Fuel oil additives and compositions
AssigneeInfineum International Limited
InventorsDENNIS G. PEIFFER, BRID DILWORTH, ROBERT DRYDEN TACK
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A copolymer comprising units derivable from (A) one or more olefins of defined chain length; and (B) one or more ethylenically unsaturated compounds different from (A). The copolymers are useful as cold flow improvers in fuel oils.
Claims36
A copolymer comprising units derivable from:
- (A) either:
- (i) an olefin;
- or
- (ii) a mixture of olefins;
- and
- (B) one or more ethylenically unsaturated compounds different from (A);
- wherein the units derivable from (A) carry hydrocarbyl substituents containing a continuous chain of carbon atoms, and optionally oxygen and/or nitrogen and/or sulfur atoms, the average length of the chains being at least 22 atoms;
- and wherein the units derivable from (B) carry hydrocarbyl substituents containing a continuous chain of carbon atoms, and optionally oxygen and/or nitrogen and/or sulfur atoms, the average length of the chains being at most 8 atoms.
The copolymer of any of the preceding claims wherein the units derivable from (A) carry linear hydrocarbyl substituents.
The copolymer of any of the preceding claims wherein (A) is an alpha-olefin.
The copolymer of any of the preceding claim wherein the continuous chain of the units derivable from (B) is an alkylene chain.
The copolymer of any of the preceding claims wherein the units derivable from B carry linear hydrocarbyl substituents.
The copolymer of any of the preceding claims wherein (B) is selected from an unsaturated compound of the general formula II below:
- 13
- wherein R5, R6, R7 and R8, independently of each other, are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydrocarbyl group, OH and C(O)OH, or a derivative thereof.
The copolymer of any of the preceding claims wherein (B) is maleic anhydride or a derivative thereof.
The copolymer of any of the preceding claims wherein one or more amines or alcohols or carboxylic acids comprising a hydrocarbyl substituent which contains a continuous chain of at most 8 carbon atoms is used to derivatise the or each unsaturated compound (B), or the or each unit derivable from the unsaturated compound (B).
The copolymer of any of the preceding claims wherein the unit derivable from (A) is a mixture of linear alpha-olefins containing 30 or more carbon atoms, or a mixture of linear alpha-olefins containing from 24 to 28 carbon atoms.
The copolymer of any of the preceding claims wherein the unit derivable from (B) is maleic anhydride or a derivative thereof.
The copolymer of any of the preceding claims which comprises one or more units of general formulae:
- 15
- wherein R18, R19 and R20 are independently hydrogen or hydrocarbyl groups with the proviso that at least one of R18, R19 or R20 contains a continuous chain of carbon atoms, and optionally oxygen and/or nitrogen and/or sulfur atoms, the length of the chain being at least 22 atoms;
- R21 is a hydrocarbyl group containing a continuous chain of carbon atoms, and optionally oxygen and/or nitrogen and/or sulfur, atoms of at most 8;
- R9 is either hydrogen or methyl group;
- X is one of C(O)OR9, C(O)NR9R10, CO2−+NR9R10R11 or O(O)CR9;
- Y is X or C(O)OH or OH;
- and R10 and R11 are independently hydrocarbyl groups or hydrogen.
A process for preparing a copolymer as defined in any of the preceding claims comprising either:
- (I) copolymerising one or more olefins with one or more ethylenically unsaturated compounds comprising a hydrocarbyl substituent containing a continuous chain of carbon atoms, and optionally oxygen and/or nitrogen and/or sulfur atoms, the average length of the chains being at most 8 atoms;
- or
- (II) co-polymerising one or more olefins with one or more ethylenically unsaturated compounds;
- and thereafter derivatising the units from the unsaturated compound such that they carry a hydrocarbyl substituent containing a continuous chain of carbon atoms, and optionally oxygen and/or nitrogen and/or sulfur atoms, the average length of the chains being at most 8 atoms;
- wherein the unsaturated compound is different from the olefin and the olefin comprises a hydrocarbyl substituent containing a chain of carbon atoms and optionally oxygen and/or nitrogen and/or sulfur atoms, the average length of the chains being at least 22 atoms.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.