Organic synergists for organo-cerium (IV) anti-knock additives in lead-free fuel compositions

Claim 2

A lead-free fuel composition having improved anti-knock and octane characteristics which comprises a liquid hydrocarbon fuel containing an anti-knock and octane improvement amount of an alkanediol of the formula: ##STR6## wherein R and R' can be either alike or different, selected from hydrogen or a hydrocarbon radical having from about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms; and x is an integer of from about 1 to about 5; in combination with an organo-cerium (IV) chelate of the formula: ##STR7## wherein R and R' can be either alike or different members selected from the group consisting of hydrogen or hydrocarbon radicals including alkyl aryl, aralkyl, alkaryl and cyclo-alkyl radicals containing from about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms with the sum of the carbon atoms in said radicals being from about 3 to about 24.

Claim 3

The lead-free fuel composition of claim 1 having an alkanediol of the formula: ##STR8## wherein R and R' can be either alike or different, selected from hydrogen or a hydrocarbon radical having from about 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, and x is an integer of from about 1 to about 3.

Claim 4

The lead-free fuel composition of claim 1 wherein the alkanediol is selected from the group of:

Claim 5

4-pentanediol; 1,4-hexanediol; 1,5-hexanediol; 1,6-hexanediol; 2,5-hexanediol; 1,4-heptanediol; 2,5-heptanediol; 3,6-octanediol; 3-methyl-1,4-hexanediol; 6-methyl-1,4-heptanediol; 1,3-pentanediol; 2,4-pentanediol; 1,5-pentanediol; 3-methyl-2,4-pentanediol; 2,7-dimethyl-3,6-octanediol; 3,8-dimethyl-4,7-decanediol; 2,2,8,8-tetramethyl-4,7-decanediol; or 7,10-hexadecanediol, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 6

4-pentanediol; 1,4-hexanediol; 1,5-hexanediol; 1,6-hexanediol; 2,5-hexanediol; 1,4-heptanediol; 2,5-heptanediol; 3,6-octanediol; 3-methyl-1,4-hexanediol; 6-methyl-1,4-heptanediol; 1,3-pentanediol; 2,4-pentanediol; 1,5-pentanediol; 3-methyl-2,4-pentanediol; 2,7-dimethyl-3,6-octanediol; 3,8-dimethyl-4,7-decanediol; 2,2,8,8-tetramethyl-4,7-decanediol; or 7,10-hexadecanediol, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 7

The lead-free fuel composition of claim 1 having an organo-cerium IV chelate of the formula: ##STR9## wherein R and R' can be either alike or different members selected from the group consisting of hydrogen or hydrocarbon radicals including alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkaryl and cycloalkyl radicals containing from 1 to 8 carbon atoms with the sum of the carbon atoms in said radicals being from 4 to 10.

Claim 8

The lead-free fuel composition of claim 1 having an organo-cerium IV chelate of the formula: ##STR10## wherein R and R' are selected from methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, tertiary butyl, n-amyl, tertiary amyl, n-hexyl, n-heptyl, triethylmethyl, n-octyl, isooctyl, nonyl, decyl, undecyl, dodecyl, phenyl, naphthyl, benzyl, phenethyl, tolyl, xylyl, methylnaphthyl, ethylphenyl, propylphenyl, butylphenyl, amylphenyl, hexylphenyl, diethylphenyl, dipropylphenyl, trimethylphenyl, triethylphenyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl or cyclooctyl radicals.

Claim 9

The lead-free fuel composition of claim 1 wherein the organo-cerium (IV) chelate is selected from the group of: ceric 2,4-hexanedionate, ceric 2,4-heptanedionate, ceric 2,4-octanedionate, ceric 3,5-heptanedionate, ceric 3,5-octanedionate, ceric 4,6-nonanedionate, ceric 4,6-decanedionate, ceric 5,7-undecanedionate, ceric 6,8-tridecanedionate, ceric 5,7-tetradecanedionate, ceric 7,9-pentadecanedionate, ceric 7,9-hexadecanedionate, ceric 8,10-heptadecanedionate, ceric 8,10-octadecanedionate, ceric 9,11-nonadecanedionate, ceric 9,11-eicosanedionate, ceric 10,12-heneicosanedionate, ceric 10,12-docosanedionate, ceric 11,13-tricosanedionate, ceric 11,13-tetracosanedionate, ceric 12,14-pentacosanedionate, ceric 12,14-hexacosanedionate, ceric 13,15-heptacosanedionate, ceric 2,2-dimethyl-3,5-hexanedionate, ceric 2,2-dimethyl-3,5-heptanedionate, ceric 2,2-dimethyl-3,5-octanedionate, ceric 2,2-dimethyl-3,5-nonanedionate, ceric 2,6-dimethyl-3,5-heptanedionate, ceric 2,7-dimethyl-3,5-octanedionate, ceric 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate, ceric 3,3,7,7-tetraethyl-4,6-nonanedionate, ceric 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedionate, ceric 1-phenyl-1,3-heptanedionate, ceric 1-phenyl-1,3-undecanedionate, ceric 1-phenyl-1,3-pentadecanedionate, ceric 1-naphthyl-1,3-butanedionate, ceric 1-benzyl-1,3-butanedionate, ceric 1-tolyl-1,3-butanedionate, ceric 1-cyclohexyl-1,3-butanedionate, ceric 1,3-diphenyl-1,3-propanedionate, ceric 1,3-dinaphthyl-1,3-propanedionate, ceric 1,3-dibenzyl-1,3-propanedionate, ceric 1,3-ditolyl-1,3-propanedionate, or ceric 1,3-dicyclohexyl-1,3-propanedionate and mixtures thereof.

Claim 10

The lead-free fuel composition of claim 1 wherein the anti-knock agent comprises 2,5-hexanediol and an organo-cerium (IV) chelate.

Claim 11

The lead-free fuel composition of claim 1 wherein the organo-cerium (IV) chelate is ceric 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate.

Claim 12

The lead-free fuel composition of claim 1 wherein the alkanediol and organo-cerium (IV) chelate comprise from about 0.04 to about 8.0 weight percent based on the liquid hydrocarbon fuel.

Claim 13

The lead-free fuel composition of claim 1 wherein the alkanediol and organo-cerium (IV) chelate comprise from about 0.1 to about 2.0 weight percent based on the liquid hydrocarbon fuel.

Claim 14

The lead-free fuel composition of claim 1 wherein the weight ratio of alkanediol to the organo-cerium (IV) chelate is in the range of from about 1:1 to about 50:1.

Claim 15

The lead-free fuel composition of claim 1 wherein the weight ratio of alkanediol to the organo-cerium (IV) chelate is in the range of from about 1:1 to about 6:1.

Claim 16

The lead-free fuel composition of claim 1 wherein the liquid hydrocarbon fuel is gasoline.

Claim 17

The lead-free fuel composition of claim 1 wherein the liquid hydrocarbon fuel is a synthetic fuel produced from a carbonaceous material.