Patent Application
20200199472
This invention relates to use of additives in liquid hydrocarbon marine fuel oil such as to inhibit asphaltene agglomeration and/or flocculation and to disperse asphaltenes and/or control deposits onto surfaces in contact with the oil.
Asphaltenes include a large number of structures such as high molecular weight fused aromatic compounds with heteroatoms; they are heterocyclic unsaturated macromolecules primarily of carbon and hydrogen but also containing minor components such as sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen and various heavy metals. They are present in considerable amounts in marine fuel oils and may precipitate out and deposit during transportation, storage and use of the oils with adverse consequences.
The art describes a number of treatments by way of use of additives to solve this problem. For example, US-A-2017/0306215 (“215”) describes inhibiting asphaltene precipitation and/or deposition in a hydrocarbon by adding to the hydrocarbon an effective amount of a polyester asphaltene dispersing agent obtainable by reacting an alk(en)yl substituted succinic anhydride wherein the average number of succinic groups per alk(en)yl group is less than 2.0, with at least one polyol.
The invention meets the above-mentioned asphaltene problem in a different way from '215. It uses, for example, an unreacted succinic anhydride and that is in combination with a metal detergent, the efficacy of which is demonstrated in the EXAMPLES section of this specification.
In a first aspect the invention provides a liquid hydrocarbon marine fuel oil comprising a marine distillate fuel or a heavy fuel oil or a blend thereof, the fuel oil containing an additive combination comprising:
The liquid hydrocarbon marine fuel oil may be defined according to (or may meet) at least one of the marine fuel specifications for petroleum products of ISO 8217:2017, ISO 8217:2012, ISO 8217:2010 and ISO 8217:2005; may have a sulfur content of no greater than 0.5, mass % of atoms of sulfur; may be entirely (all) or partly (part) produced from crude oil by means of fractional distillation; may be such that the additives (A) and (B) are used as or with one or more of detergents, dispersants, stabilisers, demulsifiers, emulsion preventatives, corrosion inhibitors, cold flow improvers such as pour point depressants and CFPP modifiers, viscosity improvers, lubricity improvers and/or combustion improvers and/or other additives; and/or any combination thereof.
In a second aspect the invention provides the use of an additive combination as defined above, for inhibiting asphaltene agglomeration, and/or flocculation, and/or dispersing asphaltenes and/or controlling deposition onto surfaces, in a liquid hydrocarbon marine fuel oil as defined above.
In a third aspect the invention provides a method of inhibiting asphaltene agglomeration and/or flocculation, and/or dispersing asphaltenes and/or controlling deposition onto surfaces in a liquid hydrocarbon marine fuel oil comprises adding to the oil an effective amount of an additive combination as defined above.
The following definitions are provided for purpose of illustration and not limitation.
“Alkyl” refers to a monovalent hydrocarbon group containing no double or triple bonds and arranged in a branched or straight chain.
“Alkylene” refers to a divalent hydrocarbon group containing no double or triple bonds and arranged in a branched or straight chain.
“Alkenyl” refers to a monovalent hydrocarbon group containing one or more double bonds and arranged in a branched or straight chain.
“PIB” refers to polyisobutylene and includes both normal or “conventional” polyisobutylene and highly reactive polyisobutylene (HRPIB).
Reference to a group being a particular polymer (e.g., polypropylene, poly(ethylene-co-propylene) or PIB) encompasses polymers that contain primarily the respective monomer along with negligible amounts of other substitutions and/or interruptions along a polymer chain. In other words, reference to a group being a polypropylene group does not require that the group consist of 100% propylene monomers without any linking groups, substitutions, impurities or other substituents (e.g. alkylene or alkenylene substituents). Such impurities or other substituents may be present in relatively minor amounts provided they do not affect the industrial performance of the additive, compared with the same additive containing the respective polymer substituent at 100% purity.
“Hydrocarbyl” means a group or radical that contains carbon and hydrogen atoms and that is bonded to the remainder of the molecule via a carbon atom. It may contain hetero atoms, i.e. atoms other than carbon and hydrogen, provided they do not alter the essentially hydrocarbon nature and characteristics of the group.
Also, the following words and expressions, if and when used, have the meanings ascribed below:
Furthermore in this specification, if and when used:
Also, it will be understood that various components used, essential as well as optimal and customary, may react under conditions of formulation, storage or use and that the invention also provides the product obtainable or obtained as a result of any such reaction.
Further, it is understood that any upper and lower quantity, range and ratio limits set forth herein may be independently combined.
Additive component (A) may be mono or polycarboxylic, preferably dicarboxylic. The polyalkenyl group preferably has from 8 to 400, such as 12 to 100, carbon atoms.
Exemplary anhydrides within (A) may be depicted by the general formula:
where R1 represents a C8 to C100 branched or linear polyalkenyl group.
The polyalkenyl moiety may have a number average molecular weight of from 200 to 10000, preferably from 350 to 2000, preferably 500 to 1000.
Suitable hydrocarbons or polymers employed in the formation of the anhydrides used in the present invention to generate the polyalkenyl moieties include homopolymers, interpolymers or lower molecular weight hydrocarbons. One family of such polymers comprise polymers of ethylene and/or at least one C3 to C28 alpha-olefin having the formula H2C═CHR1 wherein R1 is straight or branched-chain alkyl radical comprising 1 to 26 carbon atoms and wherein the polymer contains carbon-to-carbon unsaturation, preferably a high degree of terminal ethenylidene unsaturation. Preferably, such polymers comprise interpolymers of ethylene and at least one alpha-olefin of the above formula, wherein W is alkyl of from 1 to 18, more preferably from 1 to 8, and more preferably still from 1 to 2, carbon atoms. Therefore, useful alpha-olefin monomers and comonomers include, for example, propylene, butene-1, hexene-1, octene-1, 4-methylpentene-1, decene-1, dodecene-1, tridecene-1, tetradecene-1, pentadecene-1, hexadecene-1, heptadecene-1, octadecene-1, nonadecene-1, and mixtures thereof (e.g., mixtures of propylene and butene-1). Exemplary of such polymers are propylene homopolymers, butene-1 homopolymers, ethylene-propylene copolymers, ethylene-butene-1 copolymers, and propylene-butene copolymers, wherein the polymer contains at least some terminal and/or internal unsaturation. Preferred polymers are unsaturated copolymers of ethylene and propylene and ethylene and butene-1. The interpolymers may contain a minor amount, e.g. 0.5 to 5 mol %, of a C4 to C18 non-conjugated diolefin comonomer. However, it is preferred that the polymers comprise only alpha-olefin homopolymers, interpolymers of alpha-olefin comonomers and interpolymers of ethylene and alpha-olefin comonomers. The molar ethylene content of the polymers employed is preferably in the range of 0 to 80, more preferably 0 to 60, %. When propylene and/or butene-1 are employed as comonomer(s) with ethylene, the ethylene content of such copolymers is most preferably between 15 and 50%, although higher or lower ethylene contents may be present.
These polymers may be prepared by polymerizing an alpha-olefin monomer, or mixtures of alpha-olefin monomers, or mixtures comprising ethylene and at least one C3 to C28 alpha-olefin monomer, in the presence of a catalyst system comprising at least one metallocene (e.g., a cyclopentadienyl-transition metal compound) and an alumoxane compound. Using this process, a polymer in which 95% or more of the polymer chains possess terminal ethenylidene-type unsaturation can be provided. The percentage of polymer chains exhibiting terminal ethenylidene unsaturation may be determined by FTIR spectroscopic analysis, titration, or C13 NMR. Interpolymers of this latter type may be characterized by the formula POLY-C(R1)═CH2 wherein R is C1 to C26, preferably C1 to C18, more preferably C1 to C8, and most preferably C1 to C2, alkyl, (e.g., methyl or ethyl) and wherein POLY represents the polymer chain. The chain length of the R1 alkyl group will vary depending on the comonomer(s) selected for use in the polymerization. A minor amount of the polymer chains can contain terminal ethenyl, i.e., vinyl, unsaturation, i.e. POLY-CH═CH2, and a portion of the polymers can contain internal monounsaturation, e.g. POLY-CH═CH(R1), wherein R1 is as defined above. These terminally unsaturated interpolymers may be prepared by known metallocene chemistry and may also be prepared as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,498,809; 5,663,130; 5,705,577; 5,814,715; 6,022,929 and 6,030,930.
Another useful class of polymers is that of polymers prepared by cationic polymerization of isobutene and styrene. Common polymers from this class include polyisobutenes obtained by polymerization of a C4 refinery stream having a butene content of 35 to 75 mass %, and an isobutene content of 30 to 60 mass %, in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst, such as aluminum trichloride or boron trifluoride. A preferred source of monomer for making poly-n-butenes is petroleum feedstreams such as Raffinate II. These feedstocks are disclosed in the art such as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,739. Polyisobutylene is a most preferred backbone because it is readily available by cationic polymerization from butene streams (e.g., using AlCl3 or BF3 catalysts). Such polyisobutylenes generally contain residual unsaturation in amounts of one ethylenic double bond per polymer chain, positioned along the chain. A preferred embodiment utilizes polyisobutylene prepared from a pure isobutylene stream or a Raffinate I stream to prepare reactive isobutylene polymers with terminal vinylidene olefins. Preferably, these polymers, referred to as highly reactive polyisobutylene (HR-PIB), have a terminal vinylidene content of at least 65, e.g., 70, more preferably at least 80, most preferably at least 85,%. The preparation of such polymers is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,499. HR-PIB is known and HR-PIB is commercially available under the tradenames Glissopal™ (from BASF).
Polyisobutylene polymers that may be employed are generally based on a hydrocarbon chain of from 400 to 3000. Methods for making polyisobutylene are known. Polyisobutylene can be functionalized by halogenation (e.g. chlorination), the thermal “ene” reaction, or by free radical grafting using a catalyst (e.g. peroxide), as described below.
The hydrocarbon or polymer backbone may be functionalized with carboxylic anhydride-producing moieties selectively at sites of carbon-to-carbon unsaturation on the polymer or hydrocarbon chains, or randomly along chains using any of the three processes mentioned above or combinations thereof, in any sequence.
Processes for reacting polymeric hydrocarbons with unsaturated carboxylic, anhydrides and the preparation of derivatives from such compounds are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,087,936; 3,172,892; 3,215,707; 3,231,587; 3,272,746; 3,275,554; 3,381,022; 3,442,808; 3,565,804; 3,912,764; 4,110,349; 4,234,435; 5,777,025; 5,891,953; as well as EP 0 382 450 B1; CA-1,335,895 and GB-A-1,440,219. The polymer or hydrocarbon may be functionalized, with carboxylic acid anhydride moieties by reacting the polymer or hydrocarbon under conditions that result in the addition of functional moieties or agents, i.e., acid anhydride, onto the polymer or hydrocarbon chains primarily at sites of carbon-to-carbon unsaturation (also referred to as ethylenic or olefinic unsaturation) using the halogen assisted functionalization (e.g. chlorination) process or the thermal “ene” reaction.
Selective functionalization can be accomplished by halogenating, e.g., chlorinating or brominating, the unsaturated α-olefin polymer to 1 to 8, preferably 3 to 7, mass % chlorine, or bromine, based on the weight of polymer or hydrocarbon, by passing the chlorine or bromine through the polymer at a temperature of 60 to 250, preferably 110 to 160, e.g., 120 to 140, ° C., for 0.5 to 10, preferably 1 to 7, hours. The halogenated polymer or hydrocarbon (hereinafter backbone) is then reacted with sufficient monounsaturated reactant capable of adding the required number of functional moieties to the backbone, e.g., monounsaturated carboxylic reactant, at 100 to 250, usually 180 to 235° C., for 0.5 to 10, e.g., 3 to 8, hours, such that the product obtained will contain the desired number of moles of the monounsaturated carboxylic reactant per mole of the halogenated backbones. Alternatively, the backbone and the monounsaturated carboxylic reactant are mixed and heated while adding chlorine to the hot material.
While chlorination normally helps increase the reactivity of starting olefin polymers with monounsaturated functionalizing reactant, it is not necessary with some of the polymers or hydrocarbons contemplated for use in the present invention, particularly those preferred polymers or hydrocarbons which possess a high terminal bond content and reactivity. Preferably, therefore, the backbone and the monounsaturated functionality reactant, (carboxylic reactant), are contacted at elevated temperature to cause an initial thermal “ene” reaction to take place. Ene reactions are known.
The hydrocarbon or polymer backbone can be functionalized by random attachment of functional moieties along the polymer chains by a variety of methods. For example, the polymer, in solution or in solid form, may be grafted with the monounsaturated carboxylic reactant, as described above, in the presence of a free-radical initiator. When performed in solution, the grafting takes place at an elevated temperature in the range of 100 to 260, preferably 120 to 240, ° C. Preferably, free-radical initiated grafting would be accomplished in a mineral lubricating oil solution containing, e.g., 1 to 50, preferably 5 to 30, mass % polymer based on the initial total oil solution.
The free-radical initiators that may be used are peroxides, hydroperoxides, and azo compounds, preferably those that have a boiling point greater than 100° C. and decompose thermally within the grafting temperature range to provide free-radicals. Representative of these free-radical initiators are azobutyronitrile, 2,5-dimethylhex-3-ene-2, 5-bis-tertiary-butyl peroxide and dicumene peroxide. The initiator, when used, is typically in an amount of between 0.005 and 1% by weight based on the weight of the reaction mixture solution. Typically, the aforesaid monounsaturated carboxylic reactant material and free-radical initiator are used in a weight ratio range of from 1.0:1 to 30:1, preferably 3:1 to 6:1. The grafting is preferably carried out in an inert atmosphere, such as under nitrogen blanketing. The resulting grafted polymer is characterized by having carboxylic acid (or derivative) moieties randomly attached along the polymer chains, it being understood that some of the polymer chains remain ungrafted. The free radical grafting described above can be used for the other polymers and hydrocarbons used in the present invention.
The preferred monounsaturated reactants that are used to functionalize the backbone comprise mono- and dicarboxylic acid material, i.e., acid, or acid derivative material, including (i) monounsaturated C4 to C10 dicarboxylic acid wherein (a) the carboxyl groups are vicinyl, (i.e., located on adjacent carbon atoms) and (b) at least one, preferably both, of the adjacent carbon atoms are part of the mono unsaturation; (ii) derivatives of (i) such as anhydrides or C1 to C5 alcohol derived mono- or diesters of (i); (iii) monounsaturated C3 to C10 monocarboxylic acid wherein the carbon-carbon double bond is conjugated with the carboxy group, i.e., of the structure —C═C—CO—; and (iv) derivatives of (iii) such as C1 to C5 alcohol derived mono- or diesters of (iii). Mixtures of monounsaturated carboxylic materials (i)-(iv) also may be used. Upon reaction with the backbone, the monounsaturation of the monounsaturated carboxylic reactant becomes saturated. Thus, for example, maleic anhydride becomes backbone-substituted succinic anhydride, and acrylic acid becomes backbone-substituted propionic acid. Exemplary of such monounsaturated carboxylic reactants are fumaric acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, maleic anhydride, chloromaleic acid, chloromaleic anhydride, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, crotonic acid, cinnamic acid, and lower alkyl (e.g., C1 to C4 alkyl) acid esters of the foregoing, e.g., methyl maleate, ethyl fumarate, and methyl fumarate.
To provide the required functionality, the monounsaturated carboxylic reactant, preferably maleic anhydride, typically will be used in an amount ranging from equimolar amount to 100, preferably 5 to 50, mass % excess, based on the moles of polymer or hydrocarbon. Unreacted excess monounsaturated carboxylic reactant can be removed from the final dispersant product by, for example, stripping, usually under vacuum, if required.
A metal detergent is an additive based on so-called metal “soaps”, that is metal salts of acidic organic compounds, sometimes referred to as surfactants. Detergents that may be used include oil-soluble neutral and overbased salicylates, and sulfonates of a metal, particularly the alkali or alkaline earth metals, e.g. sodium, potassium, lithium, calcium, and magnesium. The most commonly used metals are calcium and magnesium, which may both be present in detergents used in the marine fuel composition according to any aspect of the present invention. Combinations of detergents, whether overbased or neutral or both, may be used. They generally comprise a polar head with a long hydrophobic tail. Overbased metal detergents, which comprise neutralized metal detergents as the outer layer of a metal base (e.g. carbonate) micelle, may be provided by including large amounts of metal base by reacting an excess of a metal base, such as an oxide or hydroxide, with an acidic gas such as carbon dioxide.
In the present invention, metal detergents (B) may be metal hydrocarbyl-substituted hydroxybenzoate, more preferably hydrocarbyl-substituted salicylate, detergents. The metal may be an alkali metal (e.g. Li, Na, K) or an alkaline earth metal (e.g. Mg, Ca).
As examples of hydrocarbyl, there may be mentioned alkyl and alkenyl. A preferred metal hydrocarbyl-substituted hydroxybenzoate is a calcium alkyl-substituted salicylate and has the structure shown:
wherein R is a linear alkyl group. There may be more than one R group attached to the benzene ring. The COO− group can be in the ortho, meta or para position with respect to the hydroxyl group; the ortho position is preferred. The R group can be in the ortho, meta or para position with respect to the hydroxyl group.
Salicylic acids are typically prepared by the carboxylation, by the Kolbe-Schmitt process, of phenoxides, and in that case will generally be obtained (normally in a diluent) in admixture with uncarboxylated phenol. Salicylic acids may be non-sulphurized or sulphurized, and may be chemically modified and/or contain additional substituents. Processes for sulphurizing an alkyl salicylic acid are well known to those skilled in the art, and are described in, for example, US 2007/0027057. The alkyl groups may contain 8 to 100, advantageously 8 to 24, such as 14 to 20, carbon atoms.
The sulfonates of the invention may be prepared from sulfonic acids which are typically obtained by the sulfonation of alkyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons such as those obtained from the fractionation of petroleum or by the alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons. Examples include those obtained by alkylating benzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene, diphenyl or their halogen derivatives such as chlorobenzene, chlorotoluene and chloronaphthalene. The alkylation may be carried out in the presence of a catalyst with alkylating agents having from 3 to more than 70 carbon atoms. The alkaryl sulfonates usually contain from 9 to 80 or more carbon atoms, preferably from 16 to 60 carbon atoms per alkyl substituted aromatic moiety. The oil-soluble sulfonates or alkaryl sulfonic acids may be neutralized with oxides, hydroxides, alkoxides, carbonates, carboxylate, sulphides, hydrosulfides, nitrates, borates and ethers of the metal. The amount of metal compound is chosen having regard to the desired TBN of the final product but typically ranges from 100 to 220 mass % (preferably at least 125 mass %) of that stoichiometrically required.
The teem “overbased” is generally used to describe metal detergents in which the ratio of the number of equivalents of the metal moiety to the number of equivalents of the acid moiety is greater than one. The term ‘low-based’ is used to describe metal detergents in which the equivalent ratio of metal moiety to acid moiety is greater than 1, and up to about 2.
By an “overbased calcium salt of surfactants” is meant an overbased detergent in which the metal cations of the oil-insoluble metal salt are essentially calcium cations. Small amounts of other cations may be present in the oil-insoluble metal salt, but typically at least 80, more typically at least 90, for example at least 95, mole % of the cations in the oil-insoluble metal salt, are calcium ions. Cations other than calcium may be derived, for example, from the use in the manufacture of the overbased detergent of a surfactant salt in which the cation is a metal other than calcium. Preferably, the metal salt of the surfactant is also calcium.
Carbonated overbased metal detergents typically comprise amorphous nanoparticles. Additionally, the art discloses nanoparticulate materials comprising carbonate in the crystalline calcite and vaterite forms.
The basicity of the detergents may be expressed as a total base number (TBN), sometimes referred to as base number (BN), A total base number is the amount of acid needed to neutralize all of the basicity of the overbased material. The TBN may be measured using ASTM standard D2896 or an equivalent procedure. The detergent may have a low TBN (i.e. a TBN of less than 50), a medium TBN (i.e. a TBN of 50 to 150) or a high TBN (i.e. a TBN of greater than 150, such as 150-500). The basicity may also be expressed as basicity index (BD, which is the molar ratio of total base to total soap in the overbased detergent.
The marine fuel oil of the invention comprises an additive combination which may consist (or consist essentially of) additives (A) and (B). Accordingly, while treat rates of the additive combination referred to herein contemplate the treat rate to the marine fuel oil of the active ingredients (A) and (B) therein, it is to be understood that the additive combination may be introduced to a marine fuel oil in combination with, or simultaneously to, solvents, diluents or other additives such as detergents, dispersants, stabilisers, demulsifiers, emulsion preventatives, corrosion inhibitors, cold flow improvers such as pour point depressants and CFPF modifiers, viscosity modifiers, lubricity improvers or combustion improvers. Further additives such as those listed above may be additionally or alternatively added or blended with the marine fuel oil separately to the additive combination referred to in the invention, for example before or after the additive combination.
The marine fuel oils of the invention may be defined according to the marine fuel specification for petroleum products of ISO 8217:2017, ISO 8217:2012, ISO 8217:2010 and/or ISO 8217:2005. It will be understood that other ISO 8217 editions, regional specifications and/or supplier/operator specifications may additionally or alternatively be met by the marine fuels according to the present invention.
The oils may have a sulfur content of no greater than 0.5, for example less than 0.5, no greater than 0.4, less than 0.4, no greater than 0.3, less than 0.3, no greater than 0.2, less than 0.2, no greater than 0.1 or less than 0.1, mass % of atoms of sulfur. In some preferred embodiments, the sulfur content of the marine fuel oil may be less than 0.5 or even less than 0.1 mass % of atoms of sulfur.
For example, all or part of the marine fuel oil of the invention may be produced from crude oil by means of fractional distillation.
In the marine fuel oil of the invention additives (A) and (B) may be used as or with one or more of detergents, dispersants, stabilisers, demulsifiers, emulsion preventatives, corrosion inhibitors, cold flow improvers such as pour point depressants and CFPP modifiers, viscosity modifiers, lubricity improvers or combustion improvers. Alternatively stated, the additive combination consisting of (A) and (B) may be used together with one or more further additives such as detergents, dispersants, stabilisers, demulsifiers, emulsion preventatives, corrosion inhibitors, cold flow improvers such as pour point depressants and CFPP modifiers, viscosity modifiers, lubricity improvers or combustion improvers.
In (B), the or each detergent may have a TBN in a range with a lower limit of 0, 50, 100 or 150 and an upper limit of 300, 350, 400, 450 or 500.
The detergent(s) (B) may be neutral or overbased, preferably overbased. The mass:mass ratio of (A) to (B) may be in the range of 1:1 to 1:6 such as 1:1 to 1:3.
The invention can include storage and/or blending of the marine fuel oils hereof.
The following non-restrictive examples illustrate the invention.
The following fuels were used
Fuel R a marine residual fuel characterised according to the published ISO 8217 2017 FUEL STANDARD for marine residual fuels and identified, as in the standard, as RMG 380, and having a sulfur content of 2.4%.
Fuel R/D a blend of a marine residual fuel characterised according to the published ISO 8217 2017 FUEL STANDARD for marine residual fuels and identified, as in the standard, as RMG 380, and having a sulfur content of 1.5% and a marine distillate fuel characterised according to the published ISO 8217 2017 FUEL STANDARD for marine distillate fuels, the resultant sulfur content being 0.48%.
The following additive components were used:
80% polyisobutene succinic anhydride (“PIBSA”) derived from a polyisobutene having a number average molecular weight of 950, and 20% diluent in the form of SNISO, a Group oil.
B1—An overbased calcium salicylate detergent having a TBN of 225.
B2—An overbased calcium sulfonate detergent having a TBN of 302.
Samples of the above fuels, with or without additive components, were tested for asphaltene dispersency according to ASTM D7061-17 entitled “Standard Test Method for Measuring n-Heptane Induced Phase Separation of Asphaltene-Containing Heavy Fuel Oils as Separability Number by an Optical Scanning Device”. The separability number results may be referred to as “RSN”.
The results are summarised in the table below.
The separability numbers obtained are shown in the “Fuels” column where lower values indicate superior performance. It is seen that Examples 1-7 of the invention have achieved better performance than the control and the Comparative examples 1 and 2.
Further examples, pertaining to Examples 3, 5 and 7 are summarised in Table 2 below where different marine residual fuels are used. Results demonstrate, for the example of the invention, consistently better performance than the Control example.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP18214521.9 | Dec 2018 | EP | regional |
