 10  wherein R 10  is a C 1-200  hydrocarbyl substituent comprising at least one of an ether, a carbonyl, a secondary amine, or a quaternized amine. 
 
       
     
     
         9 . The gasoline additive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the optical brightener comprises a compound of the formula 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein
 R a  and R b  are each independently a C 1-60  hydrocarbyl group optionally containing up 1 to 20 heteroatoms, a halide, a nitro group, a C 1-5  alkyl group, or a sulfonic acid group, and 
 M is H, an alkali metal, ammonium, or magnesium; 
 preferably wherein R a  and R b  are each independently a halide, a nitro group, a C 1-5  alkyl group, a C 1-5  alkoxy group, or a sulfonic acid group. 
 
       
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the optical brightener comprises a compound of the formula 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein
 each R c  is independently H or (C 1-6 )alkyl; 
 A=N or C; and 
 X is a bond via 1,4-naphthyl, 2,5-thiophene, 2,5-furan, 1,4-phenyl, ethylene, stilbene, styrene or imidazolyl units. 
 
       
     
     
         11 . The gasoline additive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the optical brightener comprises a compound of the formula 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein X is manganese, cobalt, iron, zinc, or lead. 
       
     
     
         12 . The gasoline additive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition has an improvement in Saybolt number at least 1 unit, 1 to 40 units, or at least 5 units, or at 5 to 35 units, or 5 to 30 units, or 5 to 20 units compared to the original Saybolt number of the composition without the optical brighter. 
     
     
         13 . The gasoline additive composition  claim 1 , wherein the composition has a Saybolt number of +20 to +35, preferably +25 to +30. 
     
     
         14 . The gasoline additive composition of  claim 1 , wherein
 the composition has an improvement in blending research octane value of 0.5 to 10%, or 1 to 8%, compared to composition without the optical brightener; or   the composition has an improvement in blending motor octane value of 0.5 to 10%, or 1 to 8%, compared to composition without the optical brightener.   
     
     
         15 . The gasoline additive composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition, when added to a base gasoline up to a final volume percentage of 15 vol. %, changes the Reid vapor pressure of the base gasoline by 0 to ±0.2 psi. 
     
     
         16 . A process for preparing the octane boosting, gasoline additive composition of  claim 1 , the process comprising:
 combining the oxygenate and the optical brightener.   
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 16 , further comprising manufacturing the oxygenate; and combining the oxygenate and the brightener without distilling the oxygenate to purify the oxygenate. 
     
     
         18 . A gasoline blend comprising:
 80 to 90 vol. %, preferably 80 to 85 vol. %, more preferably 85 to 90 vol. % of a fuel-grade base gasoline; and   10 to 20 vol. %, preferably 15 to 20 vol. %, or 10 to 15 vol. % of the gasoline additive composition according to any one or more of  claims 1  to  15 , or the gasoline additive composition made by the process of  claim 17 .