Investigation the Effect of Fullerene Soot Derivative on Fuel Hydrocarbons and Reduction of Environmental Pollutants

The effect of derivatives of fullerene soot on hydrocarbon fuels was examined. Fullerene was prepared from commercial soot containing a mixture of fullerene (α>7%) with high solubility in petroleum derivatives. The derivatives of fullerenes were reacted with fatty amines such as hexadecylamine in the presence and absence of a solvent. The gas phase، solvent free reaction was carried out at reduced pressure and high temperature conditions. Vacuum distillation was used to remove unreacted amines from the products formed. Thus، an excess of hexadecylamine was used to maximize the number of lipophilic substituents in the mixture of fullerenes and soot. In the second step، the effects of derivatives of fullerene soot as gasoline additives on octane number، fuel consumption and emission of exhaust pollutants were evaluated using standard tests in Peugeot 405، Samand، and Pride engines. The derivatives did not appreciably change octane number and fuel consumption، but somehow affected the exhaust pollutants including CO، HC and NOx in comparison with ordinary gasoline. Furthermore، the effect of formulated gasoline using hexadecylamine fullerene package on exhaust pollutants was evaluated in a 150 hour cycle and no precipitate was observed.