Fuel compositions with enhanced cold properties and methods of making the same

1. A diesel fuel blend comprising:

a diesel fuel blend of a renewable fuel component and a mineral middle distillate fuel component in which the renewable fuel component and mineral middle distillate fuel component are present in a ratio of amounts by volume of from 10:90 to 90:10; and

the diesel fuel blend of the renewable fuel component and the mineral middle distillate fuel component contains 10-25 wt % n-paraffins in a C14-C20 range and an amount of isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range, such that a ratio of a sum of wt % amounts of isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range to a sum of wt % amounts of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range is less than 2.2.

2. A diesel fuel blend according to claim 1 , wherein the renewable fuel component and mineral middle distillate fuel component have cloud points that differ by no more than 17° C.

3. A diesel fuel blend according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the sum of wt % amounts of the isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range to the sum of wt % amounts of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range is from 1.1 to 2.2.

4. A diesel fuel blend according to claim 1 , wherein the diesel fuel blend has from 22 wt % to 55 wt % isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range.

5. A diesel fuel blend according to claim 1 , wherein the mineral middle distillate fuel component is derived from sources selected from a group consisting of crude petroleum oil, shale oil, and combinations thereof.

6. A diesel fuel blend according to claim 1 , wherein the mineral middle distillate fuel component is a diesel fuel.

7. A diesel fuel blend according to claim 1 , wherein a fresh feed for the renewable fuel component is selected from a group consisting of plant oils/fats, animal fats/oils, fish fats/oils, fats contained in plants bred by gene manipulation, recycled fats of food industry and combinations thereof.

8. A diesel fuel blend according to claim 1 , wherein the renewable fuel component and mineral middle distillate fuel component are present in a ratio of amounts by volume of from 20:80 to 80:20.

9. A diesel fuel blend according to claim 1 , wherein a isomerization ratio of the renewable fuel component is at least 50%.

10. A method of making a diesel fuel blend having enhanced cold properties, the method comprising:

(a) selecting a renewable fuel component and a mineral middle distillate fuel component having cloud points that differ by no more than 17° C.; and

(b) blending the renewable fuel component and mineral middle distillate fuel component in a ratio of amounts by volume of from 10:90 to 90:10 to form a diesel fuel blend,

wherein the diesel fuel blend contains 10-25 wt % n-paraffins in a C14-C20 range and an amount of isoparaffins in a C14-C20 range such that a ratio of a sum of wt % amounts of isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range to a sum of wt % amounts of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range is less than 2.2; and

wherein the diesel fuel blend has a cloud point that is lower than a weighted mean of the cloud points of the mineral middle distillate fuel component and the renewable fuel component.

11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the diesel fuel blend has a ratio of the sum of wt % amounts of the isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range to the sum of wt % amounts of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range that is from 1.1 to 2.2.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the diesel fuel blend has from 22 wt % to 55 wt % isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range.

13. A method according to claim 12 , wherein a fresh feed of renewable fuel is selected from a group consisting of plant oils/fats, animal fats/oils, fish fats/oils, fats contained in plants bred by means of gene manipulation, recycled fats of food industry and combinations thereof.

14. A method according to claim 13 , wherein the isomerization ratio of the renewable fuel component is at least 50%.

15. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the diesel fuel blend has a cloud point that is lower than the cloud point of the mineral middle distillate fuel component.

16. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the diesel fuel blend has a cloud point that is lower than the cloud point of the renewable fuel component.

17. A method for lowering a cloud point of a mineral middle distillate fuel using a renewable fuel, the method comprising:

(a) determining a cloud point of a mineral middle distillate fuel;

(b) selecting a renewable fuel having properties as follows:

(i) a cloud point that differs by no more than 17° C. from the cloud point of the mineral middle distillate fuel;

(ii) an amount of n-paraffins sufficient to provide a diesel fuel blend containing 10-25 wt % n-paraffins in a C14-C20 range when the renewable fuel is blended with the mineral middle distillate fuel; and

(iii) an amount of isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range sufficient so that the diesel fuel blend has a ratio of a sum of wt % amounts of the isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range to a sum of wt % amounts of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range is from 1.1 to 2.2 when the renewable fuel is blended with the mineral middle distillate fuel; and

(c) blending the selected renewable fuel with the mineral middle distillate fuel in a ratio of amounts by volume of from 10:90 to 90:10 to form the diesel fuel blend, the diesel fuel blend having a cloud point that is lower than the cloud point of the mineral middle distillate fuel.

18. A method for lowering the cloud point of a renewable fuel using a mineral middle distillate, the method comprising:

(a) determining a cloud point of a renewable fuel;

(b) selecting a mineral middle distillate having properties as follows:

(i) a cloud point that differs by no more than 17° C. from the cloud point of the renewable fuel;

(ii) an amount of n-paraffins sufficient to provide a diesel fuel blend containing 10-25 wt % n-paraffins in a C14-C20 range when the renewable fuel is blended with the mineral middle distillate; and

(iii) an amount of isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range sufficient so that the diesel fuel blend has a ratio of a sum of wt % amounts of isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range to a sum of wt % amounts of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range of from 1.1 to 2.2 when the renewable fuel is blended with the mineral middle distillate; and

(c) blending the renewable fuel with the selected mineral middle distillate in a ratio of amounts by volume of from 10:90 to 90:10 to form the diesel fuel blend, the diesel fuel blend having a cloud point that is lower than the cloud point of the renewable fuel.

19. A diesel fuel blend having enhanced cold properties obtained by a method according to claim 10 .

20. A diesel fuel blend according to claim 1 , wherein the renewable fuel component and mineral middle distillate fuel component have cloud points that differ by no more than 13° C.

21. A diesel fuel blend according to claim 2 , wherein the ratio of the sum of wt % amounts of the isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range to the sum of wt % amounts of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range is from 1.1 to 2.2.

22. A diesel fuel blend according to claim 21 , wherein the diesel fuel blend has from 22 wt % to 55 wt % isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range.

23. A diesel fuel blend according to claim 22 , wherein the renewable fuel component and mineral middle distillate fuel component are present in a ratio of amounts by volume of from 20:80 to 80:20.

24. A diesel fuel blend according to claim 1 , wherein a isomerization ratio of the renewable fuel component is at least 60%.

25. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the cloud points of the renewable fuel component and the mineral middle distillate fuel component differ by no more than 13° C.

26. A method according to claim 13 , wherein the isomerization ratio of the renewable fuel component is at least 60%.

27. A diesel fuel blend having enhanced cold properties obtained by a method according to claim 17 .

28. A diesel fuel blend having enhanced cold properties obtained by a method according to claim 18 .

29. The diesel fuel blend of claim 1 , wherein the sum of the wt % amounts of the isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range is a cumulative sum of the wt % amounts of all of the isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range and the sum of the wt % amounts of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range is a cumulative sum of the wt % amounts of all of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range.

30. The diesel fuel blend of claim 4 , wherein the sum of the wt % amounts of the isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range is a cumulative sum of the wt % amounts of all of the isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range and the sum of the wt % amounts of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range is a cumulative sum of the wt % amounts of all of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range.

31. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sum of the wt % amounts of the isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range is a cumulative sum of the wt % amounts of all of the isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range and the sum of the wt % amounts of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range is a cumulative sum of the wt % amounts of all of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range.

32. The method of claim 17 , wherein the sum of the wt % amounts of the isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range is a cumulative sum of the wt % amounts of all of the isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range and the sum of the wt % amounts of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range is a cumulative sum of the wt % amounts of all of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range.

33. The method of claim 18 , wherein the sum of the wt % amounts of the isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range is a cumulative sum of the wt % amounts of all of the isoparaffins in the C14-C20 range and the sum of the wt % amounts of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range is a cumulative sum of the wt % amounts of all of the n-paraffins in the C14-C20 range.