Fuel and related compositions – Liquid fuels – Organic oxygen compound containing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-18
2001-02-06
Brouillette, D. Gabrielle (Department: 1721)
Fuel and related compositions
Liquid fuels
Organic oxygen compound containing
C044S447000, C044S450000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183525
ABSTRACT:
This invention is addressed to the treatment of fuels, and more particularly to the treatment of fossil fuels such as gasoline fuel to render such fuels cleaner burning in the control of emissions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The control of emissions from internal combustion engines has received substantially continuous attention for many years in attempts to reduce emissions of carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons from the combustion of such fuels. The control of pollution has received worldwide attention as attempts are made to fashion fuel additives that have the capability of making such liquid hydrocarbon fuels cleaner burning. Various approaches have been taken in the prior art in attempts to formulate additives that reduce the pollution generated by such fuels, but generally have met with limited success.
For example, it has been proposed to employ various alkyl ethers for the purpose of controlling pollution generated by gasoline fuels. Such attempts are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,089,580, 2,104,021, 2,221,839, 2,563,101, 2,786,745, 2,930,681, 3,032,971, 3,103,101, 3,270,497, and 5,425,790, as representative. As described in those patents, it is frequently the practice to employ such ethers either alone or in combination with alcohol to provide improved performance characteristics in a variety of liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
Attempts have likewise been made to clean up such fuels by incorporating in the fuel as an additive various aromatic detergents containing one or more aromatic rings and bonded thereto various alkylene oxide groups in an effort to reduce hydrocarbon emissions. Such an approach is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,328,284 and 3,615,295. The prior art has likewise proposed various combinations of additives to clean fuel systems. One such example is U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,494, describing a combination of oxy compounds in the form of monoethers of glycols and polyglycols in combination with dispersants derived from high molecular weight carboxylic acids, and particularly their esters, amides, imides, amidines and amine salts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,872 describes a fuel additive formulated of a lower alkanol combination with a surfactant to provide increased water tolerance in such fuel compositions. Similar approaches are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,981, teaching an oil sludge dispersant formulated of an alcohol, a glycol ether and a poly ethoxylated phenol. And U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,416 teaching a combination of a hydrocarbon substituted amine or polyamine and a poly (oxy alkylene) monool.
Attempts have also been made to use oxidizing agents in combination with glycols and glycol ethers. One such example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,511, describing the combination of an organic peroxide in combination with a lower alkylene glycol ether to reduce emissions. U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,507 describes a fuel additive which is formulated of a nitro, amino or N-alkylamino-substituted poly (oxyalkylene) aromatic ethers in combination with antioxidants, metal deactivators, demulsifiers and like known additives. U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,936 describes a fuel additive for liquified petroleum gases or LPG containing a petroleum fraction methanol and an ethoxylated alkyl phenol.
Notwithstanding all of the efforts in the area of improving the performance of such fuels from a standpoint of pollution control, no product has been, up to the present, capable of satisfying rigorous pollution standard presently in effect or contemplated. Thus, there is a need to provide a fuel additive composition which has the capability of significantly reducing pollution from such liquified hydrocarbon fuels.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a fuel additive composition which overcomes the foregoing disadvantage.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for the treatment of liquid hydrocarbon fuels which has the capability of significantly lowering the pollution characteristics of such fuels when used in internal combustion engines.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a fuel additive composition which can be added to liquid hydrocarbon fuels to promote cleaner, more efficient combustion thereof in internal combustion engines.
It is another related object of the invention to provide a method for the treatment of liquid hydrocarbon fuels with a fuel additive composition whereby the pollution emitted by the treated fuel is substantially reduced.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter by way of the following description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The concepts of the present invention reside in a novel fuel additive composition which is not only simple and inexpensive to manufacture, but also has the capability of enhancing the performance characteristics of liquid hydrocarbon fuels such that the treated fuels, when consumed in an internal combustion engine, burn far more efficiently with substantially less emissions. In accordance with the concepts of the invention, the fuel additive composition is formulated with a novel combination of components which function together to significantly reduce hydrocarbon emissions in the burning of fuel to which the additive has been combined in internal combustion engines.
The fuel additive composition of the present invention is formulated to contain mineral seal oil, mineral spirits, an ethylene glycol monoalkyl ether and at least one ethoxylated long chain phenol as a surfactant. The precise manner in which the foregoing components function in combination with each other is not fully understood at the present time. Without limiting the invention as to theory, however, it is believed that the mineral seal oil serves to provide upper cylinder lubrication as part of the combustion process. The mineral spirits appear to promote rapid oxidation of the hydrocarbon fuel with which the additive is combined and the glycol ether in combination with the surfactant appears to disperse water contained within the fuel system containing the additive so as not to interfere with the complete combustion of the treated fuel. Tests have shown that gasoline which has been treated with the fuel additive in the present invention can virtually immediately cause internal combustion engines to meet, and sometimes exceed, current pollution standards even with an internal combustion engine which is poorly tuned.
In accordance with another concept of the invention, the present invention is also directed to a method of treatment of liquid hydrocarbon fuels with the fuel additive. In accordance with the method of the invention, the fuel additive composition is added to a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, which can then be burned in an internal combustion engine. The treatment of he liquid hydrocarbon fuel with the fuel additive composition has been found to dramatically decrease the emissions given off during combustion in gasoline engines.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The fuel additive composition of the present invention is formulated to include, as one component thereof, mineral seal oil. The term “mineral seal oil” as used herein is well understood by those skilled in the art as referring to well-known lubricating oils, mineral oils and high boiling petroleum distillates having a boiling point above 250° C., and preferably within the range of 270° C. to 370° C. Such oils are well known to those skilled in the art, and are described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,348, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. As indicated above and without limiting the invention as to theory, it is believed that the mineral seal oil serves to provide upper cylinder lubrication when a fuel containing the fuel additive composition of the present invention is consumed in an internal combustion engine.
Another component employed in the formulation of the fuel additive composition of the present invention is referred to as mineral spirits, another well understood term as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,348. The term “mineral spirits” covers l
American Energy Group, Inc.
Brouillette D. Gabrielle
Rockey Milnamow & Katz Ltd.
Toomer Cephia D.
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