Additive concentrates for rapidly reducing octane requirement

Details Additive concentrates for rapidly reducing octane requirement Additive concentrates for rapidly reducing octane requirement

1998-05-28

2001-07-17

McAvoy, Ellen M. (Department: 1764)

Fuel and related compositions

Liquid fuels

Heterocyclic carbon compound containing a hetero ring having...

C044S329000, C044S340000, C044S347000, C044S415000, C044S418000, C044S432000, C044S387000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06261327

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a gasoline additive concentrate for rapidly reducing octane requirement comprising a cyclic amide alkoxylate compound, a detergent and an optional solvent. The present invention further relates to a gasoline composition comprising hydrocarbons in the gasoline boiling range and said gasoline additive concentrate and a process for rapidly reducing octane requirement using said gasoline additive concentrate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The octane requirement increase effect exhibited by internal combustion engines, e.g., spark ignition engines, is well known in the art. This effect may be described as the tendency for an initially new or relatively clean engine to require higher octane quality fuel as operating time accumulates, and is coincidental with the formation of deposits in the region of the combustion chamber of the engine.
During the initial operation of a new or clean engine, a gradual increase in octane requirement, i.e., fuel octane number required for knock-free operation, is observed with an increasing build up of combustion chamber deposits until a stable or equilibrium octane requirement level is reached. This level appears to correspond to a point in time when the quantity of deposit accumulation on the combustion chamber and valve surfaces no longer increases but remains relatively constant. This so-called “equilibrium value” is normally reached between 3,000 and 20,000 miles or corresponding hours of operation. The actual equilibrium value of this increase can vary with engine design and even with individual engines of the same design; however, in almost all cases, the increase appears to be significant, with octane requirement increase values ranging from about 2 to about 10 research octane numbers being commonly observed in modern engines.
The accumulation of deposits on the intake valves of internal combustion engines also presents problems. The accumulation of such deposits is characterized by overall poor driveability including hard starting, stalls, and stumbles during acceleration and rough engine idle.
Many additives are known which can be added to hydrocarbon fuels to prevent or reduce deposit formation, or remove or modify formed deposits, in the combustion chamber and on adjacent surfaces such as intake valves, ports, and spark plugs, which in turn causes a decrease in octane requirement.
Continued improvements in the design of internal combustion engines, e.g., fuel injection and carburetor engines, bring changes to the environment of such engines thereby creating a continuing need for new additives to control the problem of inlet system deposits and to improve driveability which is usually related to deposits.
It would be an advantage to have an additive concentrate which produces a rapid and substantial octane requirement reduction response.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an additive concentrate for rapidly reducing octane requirement comprising a cyclic amide alkoxylate compound of the formula I:
wherein x is from 3 to 11; y is from 1 to 50; R
1
and R
2
are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms and substituted hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms; R
3
is hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms or substituted hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms; each R
4
is independently hydrocarbyl of 2 to 100 carbon atoms or substituted hydrocarbyl of 2 to 100 carbon atoms; R
5
is hydrogen, hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms, substituted hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms or acyl of 1 to 20 carbon atoms; a detergent selected from polyalkenylamines, Mannich amines, polyalkenylsuccinimides, poly(oxyalkylene) carbamates and poly(alkenyl)-N-substituted carbamates and an optional solvent. The present invention is further directed to a gasoline composition comprising hydrocarbons in the gasoline boiling range and said gasoline additive concentrate and to a process for reducing octane requirement utilizing said gasoline additive concentrate.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The additive concentrate of the present invention comprises a “mega-dose” of a cyclic amide alkoxylate combined with a detergent selected from polyalkenylamines, Mannich amines, poyalkenylsuccinimides, poly(oxyalkylene) carbamates and poly (alkenyl)-N-substituted carbamates and an optional solvent. Such additive concentrates are typically utilized as an aftermarket product (added by the consumer directly to the gas tank prior to the addition of gasoline) but may be utilized for the bulk treatment of gasoline prior to being dispensed at the fuel pumps. By using this additive concentrate at “mega-dose” levels, a substantial reduction in octane requirement over a short or rapid time period is obtained. As used herein, the term “mega-dose” means the amount of cyclic amide alkoxylate used to treat gasoline, so that the final dosage of the cyclic amide alkoxylate in the gasoline is greater than 1000 ppm (parts per million) by weight based on the total weight of the gasoline composition.
The cyclic amide alkoxylate used in the present invention is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,251, incorporated herein by reference. The cyclic amide alkoxylate is of the Formula I:
wherein x is from 3 to 11; y is from 1 to 50; R
1
and R
2
are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms and substituted hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms; R
3
is hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms or substituted hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms; each R
4
is independently hydrocarbyl of 2 to 100 carbon atoms or substituted hydrocarbyl of 2 to 100 carbon atoms; R
5
is hydrogen, hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms, substituted hydrocarbyl of 1 to 100 carbon atoms or acyl of 1 to 20 carbon atoms.
As used herein, the term “hydrocarbyl” represents a radical formed by the removal of one or more hydrogen atoms from a carbon atom of a hydrocarbon (not necessarily the same carbon atom). Useful hydrocarbyls are aliphatic, aromatic, substituted, unsubstituted, acyclic or cyclic. Preferably, the hydrocarbyls are aryl, alkyl, alkenyl or cycloalkyl and are straight-chain or branched-chain. Representative hydrocarbyls include methyl, ethyl, butyl, pentyl, methylpentyl, hexenyl, ethylhexyl, dimethylhexyl, octamethylene, octenylene, cyclooctylene, methylcyclooctylene, dimethylcyclooctyl, isooctyl, dodecyl, hexadecenyl, octyl, eicosyl, hexacosyl, triacontyl and phenylethyl. When the hydrocarbyl is substituted, it contains a functional group such as carbonyl, carboxyl, nitro, amino, hydroxy (e.g. hydroxyethyl), oxy, cyano, sulfonyl, and sulfoxyl. The majority of the atoms, other than hydrogen, in substituted hydrocarbyls are carbon, with the heteroatoms (i.e., oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur) representing only a minority, 33% or less, of the total non-hydrogen atoms present.
For purposes of the present invention, R
1
and R
2
are preferably each selected from hydrogen and hydrocarbyl of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, especially hydrogen and alkyl of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, more preferably hydrogen and alkyl of 1 to 8 carbon atoms. In the most preferred embodiments of the present invention, R
1
and R
2
are each hydrogen.
In Formula I, x is from 3 to 11. For purposes of the present invention, particularly preferred compounds of Formula I are those in which x is 3, 5 or 11, especially 3 or 5.
R
3
is preferably hydrocarbyl of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, especially alkyl of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, more preferably R
3
is alkyl of 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and most preferably alkyl of 2 or 4 carbon atoms.
In Formula I, y is from 1 to 50, preferably from 8 to 40, and even more preferably from 18 to 24. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that when the compounds of Formula I are utilized in a composition, y will not have a fixed value but will instead be represented by a range of different values. As used in this specification, y is considered to be a (number) average of the various values of y that are found in a given composition, which number has been rounded to the nearest integer.
Each R
4
is preferably inde

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