Extremely stable diesel fuel compositions
OwnerTimothy J. Henlyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to diesel fuel compositions that are extremely stable against thermal degradation, sedimentation, and discoloration. The diesel fuel compositions of the present invention are void or essentially void of certain heteroatomic compounds often present in diesel fuel and which have been discovered to cause the thermal degradation in the presence of nitrate-based cetane improver additives. The specific deleterious heteroatomic compounds include pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines.
Claims26
A diesel fuel composition comprising a major amount of a hydrocarbon fuel boiling in the middle distillate boiling range, and a minor amount of a nitrate-containing cetane improver, wherein the composition is essentially free of one or more heteroatomic compounds selected from pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and/or indolines.
A method of reducing the amount of discoloration which occurs in diesel fuel containing a major amount of a hydrocarbon fuel boiling in the middle distillate boiling range, and a minor amount of a nitrate-containing cetane improver, said method comprising removing from said diesel fuel essentially all of the pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines.
A method of reducing the amount of discoloration which occurs in diesel fuel containing a major amount of a hydrocarbon fuel boiling in the middle distillate boiling range, and a minor amount of a nitrate-containing cetane improver, said method comprising removing from said diesel fuel all of the pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines.
A method of reducing the amount of sedimentation which occurs in diesel fuel containing a major amount of a hydrocarbon fuel boiling in the middle distillate boiling range, and a minor amount of a nitrate-containing cetane improver, said method comprising removing from said diesel fuel essentially all of the pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines.
A method of reducing the amount of sedimentation which occurs in diesel fuel containing a major amount of a hydrocarbon fuel boiling in the middle distillate boiling range, and a minor amount of a nitrate-containing cetane improver, said method comprising removing from said diesel fuel all of the pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines.
A low sulfur D-2(ASTM D975) diesel fuel having the following properties:
- Cetane number ASTM D613 35 to 60
- Cetane index ASTM 4737 <60
- Aromatics, total, wt. % ASTM D5186 <40
- Polynuclear aromatics, wt. %, ASTM D2425 <11
- Sulfur, ppmw, ASTM D2622-1 <50
- Nitrogen, ppmw ASTM D4629 <1000, and
- A total amount of nitrogen and sulfur from pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids, and indolines of no more than 5 ppm.
A diesel fuel meeting the requirements of ASTM D 975 for a low sulfur No. 2-D diesel and providing emission benefits at least equivalent to a diesel fuel as per Section 2282(g), Title 13, California Code of Regulations, said fuel containing from about 10 vol. % to about 30 vol. % aromatics and having a Cetane number of at least 40 but less than 60;
- a nitrogen content of no greater than 1000 ppmw;
- a sulfur content of no greater than 50 ppmw;
- and a total amount of nitrogen and sulfur from pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids and/or indolines of no more than 5 ppm.
A diesel fuel composition comprising:
- a major amount of a hydrocarbon boiling in the middle distillate boiling range;
- 2-ethyl hexyl nitrate cetane improver present in an amount of from about 100 to about 10,000 ppm;
- and
- wherein the total amount of nitrogen and sulfur present in the fuel from pyrroles, indoles, sulfides, disulfides, mercaptans, thioacids, sulfonic acids and/or indolines is no more than 5 ppm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.