Fuel and related compositions – Liquid fuels – Containing organic -c
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-13
2004-06-01
Toomer, Cephia D. (Department: 1714)
Fuel and related compositions
Liquid fuels
Containing organic -c
C044S418000, C044S412000, C044S415000, C044S417000, C044S347000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06743266
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a fuel additive composition for improving the delivery of friction modifier to the lubricant oil in an engine, a fuel composition containing the additive and to a method for operating an engine employing the fuel therefore.
The combustion of fuel in an internal combustion engine typically results in the formation and accumulation of deposits on various parts of the combustion chamber and on the fuel intake and exhaust systems of the engine. The presence of these deposits in the combustion chamber often result inn the following problems: (1) reduction in the operating efficiency of the engine; (2) inhibition in the heat transfer between the combustion chamber and the engine cooling system; and (3) reduction in the volume of the combustion zone which can cause a higher than design compression ratio in the engine. A knocking engine can also result from deposits forming and accumulating in the combustion chamber.
A prolonged period of a knocking engine can result in stress fatigue and wear in engine components such as, for example, pistons, connecting rods bearings and cam rods. The rate of wear tends to increase under harsh temperature and pressure conditions which exist inside the engine. In addition to limiting the useful life of the components in the engine being used, wear of the components can be costly because the engine components themselves are expensive to produce. Other significant problems associated with wear include, for example, down time for equipment, reduced safety and diminished reliability.
One approach to achieving enhanced fuel economy and thereby reducing the wear of engine components is by improving the efficiency of the internal combustion engine in which the fuel is used. Improvement in the engine's efficiency can be achieved through a number of methods, e.g., (1) improving control over fuel/air ratio; (2) decreasing the crankcase oil viscosity; and, (3) reducing the internal friction of the engine in certain specific areas due to wear. In method (3), for example, inside an engine, about 18 percent of the fuel's heat value, i.e., the amount of heat released in the combustion of the fuel and therefore able to perform work, is dissipated due to internal friction at engine components, e.g., bearings, valve train, pistons, rings, water and oil pumps, etc. Only about 25 percent of the fuel's heat value is converted to useful work at the crankshaft. Friction occurring at the piston rings and parts of the valve train account for over 50 percent of the heat value loss. A lubricity improving fuel additive capable of reducing friction at these engine components by a third preserves an additional three percent of the fuel's heat value for useful work at the crankshaft. Therefore, there has been a continual search for fuel additives which improve the delivery of friction modifier to strategic areas of the engine thereby improving the fuel economy of engines.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,252,889, 4,185,594, 4,208,190, 4,204,481 and 4,428,182 disclose anti-wear additives for fuels adapted for use in diesel engines consisting of fatty acid esters, unsaturated dimerized fatty acids, primary aliphatic amines, fatty acid amides of diethanolamine and long-chain aliphatic monocarboxylic acids.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,562 discloses a friction reducing additive for lubricants and fuels formed by the reaction of primary alkoxyalkylamines with carboxylic acids or alternatively by the ammonolysis of the appropriate formate ester.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,769 discloses a detergent additive for gasoline, which contains the reaction product of a C
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fatty acid ester such as coconut oil and a mono- or di-hydroxy hydrocarbyl amine such as diethanolamine or dimethylaminopropylamine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a fuel additive composition is provided which comprises:
(a) a friction modifying amount of a reaction product of at least one natural or synthetic oil and at least one alkanolamine; and,
(b) at least one fuel detergent selected from the group consisting of Mannich base detergents, polyetheramines, polyolefin-amines, polyolefin-polyamines, polyolefin-phenol-polyamines, polyolefin succinimides and mixtures thereof.
Further in accordance with the present invention, a fuel composition is provided which comprises:
(a) a major amount of an internal combustion engine fuel; and,
(b) a minor effective amount of a fuel additive composition comprising:
(i) a friction modifying amount of a reaction product of at least one natural or synthetic oil and at least one alkanolamine; and,
(ii) at least one fuel detergent selected from the group consisting of Mannich base detergents, polyetheramines, polyolefin-amines, polyolefin-polyamines, polyolefin-phenol-polyamines, polyolefin succinimides and mixtures thereof.
Yet further in accordance with the present invention, a method of operating an internal combustion engine is provided which comprises operating the engine employing as a fuel therefor a fuel composition which comprises:
(a) a major amount of an internal combustion engine fuel; and,
(b) a minor effective amount of a fuel additive composition comprising:
(i) a friction modifying amount of a reaction product of at least one natural or synthetic oil and an alkanolamine; and,
(ii) at least one fuel detergent selected from the group consisting of Mannich base detergents, polyetheramines, polyolefin-amines, polyolefin-polyamines, polyolefin-phenol-polyamines, polyolefin succinimides and mixtures thereof.
Still yet further in accordance-with the present invention, a method for reducing and/or preventing friction in the operation of an internal combustion engine which comprises fueling the engine with a fuel composition comprising (a) a major amount of an internal combustion engine fuel and (b) a minor effective amount of a fuel additive composition comprising:
(i) a friction modifying amount of a reaction product of at least one natural or synthetic oil and an alkanolamine; and,
(ii) at least one fuel detergent selected from the group consisting of Mannich base detergents, polyetheramines, polyolefin-amines, polyolefin-polyamines, polyolefin-phenol-polyamines, polyolefin succinimides and mixtures thereof.
The term “fuel” as utilized herein shall be understood as referring to a hydrocarbon fuel such as gasoline or diesel, alcoholic fuels such as methanol or ethanol or mixtures of hydrocarbon and alcoholic fuels.
The term “diesel” as utilized herein shall be understood as referring to that fraction of crude oil that distills after kerosene and is useful for internal combustion in compression-ignition engines.
The term “gasoline” as utilized herein shall be understood as referring to a fuel for spark-ignition internal combustion engines consisting essentially of volatile flammable liquid hydrocarbons derived from crude petroleum by processes such as distillation reforming, polymerization, catalytic cracking, and alkylation.
The term “natural oil” utilized herein refers to those naturally occurring oils that are derived from animal or plant sources. Such oils are mixed C
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fatty acid esters, i.e., glycerol fatty acid esters, and include specifically coconut oil, babassu oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil, olive oil, castor oil, rape oil, beef tallow oil, whale oil, sunflower, cottonseed oil, linseed oil, tung oil, tallow oil, lard oil, peanut oil, soya oil, etc. It will be understood that such oils will predominately comprise triglycerides with small amounts, e.g. up to about 10 weight percent, of mono- and diglycerides.
The term “synthetic oil” utilized herein refers to products produced by reacting carboxylic acids with glycerol, e.g., glycerol triacetate, and the like. It will be understood that such synthetic oils can contain between about 0.1 wt. % to about 20 wt. % mono- and di-glycerides, and mixtures thereof.
By employing a fuel additive composition formed from (1) a friction modifying amount of the reaction product of at least one natural or synthetic oil with at least one al
Cesar Max R.
DeBlase Frank J.
DeRosa Thomas F.
Hayden Thomas E.
Kaufman Benjamin J.
Dilworth & Barrese LLP
Texaco Inc.
Toomer Cephia D.
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