| abstract |
Reacting an alkylene carbonate, such as ethylene carbonate, with dimer acid in the presence of a catalyst, such as a tertiary amine catalyst, gives a dimer acid diester having essentially no sulfur, and thus may be added to ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel downstream of a refinery. The diester enhances the lubricity properties of hydrocarbon fuels, increases their service life and fuel efficiency. The manufacturing process time may be decreased significantly compared with a process using ethylene glycol instead of ethylene carbonate, and much less ethylene glycol by-product results. |