Clear stable motor fuel composition

Claim 2

A process for making a clear, stable gasoline blend from a hazy, water-saturated gasoline containing a mixture of hydrocarbons in the gasoline boiling range, from about 2.0 to about 12.0 volume percent of methanol, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of a cosolvent (C 2 -C 5 ) aliphatic alcohol and 0.1 to 0.5 volume percent of contaminating water, said process comprising adding to said water-saturated gasoline, from about 0.05 to about 3.0 weight percent of a nonionic surfactant of an alkanoic acid derivative ##STR18## wherein R is a (C 9 -C 24 ) alkyl or alkylene group, and R' is polyethylene glycol --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.x H where x is a numeral of about 1 to about 10, or R' is H(OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.y R"-- wherein y is a numeral of about 4 to about 20 and R" is ##STR19## wherein one M is ##STR20## a second M is H(OCH 2 CH 2 ) y and the remaining M's are H.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1, wherein the (C 1 -C 5 ) aliphatic alcohol is selected from the group consisting of from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of ethanol, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of isopropanol, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of secondary butyl alcohol, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of tertiary butyl alcohol, from about 2.0 to about volume percent of pentanol, and from about 3.0 to about 9.0 volume percent of a mixture thereof.

Claim 4

The process of claim 2, wherein the water-saturated gasoline contains from about 2.0 to about 5.0 volume percent of methanol, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of ethanol, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of tertiary butyl alcohol and/or from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of isopropanol.

Claim 5

The process of claim 3, wherein the volume ratio of tertiary butyl alcohol and/or isopropanol to methanol and ethanol ranges from about 0.3 to about 3.0.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1, wherein the clear, stable gasoline blend has a total oxygen content ranging from about 1.0 to about 7.5 weight percent.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1, wherein the water-saturated gasoline is made clear and stable down to a temperature of about -10° F.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1, wherein there is more than about 0.4 volume percent of contaminating water and the ambient temperature is less than about 35° F.

Claim 9

The process of claim 1, wherein the nonionic surfactant is added in the concentration of about 0.5 to about 2.0 weight percent.

Claim 10

The process of claim 1, wherein the hazy gasoline is a microemulsion in which the average particle diameter of the dispersed phase is about 0.1 micron.

Claim 11

The process of claim 1, wherein R is a (C 12 -C 18 ) alky group and x is a numeral of about 3 to about 4.

Claim 12

A process for making a clear, stable gasoline blend from a clear, potentially hazy water-saturated gasoline containing a mixture of hydrocarbons in the gasoline boiling range, from about 2.0 to about 12.0 volume percent of methanol, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of a cosolvent (C 2 -C 5 ) aliphatic alcohol, less than about 0.4 volume percent of contaminating water, and the ambient temperature is more than about 35° F., said process comprising: (a) diluting the water-saturated gasoline with unleaded gasoline in a volume ratio of unleaded gasoline to water-saturated gasoline of from about 10:90 to about 50:50; and (b) adding to said diluted gasoline from about 0.05 to about 3.0 weight percent of a nonionic surfactant of an alkanoic acid derivative ##STR21## wherein R is a (C 9 -C 24 ) alkyl or alkylene group, and R' is polyethylene glycol --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.x H where x is a numeral of about 2 to about 10, or R is H(OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.y R"-- wherein y is a numeral of about 4 to about 20 and R" is ##STR22## wherein one M is ##STR23## a second M is H(OCH 2 CH 2 ) y and the remaining M's are H.

Claim 13

A process for making a clear, stable gasoline blend from a clear, potentially hazy water-saturated gasoline containing a mixture of hydrocarbons in the gasoline boiling range, from about 2.0 to about 12.0 volume percent of methanol, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of a cosolvent (C 2 -C 5 ) aliphatic alcohol, less than about 0.4 volume percent of contaminating water, and the ambient temperature is more than about 35° F., said process comprising: (a) diluting the water-saturated gasoline with unleaded gasoline in a volume ratio of unleaded gasoline to water-saturated gasoline of from about 10:90 to about 50:50; and (b) adding to said diluted gasoline from about 0.05 to about 3.0 weight percent of a nonionic surfactant of an alkanoic acid derivative ##STR21## wherein R is a (C 9 -C 24 ) alkyl or alkylene group, and R' is polyethylene glycol --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.x H where x is a numeral of about 2 to about 10, or R is H(OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.y R"-- wherein y is a numeral of about 4 to about 20 and R" is ##STR22## wherein one M is ##STR23## a second M is H(OCH 2 CH 2 ) y and the remaining M's are H.

Claim 14

The process of claim 11, wherein the (C 2 -C 5 ) aliphatic alcohol is selected from the group consisting of from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of ethanol, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of isopropanol, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of secondary butyl alcohol, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of tertiary butyl alcohol, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of pentanol, and from about 3.0 to about 9.0 volume percent of a mixture thereof.

Claim 15

The process of claim 11, wherein the water-saturated gasoline contains from about 2.0 to about 5.0 volume percent of methanol, from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of ethanol and from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of tertiary butyl alcohol and/or from about 2.0 to about 10.0 volume percent of isopropanol.

Claim 16

The process of claim 13, wherein the volume ratio of tertiary butyl alcohol and/or isopropanol to methanol and ethanol ranges from about 0.3 to about 3.0.

Claim 17

The process of claim 11, wherein the clear, stable gasoline blend has a total oxygen content ranging from about 1.0 to about 7.5 weight percent.

Claim 18

The process of claim 11, wherein the water-saturated gasoline is made clear and stable down to a temperature of about -10° F.

Claim 19

The process of claim 11, wherein the volume ratio of unleaded gasoline to water-saturated gasoline is about 10:90.

Claim 20

The process of claim 11, wherein the volume ratio of unleaded gasoline to water-saturated gasoline is about 50:50.

Claim 21

The process of claim 11, wherein the volume ratio of unleaded gasoline to water-saturated gasoline is about 30:70.

Claim 22

The process of claim 11, wherein the nonionic surfactant is added in the concentration of about 0.1 to about 2.5 weight percent.

Claim 23

The process of claim 12, wherein the water-saturated gasoline is a microemulsion in which the average particle diameter of the dispersed phase is about 0.1 micron.

Claim 24

The process of claim 1, wherein R is a (C 12 -C 18 ) alkyl group and x is a numeral of about 3 to 4.