Patent ID: 7704288

Claim:
A method for forming a stable water in liquid hydrocarbon microemulsion, comprising the steps of: providing a liquid hydrocarbon phase; providing a water phase; providing a surfactant package having an HLB of between about 6 and about 10 and having a lipophilic component having an HLB of between about 1 and about 8 and a hydrophilic component having an HLB of between about 10 and about 18, wherein said surfactant package further includes a functional group for improving performance of said stable microemulsion as a combustible fuel, said functional group being different from said lipophilic component and said hydrophilic component and selected from the group consisting of nitrogen groups, ketones, hydroxy and epoxy groups, and mixtures thereof; and mixing said liquid hydrocarbon phase, said water phase and said surfactant package at a ratio by volume of said water phase to said surfactant of at least about 1, with said water phase in an amount of between about 5% and about 15% volume with respect to volume of said microemulsion, and at a mixing intensity of at least about 1 W/kg, so as to provide a stable water in liquid hydrocarbon microemulsion wherein said lipophilic component and said hydrophilic component are present at an interface between said water phase and said liquid hydrocarbon phase, and wherein said lipophilic component comprises a nitro-olefin derivate of oleic acid obtained by using nitrogen monoxide to modify the oleic acid.