Use of polyoxymethylene di (alkyl polyglycol) ethers as additives to diesel fuels to reduce the particulate emission in self-ignition engines

1. A method for reducing particulate emission in a self-ignition engine comprising the steps of:

preparing a diesel fuel mixture including an additive comprising polyoxymethylene di(alkyl polyglycol) ethers of the general formula:

RO(CH 2 CH 2 O) n (CH 2 O) m (CH 2 CH 2 O) n R,

wherein R is an alkyl radical, n is 1 or 2 and m is 1, and

combusting the diesel fuel mixture in the self-ignition engine, thereby reducing the particulate emission thereof.

2. A method for reducing particulate emission in self-ignition engine comprising the steps of:

preparing a diesel fuel mixture including an additive comprising polyoxymethylene di(alkyl polyglycol) ethers of the general formula:

RO(CH 2 CH 2 O) n (CH 2 O) m (CH 2 CH 2 O) n R,

wherein R is an alkyl radical, n is 1 and m is 1; and

combusting the diesel fuel mixture in the self-ignition engine, thereby reducing the particulate emission thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein R is a straight-chain alkyl radical.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein R is a methyl, ethyl, or n-butyl radical.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the 95% boiling limit of the diesel fuel, to which the polyoxymethylene di(alkyl polyglycol) ether is added, is below 360°.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sum of the chain members (C- and O- atoms) of the polyoxymethylene di(alkyl polyglycol) ether is ≦35.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polyoxymethylene di(alkyl polyglycol) ether is present in a quantity of less than about 15% by volume.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the diesel fuel contains up to 5% by volume of a fatty acid methyl ester (FAME).