Pollution control through fuel treatment

Claim 2

Method of operating an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of: placing a housing in series relationship respective to fuel flow to said engine so that the fuel flows through the housing; encapsulating at least one alloy member within said housing so that the fuel flowing through the housing is brought into contact with the surface of the alloy; said alloy member consists of a mixture of the following metals: copper, zinc, nickel, lead, and tin; said mixture has the following range of composition: copper 40-66%; zinc 2-28%; nickel 5-25%; lead 2-12%; and tin 1-5%.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 and further including the step of making said housing cylindrical, providing said alloy member with elongated ribs circumferentially arranged thereabout and telescopingly received within said housing so that the ribs of the alloy member are positioned closely adjacent to the interior wall of the housing.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein there is included a plurality of alloy members, each member being elongated and extending along a line which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein each member is hollow.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 wherein the following trace elements are included in said alloy: iron, antimony, sulfur, and manganese.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 wherein each member is a ball, there being a plurality of balls contained within said housing.

Claim 8

The method of claim 2 wherein said engine is a diesel engine.

Claim 9

The method of claim 5 wherein said engine is a diesel engine.

Claim 10

Method of lowering the undesirable exhaust emissions while increasing the combustion efficiency of an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of: placing a housing in series relationship respective to a fuel line that supplies fuel to the internal combustion engine; supporting at least one alloy member in captured relationship within said housing; said alloy member being a crystalline metal alloy consisting of: ______________________________________ copper 40-66% lead 2-12% antimony 0.5-1.5% zinc 2-28% tin 1-5% sulfur 0.02-0.12% nickel 5-25% iron 0.2-0.9% manganese 0.01-0.09%. ______________________________________

Claim 11

Method of lowering the undesirable exhaust emissions while increasing the combustion efficiency of an internal combustion engine comprising the steps of: placing a housing in series relationship respective to a fuel line that supplies fuel to the internal combustion engine; supporting at least one alloy member in captured relationship within said housing; said alloy member being a crystalline metal alloy consisting of: ______________________________________ copper 40-66% lead 2-12% antimony 0.5-1.5% zinc 2-28% tin 1-5% sulfur 0.02-0.12% nickel 5-25% iron 0.2-0.9% manganese 0.01-0.09%. ______________________________________

Claim 12

The method of claim 9 and further including the step of making said housing cylindrical, said alloy member is elongated and is telescopingly received within said housing; so that flow passageways are formed along the sides of the alloy member.

Claim 13

The method of claim 9 and further including the steps of placing a plurality of elongated alloy members circumferentially about the longitudinal axis of the housing.

Claim 14

The method of claim 11 and further including the step of making each member hollow.

Claim 15

The method of claim 9 and further including the step of making each member into a ball, there being a plurality of balls contained within said housing.

Claim 16

The method of claim 9 wherein said engine is a diesel engine.

Claim 17

A fuel treatment apparatus for connection in series relationship within a fuel line of an internal combustion engine comprising: a housing having a inlet end and an outlet end; at least one crystalline metal alloy member supported within said housinq so that fuel flowing through the housing is contacted by the surface of the alloy member; said crystalline metal alloy member consists of: copper, zinc, nickel, lead, iron, antimony, sulfur, manganese, and tin having the following range of composition for said alloy member; copper 40-66%; zinc 2-28%, nickel 5-25%; lead 2-12%; tin 1-14%; iron 0.2-0.9%, antimony 0.5-1.5%; sulfur 0.02-0.12%; and manganese 0.01-0.09%.

Claim 18

A fuel treatment apparatus for connection in series relationship within a fuel line of an internal combustion engine comprising: a housing having a inlet end and an outlet end; at least one crystalline metal alloy member supported within said housinq so that fuel flowing through the housing is contacted by the surface of the alloy member; said crystalline metal alloy member consists of: copper, zinc, nickel, lead, iron, antimony, sulfur, manganese, and tin having the following range of composition for said alloy member; copper 40-66%; zinc 2-28%, nickel 5-25%; lead 2-12%; tin 1-14%; iron 0.2-0.9%, antimony 0.5-1.5%; sulfur 0.02-0.12%; and manganese 0.01-0.09%.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said housing is cylindrical, said alloy member is elongated and is telescopingly received within said housing with the sides of the alloy member being spaced from the interior wall of the housing.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein there are a plurality of alloy members, each member being elongated and extending along a line which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said engine is a diesel engine.