Reformulated gasolines and methods of producing reformulated gasolines

Abstract

A method of reformulating a gasoline is provided to form a reformulated gasoline having as compared to the gasoline a reduction, upon burning and exhausting from a vehicle, of both hydrocarbon mass and reactivity of vehicle exhaust emissions and simultaneously a reduction of vehicle exhaust emissions of toxics, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, wherein said gasoline comprises a concentration of aromatic compounds, olefinic compounds, and sulfur or sulfur-containing compounds and may be characterized by a 90 percent distillation temperature, said method comprising (a) reducing said concentration of aromatic compounds; (b) reducing said concentration of olefinic compounds; (c) reducing said concentration of sulfur or sulfur-containing compounds; (d) reducing said 90 percent distillation temperature; and (e) adding an oxygenate. A reformulated gasoline formulated by use of such method is also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of reformulating a gasoline to form a reformulated gasoline, having as compared to the gasoline, a reduction, upon burning and exhausting from a vehicle, of both hydrocarbon mass and reactivity of vehicle exhaust emissions and simultaneously a reduction of vehicle exhaust emissions of toxics, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, wherein said gasoline comprises a concentration of aromatic compounds, olefinic compounds, and sulfur or sulfur-containing compounds and may be characterized by a 90 percent distillation temperature, said method comprising: a. reducing said concentration of aromatic compounds;   b. reducing said concentration of olefinic compounds;   c. reducing said concentration of sulfur or sulfur-containing compounds;   d. reducing said 90 percent distillation temperature; and   e. adding an oxygenate.   
     
     
       2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said concentration of aromatic compounds is reduced in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 70 percent. 
     
     
       3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said concentration of olefinic compounds is reduced in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 70 percent. 
     
     
       4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said concentration of sulfur and sulfur-containing compounds is reduced in an amount ranging from about 65 to about 90 percent. 
     
     
       5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said 90 percent distillation temperature is reduced in an amount ranging from about 10 percent to about 30 percent. 
     
     
       6. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said oxygenate is added in an amount to provide said gasoline with an oxygen concentration in the range of about 1 to about 4 percent by weight oxygen. 
     
     
       7. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said oxygenate is selected from the group consisting of an ether, an alcohol, a phenol, and an acetate, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       8. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said oxygenate is selected from the group consisting of methyl tert-butyl ether, ethyl tert-butyl ether, tert-amyl methyl ether, isopropyl tert-butyl ether, and sec-butyl tert-butyl ether, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       9. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said oxygenate is selected from the group consisting of methanol, isopropanol, ethanol, and butanol, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       10. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the Reid Vapor Pressure of said reformulated gasoline is in the range of about 6 to about 8 psia. 
     
     
       11. A method in accordance with claim 1 where said 90 percent distillation temperature of said reformulated gasoline is in the range of about 270° to about 310° F. 
     
     
       12. A reformulated gasoline formulated by the method of claim 1. 
     
     
       13. A reformulated gasoline formulated to have a 90 percent distillation temperature per American Society of Testing and Materials Procedure D86 in the range of about 270° to about 310° F. and comprising: a. a concentration of total aromatics in the range of about 10 to about 25 volume percent;   b. a concentration of olefins in the range of about 4 to about 10 volume percent;   c. a concentration of sulfur not exceeding about 100 parts by million by weight; and,   d. a concentration of oxygen in the range of about 1 to about 4 percent.   
     
     
       14. A reformulated gasoline in accordance with claim 13 formulated to have a Reid Vapor Pressure in the range of about 6 to about 8 psia. 
     
     
       15. A reformulated gasoline in accordance with claim 13 comprising a concentration of normal paraffins in the range of about 7 to about 12 volume percent. 
     
     
       16. A reformulated gasoline in accordance with claim 13 comprising a concentration of isoparaffins in the range of about 35 to about 60 volume percent. 
     
     
       17. A reformulated gasoline in accordance with claim 13 comprising a concentration of naphthenes in the range of about 6 to about 10 volume percent. 
     
     
       18. A reformulated gasoline in accordance with claim 13 wherein said aromatics comprise benzene and said reformulated gasoline comprises a concentration of said benzene in an amount not exceeding about 2 volume percent. 
     
     
       19. A reformulated gasoline in accordance with claim 13 wherein said aromatics comprise aromatics with 8 or more carbon atoms per molecule and said reformulated gasoline comprises a concentration of said aromatics with 8 or more carbon atoms per molecule in an amount not exceeding about 20 volume percent. 
     
     
       20. A reformulated gasoline in accordance with claim 13 comprising an oxygenate added in an amount to provide said reformulated gasoline with an oxygen concentration in the range of about 1 to about 4 percent by weight oxygen. 
     
     
       21. A reformulated gasoline in accordance with claim 20 wherein said oxygenate is selected from the group consisting of an ether, an alcohol, a phenol, and an acetate, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       22. A reformulated gasoline in accordance with claim 20 wherein said oxygenate is selected from the group consisting of methyl tert-butyl ether, ethyl tert-butyl ether, tert-amyl methyl ether, isopropyl tert-butyl ether, and sec-butyl tert-butyl ether, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       23. A reformulated gasoline in accordance with claim 20 wherein said oxygenate is selected from the group consisting of methanol, isopropanol, ethanol, and butanol, or mixtures thereof.