NO315126B1 - Gasoline lubricant additive concentrate, as well as an alcohol-amine blend for using the icon concentrate - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a gasoline additive concentrate which remains liquid at low temperatures of about 0 DEG F which contains a fatty acid, ester or mixtures thereof in combination with an alcohol, an amine or a mixture thereof.

Description

The present invention relates to a

petrol additive concentrate of the kind specified in claim ls preamble, as well as a use as specified in claim 10.

US patent no. 4,617,026 describes a method for reducing fuel consumption in an internal combustion engine by using a gasoline fuel containing an effective amount of a consumption-reducing additive, which is a hydroxyline-containing ester of a monocarboxylic acid and a glycol or trivalent alcohol, which ester additive has at least one free hydroxyl group.

US patent no. 5,279,626 relates to a fuel additive concentrate with extended life, the concentrate comprises a significant amount of a detergent/dispersant and a smaller amount of de-emulsifier and a solvent stabilizing amount sufficient to extend the storage time of the fuel additive package. The solvent stabilizer is formed from at least one aromatic hydrocarbon solvent and at least one alkyl or cycloalkyl alcohol, wherein the solvent stabilizer mixture contains more than 50% by weight aromatic hydrocarbon solvent and 10% to less than 50% alcohol by weight. The de-emulsifiers include organic sulfonates, polyoxyalkylene glycols, oxyalkylated phenolic resins and the like. Other components that may be present in the concentrate include antioxidants, corrosion inhibitors, emission control additives, lubricating additives, antifoam agents, biocides, octane or cetane improvers, and the like. The corrosion inhibitors include dimeric and trimeric acids such as those prepared from oleic fatty acids, oleic acid, linoleic acid and the like.

Most petrols are added by injecting a homogeneous, low-viscosity and liquid additive concentrate into the petrol when it is filled in trucks at the terminal "rack". Typically, such additives are diluted in an aromatic solvent, eg xylene, aromatic 100, heavy aromatic naphtha) to provide a homogeneous, low viscosity fluid suitable for "rack" injection.

Obviously, the additive solution must be fluid, homogeneous and low-viscous under all atmospheric conditions encountered in such outdoor truck-filled facilities. Unfortunately, additives such as "Tolad 9103" {a mixture of polymerized fatty acids, non-polymerized fatty acids and heavy naphtha, commercially available from Petrolite Corp.) are not suitable for addition, as they solidify at -18°C within 24 hours.

It has now been found that fatty acids, oligomers of such acids and esters of such acids, which are useful as anti-friction and wear-reducing additives in petrol and diesel fuel can be converted into an additive concentrate which remains liquid at temperatures of approx. -18°C and lower with the additional presence in the concentrate of a mixture of alcohol and amine. The fatty acids and their esters are typically derived from naturally occurring fats and oils and include those known as tall oil acids and their esters.

The concentrate is characterized by what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 1, namely: that the lubricant additive is present in the solvent in an amount of 85% by weight or less and contains a compatibility-promoting agent which remains liquid at a temperature of at least 0°C, which comprises a mixture of a C2 - Cio alcohol and a Ci2 - C7S amine, and that the compatibility promoting agent is present in an amount of 10-50% by weight, calculated on the weight of the lubricating additive and the weight ratio of alcohol to amine is in the range of 2:10 to 10:1. Further features appear in requirements 2-9.

The invention will be further understood with reference to the following examples.

Example 1

Data presented in the following Table 1 {mixtures 1 and 2) show that additional aromatic solvent (ie: "Aromatic 100" which is an aromatic solvent with an average carbon number in the range of 9-11) will not effectively retain the "Tolad 9103" lubricant additive in a liquid state. There may be some very high levels of aromatic solvent which may be sufficient to keep "Tolad 9103" liquid at lower temperatures. However, in practice it is desirable to keep the total quantity of injected material to a minimum. This reduces transport costs and the total package. Typical injection systems also have a maximum injection volume capacity. Larger amounts of volatile aromatic solvents are also undesirable from an environmental point of view. They will increase the export of volatile organic compounds to the air.

Example 2

The following mixtures (Table 2) contain 10 g of "Aromatic 100" solvent and 3 g of "Tolad 9103" in addition to various compatibilizers. The reproduced data show that the mixture of alcohol and an amine is an effective compatibilizing agent for "Tolad 9103". "Exxal 8" (iso-octanol) and ethanol are both effective. In addition, BASF "Pluradyn FD-100" (poly-isobutenyl monoamine, with approx. 70 carbon atoms) is also effective. "Hitec4956" a "mannich-base" polyamine fuel detergent sold by Ethyl, is particularly effective.

Example 3

The following mixture (Table 3) contains 10 g "Aromatic 100" 5 g "Tolad 9103". The higher concentration of "Tolad 9103" necessitates a more compatibilizing agent. Only one compatibilizer was found to be effective. This was a 50/50 mixture of ethanol and "Ethomeen C/12". Note that this 50/50 mixture was less effective in the above table when only 3 g of "Tolad 9103" was used. A repetition of this experiment, confirmed by the combination of ethanol and "Ethomeen C/12" is most effective with higher dose of "Tolad".

Example 4

Subsequent data given in Table 4 show that the compatibilizer is best if it contains more than 1 part alcohol to 9 parts amine.

Example 5

The subsequent data reproduced in Table 5 show that the most preferred compatibility-promoting ingredient is effective at low concentrations. The concentration of amine plus alcohol compatibility promoter should be approx. 3 parts or more of compatibility-promoting ingredient to 25 parts lubricating additives. The additive concentrate can of course contain other typical components such as detergents, carrier fluids, octane boosters, antioxidants, metal corrosion inhibitor (especially copper corrosion inhibitor).

Claims (10)

1. Petrol lubricating additive concentrate, comprising a lubricating additive selected from saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, dimerized and trimerized, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, esters of such fatty acids and of dimerized and trimerized fatty acids and mixtures thereof in an aromatic solvent, characterized in that the lubricant additive is present in the solvent in an amount of 85% by weight or less and contains a compatibilizing agent which remains liquid at a temperature of at least 0°C, comprising a mixture of a C2-C10 alcohol and a C12-C75 amine , and that the compatibility-promoting agent is present in an amount of 10-50% by weight, calculated on the weight of the lubricating additive and the weight ratio of alcohol to amine is in the range of 2:10 to 10:1. 2. Concentrate according to claim 1, characterized in that the alcohol is a C2-C8 alcohol. 3. Concentrate according to claim 1, characterized in that the alcohol is ethanol. 4. Concentrate according to claims 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the amine is a C12-C18 amine. 5. Concentrate according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the quantity of the consistency-promoting agent is 10-20% by weight, calculated on the weight of the lubricant additive. 6. Concentrate according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the weight ratio of alcohol to amine is in the range 3:10 to 10:5. 7. Concentrate according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the amount of the lubricant part additive amounts to at least 30% by weight, calculated on the weight of the aromatic solvent. 8. Concentrate according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lubricant additive is selected from saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, dimerized and trimerized, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and mixtures thereof. 9. Concentrate according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that the lubricant additive is selected from esters of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, esters of dimerized and trimerized, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, as well as mixtures thereof. 10. Use of a mixture of a C2-C10 alcohol and a C12-C75 amine, which remains liquid at at least 0°C, in an amount of 10-50% by weight based on the weight of the lubricating additive, the weight ratio of alcohol to amine is in the range of 2:10 to 10:1, in a lubricant concentrate for gasoline to maintain the additive concentrate in liquid form at -18°C or lower, wherein the concentrate comprises a lubricating additive selected from saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, dimerized or trimerized, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, esters of such acids and dimerized or trimerized fatty acids and mixtures thereof in an aromatic solvent, the lubricant being present in the solvent in an amount of 85% by weight or less.