R&D spillovers and the ge-ography of innovation and production

The invention disclosed herein is a liquid fuel composition having reduced soot and smoking characterized comprising a major proportion of a liquid hydrocarbon fuel and a minor proportion of Group IIA and Group IIB metal salts of carboxylic acids. A preferred fuel composition is from 0.1 to 0.6 percent by weight of barium- and zinc 2-ethylhexanoates admixed in diesel fuel, wherein the weight ratio of barium to zinc is about 10 to 1. Further improvement in smoke and soot reduction is obtained in hydrocarbon fuels when an ether is additionally incorporated into the salt and fuel mixture. A mixture of from about 0.1 to 0.6 percent by weight of barium 2-ethylhexanoate and zinc 2-ethylhexanoate, from between 0.2 to 0.5 percent by weight of the monomethyl ether of ethylene glycol and the balance, a diesel fuel, has substantially reduced smoke and soot forming characteristics.