Fuel additives with improved miscibility and reduced tendency to form emulsions

Abstract

This invention relates to an additive package containing an organic solvent, a detergent additive and a reaction product mixture obtained by reacting a carboxylic acid compound of formula (I): R1COOR2 with an alkanol amine of formula (II): NHR3R4 to form a reaction product containing a polysubstituted alkanol amine derivative, where the reaction is performed by:(a) heating the carboxylic acid of formula (I) to a first temperature;(b) adding thereto the alkanol amine of formula (II) under controlled conditions avoiding an increase of temperature above the first temperature range;(c) maintaining temperature in the first temperature range; and(d) increasing the temperature of the reaction mixture to a second temperature in a second temperature range of 160 to 210° C. and allowing further reaction of residual free carboxylic acid molecules with any reactive group in the reaction mixture.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 681,788 filed Apr. 6, 2010, which is a National Stage of PCT / EP08 / 64021 filed Oct. 17, 2008 and claims the benefit of priority from EP patent application no. 07118841.1 filed Oct. 19, 2007.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to novel fuel additives obtainable by reacting carboxylic acids and alkanol amines under specific conditions. Said additives show an improved performance in fuels, like gasoline. The invention also relates to methods of preparing the same; additive packages containing said additives; and methods of improving the storage stability of additive packages comprising a detergent additive in an organic solvent.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Reaction products of fatty acid derivatives and alkanol mono- or polyamines are known to be useful additives for application in gasoline and diesel.[0004]Chapter 7: Organic Friction Modifiers...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text explains how certain chemicals can be made by combining carboxylic acids and alkanol amines. These chemicals have a surprisingly good performance as additives in fuel, particularly gasoline. This is because they contain a lot of low polarity components. These low polarity components make them easier to blend with other additives and don't require as much dehazer to prevent emulsion effects.

Problems solved by technology

Even if these additives provide good performance, they have significant disadvantages due to their polar structure.

Such emulsions can cause severe damage in modern cars; additive suppliers therefore need to compensate this effect by adding so called dehazers.

Furthermore most of such 1:1 adducts of a carboxylic acid moiety and an alkanol amine show a strong tendency to form multi-molecular clusters, which results in incompatibility with typical detergent additives such as PIB monoamines, PIB Mannich amines or PIB succinimides.

Blends of such fatty acid amides with PIB-based products therefore require expensive solvents such as hydrophobic alcohols or comparable solubilizer.

Even if there are technical solutions to overcome these problems, they will at least unfavourably increase costs so that some of these additives are not economically advantageous.

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