Fuel compositions

Claim 2

A gasoline composition for spark ignition internal combustion engines having a Research Octane Number of at least 80 comprising gasoline hydrocarbons and 1 to 6% by volume of said composition of di-methyl carbonate.

Claim 3

A gasoline composition according to claim 1 having a lead content of no more than 0.4 g Pb/litre.

Claim 4

A gasoline composition according to claim 2 having a lead content of no more than 0.15 g Pb/Litre.

Claim 5

A gasoline composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3 having a Research Octane Number of at least 90.

Claim 6

A gasoline composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 also containing at least one other di-alkyl carbonate, the total amount of di-alkyl carbonates (including the di-methyl carbonate) being less than 10% by volume of the composition.

Claim 7

A gasoline composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5 also containing an alcohol, and/or an ether, containing a tertiary alkyl radical having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms.

Claim 8

A gasoline composition according to claim 6 wherein said alcohol is t-butanol.

Claim 9

A gasoline composition according to claim 6 wherein said ether is methyl t-butyl ether.

Claim 10

A process for the manufacture of i) a di-alkyl carbonate product consisting of at least one di-alkyl carbonate, ii) an alcohol product A consisting of at least one alcohol and/or an ether product consisting of at least one ether, and iii) a glycol product consisting of at least one glycol, comprising a) reacting at least one alkyl hydroperoxide with an alkene feedstock B consisting of at least one alkene to produce at least one alkylene oxirane and an alcohol material C containing said alcohol product A, b) reacting at least part of said at least one alkylene oxirane with carbon dioxide to form at least one alkylene carbonate, c) reacting said at least one alkylene carbonate with an alcohol component D, consisting of at least one alcohol and which may contain part of said alcohol material C, to form said di-alkyl carbonate product and said glycol product, d) dehydrating at least part of said alcohol material C to an alkene component E and etherifying said alkene component E by reaction with an alcohol component F, consisting of at least one alcohol and which may contain part of said alcohol material C, to produce said ether product.

Claim 11

A process for the manufacture of i) a di-alkyl carbonate product consisting of at least one di-alkyl carbonate, ii) an alcohol product A consisting of at least one alcohol and/or an ether product consisting of at least one ether, and iii) a glycol product consisting of at least one glycol, comprising a) reacting at least one alkyl hydroperoxide with an alkene feedstock B consisting of at least one alkene to produce at least one alkylene oxirane and an alcohol material C containing said alcohol product A, b) reacting at least part of said at least one alkylene oxirane with carbon dioxide to form at least one alkylene carbonate, c) reacting said at least one alkylene carbonate with an alcohol component D, consisting of at least one alcohol and which may contain part of said alcohol material C, to form said di-alkyl carbonate product and said glycol product, d) dehydrating at least part of said alcohol material C to an alkene component E and etherifying said alkene component E by reaction with an alcohol component F, consisting of at least one alcohol and which may contain part of said alcohol material C, to produce said ether product.

Claim 12

A process wherein an alkane feedstock and an alkene feedstock are upgraded to form an alcohol product and a glycol product by i) reacting said alkane feedstock with oxygen to form a hydroperoxide product, ii) reacting said hydroperoxide product with said alkene feedstock to form an alkylene oxirane product and said alcohol product, and iii) converting said alkylene oxirane product to said glycol product, including the improvement comprising also upgrading an alcohol feedstock into a gasoline additive by converting said alkylene oxirane product to said glycol product by reacting said oxirane product with carbon dioxide to form an alkylene carbonate product and reacting said alkylene carbonate product with said alcohol feedstock to form said glycol product and a di-alkyl carbonate product.

Claim 13

A process wherein an alkane feedstock and an alkene feedstock are upgraded to form an alcohol product and a glycol product by i) reacting said alkane feedstock with oxygen to form a hydroperoxide product, ii) reacting said hydroperoxide product with said alkene feedstock to form an alkylene oxirane product and said alcohol product, and iii) converting said alkylene oxirane product to said glycol product, including the improvement comprising also upgrading an alcohol feedstock into a gasoline additive by converting said alkylene oxirane product to said glycol product by reacting said oxirane product with carbon dioxide to form an alkylene carbonate product and reacting said alkylene carbonate product with said alcohol feedstock to form said glycol product and a di-alkyl carbonate product.