Wax anti-settling agents for distillate fuels

Abstract

An additive for distillate fuels and a fuel composition having improved wax anti-settling properties. The additive is incorporated into a major proportion of distillate fuel and is a maleic anhydride α-olefin copolymer or a imide having the following structure wherein R has at least 60% by weight of a hydrocarbon substituent from about 20 to about 40 carbon atoms, X is oxygen or wherein N is nitrogen and R′ has at least 80% by weight of a hydrocarbon substituent having from 16 to 18 carbon atoms, and n is from about 2 to about 8 for the maleic anhydride α-olefin copolymer and from about 1 to about 8 for the imide. The additive can be combined with an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene vinyl acetate isobutylene terpolymer, or combinations thereof, to improve cold flow of the distillate fuel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.