Fuel or fuel additive containing doped cerium oxide nanoparticles

• US 7,169,196 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2002
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Energenics Europe Ltd
• Original Assignee: Oxonica Materials Ltd.
• Inventors: Wakefield, Gareth
• Primary Examiner(s): Anthony, Joseph D.
• Application Number:
  US10/494,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20050066571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 443/54
• US Class Current: 44/354
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 17/235 Cerium oxides or hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/50 Solid solutions
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/52 containing elements as dopants
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/12 Surface area
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/10 containing additives
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1233 oxygen containing compounds, e.g. oxides, hydroxides, acids and salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1608 Well defined compounds, e.g. hexane, benzene
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1616 fractions, e.g. lubricants, solvents, naphta, bitumen, tars, terpentine
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1814 Chelates
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1824 mono-hydroxy
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1881 carboxylic group attached to an aliphatic carbon atom
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1883 polycarboxylic acid
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/305 organo-metallic compounds (containing a metal to carbon bond)
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/02 for reducing smoke development
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/06 for facilitating soot removal

Abstract

A fuel or fuel additives is disclosed which includes particles of cerium oxide which have been doped with a divalent or trivalent metal or metalloid which is a rare earth metal, a transition metal or a metal of group IIA, IIIB, VB, or VIB of the Periodic Table.

Claims

1. A fuel which comprises one or more particles of cerium oxide which have been doped with a divalent or trivalent metal or metalloid which is a rare earth metal, a transition metal or a metal of group IIA, IIIB, VB, or VIB of the Periodic Table.

3. The fuel according to claim 1 or the fuel additive according to claim 2 wherein the metal is a transition metal.

4. The fuel or fuel additive according to claim 3 wherein the metal is rhodium, copper, silver, gold, palladium, platinum, iron, manganese, chromium, cobalt or vanadium.

5. The fuel according to claim 1 or the fuel additive according to claim 2 wherein the metal is terbium, praeseodymium, samarium, gadolinium, antimony, selenium, gallium, magnesium, beryllium, boron or calcium.

6. The fuel according to claim 1 or the fuel additive according to claim 2 wherein the oxide has the formula:

Ce<sub>1−

x</sub>M_xO₂

where M is said metal or metalloid and x has a value up to 0.3.

7. The fuel according to claim 1 or the fuel additive according to claim 2 wherein the oxide has the formula:

[(CeO₂)<sub>1−

n</sub>(REO_y)_n]<sub>1−

k</sub>M′

_k

where M′

is said metal or metalloid other than a rare earth, RE is a rare earth, y is 1 or 1.5 and each of n and k, which may be the same or different, has a value up to 0.5.

8. The fuel according to claim 1 or the fuel additive according to claim 2 wherein the particles have a size not exceeding 1 micron.

9. The fuel or fuel additive according to claim 8 wherein the particles have a size from 1 to 300 nm.

10. The fuel or fuel additive according to claim 1 or the fuel additive according to claim 2 wherein the cerium oxide has been doped with more than one said metal or metalloid and/or oxide thereof.

11. The fuel or fuel additive according to claim 1 or the fuel additive according to claim 2 wherein the particles have been coated with an organic acid, anhydride or ester or a Lewis base.

12. The fuel or fuel additive according to claim 11 in which the coating agent is oleic acid or dodecylsuccinic anhydride.

13. The fuel according to claim 1 which is diesel fuel.

14. The fuel according to claim 1 which also comprises an organo platinum group compound.

2. A fuel additive which comprises one or more particles of cerium oxide which have been doped with a divalent or trivalent metal or metalloid which is a rare earth metal, a transition metal or a metal of group IIA, IIIB, VB, or VIB of the Periodic Table and a polar or non-polar organic solvent.

15. The fuel additive according to claim 2 wherein the solvent is an aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon or an aliphatic alcohol.

16. The fuel additive according to claim 2 which comprises one or more of a detergent, dehazer, anti-foaming agent, ignition improver, anti-rust agent, reodorant, anti-oxidant, metal deactivator or lubricity agent.

19. A fuel which comprises the fuel additive as claimed in claim 2.

17. A method for making an additive-containing fuel comprising incorporating into a fuel particles of cerium oxide which have been doped with a divalent or trivalent metal or metalloid which is a rare earth metal, a transition metal or a metal of group IIA, IIIB, VB, or VIB of the Periodic Table.

18. A method of improving the combustion of a fuel which comprises incorporating therein particles of cerium oxide which have been doped with a divalent or trivalent metal or metalloid which is a rare earth metal, a transition metal or a metal of group IIA, IJIB, VB, or VIB of the Periodic Table.