US2038630A - Motor fuel and process of producing the same - Google Patents

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Patented Apr. 28, 1936 I 33 630 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE MOTOR FUEL, AND PROCESS OF PRO- DUCING THE SAME Harry T. Bennett and Le Roy G. Story, Tulsa, Okla., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Gasoline Antioxidant Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application November 12, 1926, Serial No. 148,096

3 Claims. (Cl. 44-9) This invention relates to motor fuels and procaccordance with the ordinary methods. We esses of producing the same; and comprises an point out then, the advantage of the simplicity improved motor fuel containing a chemical comof our process, whereby acid treatment, redistillpound; preferably pyrogallol,hydroquinone,cateing, clay treatment, etc. become unnecessary. 5 chol or their derivatives; or other substances Not only is a better fuel cheaply produced in which have the property of absorbing or otherwhich none of the valuable hydrocarbons inwise combining with oxygen; or compounds herent to the product are removed, but no harmknown chemically as reducing agents, in sufficient ful reaction products are produced as often ocquantity to prevent the formation of a detricurs in the other methods, and especially in the mental quantity of gummy material when the acid treatment. 7 fuel is vaporized. The agentsreferred to are In actual operation we have tested a cracked autoxidizing compounds having greater affinity gasoline which on evaporation produced 420 than the motor fuel, for oxygen. milligrams of gum per 100 cubic centimeters.

When certain motor fuels are evaporated, a Without further treatment 5 to 10 milligrams of dark colored resinous gum is produced, the quanpyrogallol per 100 cubic centimeters was incor- 5 tity of gum depending on the nature of the porated into it and the gum formed by evaporaproduct. This is especially true of fuels containtion was reduced to 15 milligrams per 100 cubic ing large amounts of unsaturated hydrocarbons; centimeters. The amount of pyrogallol is prefsuch as cracked" gasolines and distillates. erably 2 to 10 milligrams per 100 cubic centi- It has also been noted that when these fuels meters of gasoline. Similar results have been 20 are burned in automotive engines that a similar obtainedwith the compounds previously mengummy material is deposited in the carburetor, tioned in this specification. Other examples valves and other places where vaporization 00- could be given but this serves to illustrate the curs. This eventually results in serious engine invention and the advantage resulting from the trouble such as valves ceasing to function, carbon I use of very small quantities of the material re- 25 deposits, etc. quired to inhibit gum formation.

Of late years, it has been proved that motor We claim: fuels containing naphthene hydrocarbons, aro- 1. A cracked, highly unsaturated, hydrocarbon matics and other unsaturated hydrocarbons are motor fuel distillate of less-radially detonating less detonating or produce less knock in an type, normally tending to develop gum-forming 30 automotive engine than those fuels composed of constituents, containing catechol in quantity paraflinic or saturated hydrocarbons. suflicient to prevent development of such gum- Heretofore, in the manufacture of these motor forming constituents. fuels, due to their cracked or highly u'nsatu- 2. A motor fuel comprising cracked gasoline rated hydrocarbon content, it has been customary normally tending to deteriorate and develop 85 to treat them with acid or fullers earth in order gummy substances and containing a small proto remove certain products which are conducive v portion of catechol in quantity sufficient to retard to gum formation. In such treatment products such gum formation. which are of value for anti-detonating properties 3. A method of preserving cracked hydrocar- 40 are often removed. bon motor fuel distillates which deteriorate and 40 We have found that by merely incorporating develop gums, by incorporating therein a small in these fuels :2. small quantity of one of the above proportion of catechol inquantity sufiicient to mentioned materials and then evaporating the retard such gum formation. resultant product, the gum formation is decreased to an amount equal to or even below that which HARRY T. BENNETI. A5 is produced by a corresponding fuel treated in LE ROY G. STORY.