Compositions and processes for the dispersing of oil spillages

Claim 2

A concentrate for use in the dispersion of oil spillages, which concentrate is substantially free from hydrocarbon solvent and consists of:- from 20 to 75% by weight of an emulsifying agent, which is a mono-ester of an aliphatic carboxylic acid and a polyoxyalkylene glycol and has the general formula ##STR4## wherein R is the aliphatic hydrocarbyl radical of a fatty acid containing from 10 to 22 carbon atoms, m is an integer from 2 to 4, there being at least one (C 2 H 4 O) group per molecule, and e is an integer of at least 2; from 77 to 15% by weight of a solvent which is a diester of an acid selected from the group consisting of aryl and alkyl dicarboxylic acids, with at least one monohydric aliphatic alcohol, and has the general formula ##STR5## wherein R 2 and R 4 are independently aliphatic hydrocarbyl radicals containing from 5 to 13 carbon atoms, and ##STR6## is the diacyloxy radical of an acid selected from the group consisting of aromatic and aliphatic carboxylic acids and from 3 to 15% by weight of a pour point depressant which is a monoalkyl ether of a glycol selected from the group consisting of alkylene glycol and polyoxyalkylene glycols and has the general formula: HO--(C.sub.n H.sub.2n O).sub.f --R.sup.5 III wherein n is an integer of from 2 to 4, f is an integer of from 1 to 5, and R 5 is an alkyl radical containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms.

Claim 3

A concentrate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the emulsifier I is a monoester of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having from 12 to 18 carbon atoms.

Claim 4

A concentrate as claimed in claim 2 wherein the aliphatic carboxylic acid is an acid selected from the group consisting of lauric, myristic, palmitic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acid and mixtures of these acids.

Claim 5

A concentrate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alcohol moiety of the emulsifier is a polyoxyalkylene glycol, containing from zero to a small proportion of groups selected from the group consisting of propylenoxy and butylenoxy groups.

Claim 6

A concentrate as claimed in claim 4, wherein the polyoxy-alkylene glycol has a molecular weight of between 200 and 400.

Claim 7

A concentrate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solvent II is the diester of an acid selected from the group consisting of aryl dicarboxylic acids containing 8 carbon atoms and aliphatic dicarboxylic acids containing from 6 to 10 carbon atoms.

Claim 8

A concentrate as claimed in claim 6, wherein the acid selected from the group consisting of phthalic acid, adipic acid, azelaic acid, and sebacic acid.

Claim 9

A concentrate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the alcohol moiety of the diester solvent II is a saturated monohydric alcohol containing from 5 to 13 carbon atoms.

Claim 10

A concentrate as claimed in claim 8, wherein the alcohol is an alcohol selected from the group consisting of ethyl-hexyl, octyl, iso-octyl, nonyl and tridecyl alcohol.

Claim 11

A concentrate as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are from 35 to 55 parts emulsifier, and from 60 to 35 parts solvent.

Claim 12

A concentrate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pour point depressant has a boiling point above 150° C, and a flash point in excess of 60° C when determined in a Pensky Marten closed cup.

Claim 13

A concentrate as claimed in claim 1 which is a three part mixture consisting of 30 to 40% by weight of an emulsifier of formula I that is the monooleate of a 300 molecular weight polyoxyethylene glycol; from 65 to 40% by weight of a solvent of formula II selected from the group consisting of di(iso-octyl) phthalate, dinonyl phthalate, dioctyl adipate, di(iso-octyl) sebacate, di(tri-decyl) adipate and di(iso-octyl) azelate; and from 5 to 10% by weight of a pour point depressant of formula III which is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol mono-butyl ether, and diethylene glycol ether.

Claim 14

A process for the dispersal of an oil spillage, which process comprises diluting a concentrate composition which is substantially free from hydrocarbon solvent and consists of:- from 20 to 75% by weight of an emulsifying agent, which is a mono-ester of an aliphatic carboxylic acid and a polyoxy-alkylene glycol and has the general formula ##STR7## wherein R is the aliphatic hydrocarbyl radical of a fatty acid containing from 10 to 22 carbon atoms, m is an integer from 2 to 4, there being at least one (C 2 H 4 O) group per molecule, and e is an integer of at least 2; from 77 to 15% by weight of a solvent which is a diester of an acid selected from the group consisting of aryl and alkyl dicarboxylic acids, with at least one monohydric aliphatic alcohol, and has the general formula ##STR8## wherein R 2 and R 4 are independently aliphatic hydrocarbyl radicals containing from 5 to 13 carbon atoms, and ##STR9## is the diacyloxy radical of an acid selected from the group consisting or aromatic and aliphatic carboxylic acids and from 3 to 15% by weight of a pour point depressant which is a monoalkyl ether of a glycol selected from the group consisting of alkylene glycol and polyoxyalkylene glycols and has the general formula HO--(C.sub.n H.sub.2n O).sub.f --R.sup.5 III wherein n is an integer of from 2 to 4, f is an integer of from 1 to 5, and R 5 is an alkyl radical containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, with water, and applying the diluted concentrate to, and mixing the diluted concentrate with the oil spillage.

Claim 15

A process for the dispersal of an oil spillage, which process comprises diluting a concentrate composition which is substantially free from hydrocarbon solvent and consists of:- from 20 to 75% by weight of an emulsifying agent, which is a mono-ester of an aliphatic carboxylic acid and a polyoxy-alkylene glycol and has the general formula ##STR7## wherein R is the aliphatic hydrocarbyl radical of a fatty acid containing from 10 to 22 carbon atoms, m is an integer from 2 to 4, there being at least one (C 2 H 4 O) group per molecule, and e is an integer of at least 2; from 77 to 15% by weight of a solvent which is a diester of an acid selected from the group consisting of aryl and alkyl dicarboxylic acids, with at least one monohydric aliphatic alcohol, and has the general formula ##STR8## wherein R 2 and R 4 are independently aliphatic hydrocarbyl radicals containing from 5 to 13 carbon atoms, and ##STR9## is the diacyloxy radical of an acid selected from the group consisting or aromatic and aliphatic carboxylic acids and from 3 to 15% by weight of a pour point depressant which is a monoalkyl ether of a glycol selected from the group consisting of alkylene glycol and polyoxyalkylene glycols and has the general formula HO--(C.sub.n H.sub.2n O).sub.f --R.sup.5 III wherein n is an integer of from 2 to 4, f is an integer of from 1 to 5, and R 5 is an alkyl radical containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, with water, and applying the diluted concentrate to, and mixing the diluted concentrate with the oil spillage.

Claim 16

A process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the emulsifier I is a monoester of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having from 12 to 18 carbon atoms.

Claim 17

A process as claimed in claim 14, wherein the aliphatic carboxylic acid is an acid selected from the group consisting of lauric, myristic, palmitic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic acid and mixtures of these acids.

Claim 18

A process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the alcohol moiety of the emulsifier is a polyoxyalkylene glycol containing from zero to a small proportion of groups selected from the group consisting of propylenoxy and butylenoxy groups.

Claim 19

A process as claimed in claim 16, wherein the polyoxyalkylene glycol has a molecular weight of between 200 and 400.

Claim 20

A process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the solvent II is the diester of an acid selected from the group consisting of aryl dicarboxylic acids containing 8 carbon atoms and aliphatic dicarboxylic acids containing from 6 to 10 carbon atoms.

Claim 21

A process as claimed in claim 16, wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of phthalic acid, adipic acid, azelaic acid, and sebacic acid.

Claim 22

A process as claimed in claim 13 wherein the alcohol moiety of the diester solvent II is a saturated monohydric alcohol containing from 5 to 13 carbon atoms.

Claim 23

A process as claimed in claim 20, wherein the alcohol is an alcohol selected from the group consisting of ethyl-hexyl, octyl, iso-octyl, nonyl and tridecyl alcohol.

Claim 24

A process as claimed in claim 13, wherein there is from 35 to 55% by weight emulsifier, and from 60 to 35% by weight solvent.

Claim 25

A process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the pour point depressant has a boiling point above 150° C, and a flash point in excess of 60° C when determined in a Pensky Marten closed cup.

Claim 26

A process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the concentrate is a three-part mixture consisting of 30 to 40% by weight of an emulsifier of formula I that is the monooleate of a 300 molecular weight polyoxyethylene glycol, from 65 to 40% by weight of a solvent of formula II selected from the group consisting of di(iso-octyl) phthalate, dinonyl phthalate, dioctyl adipate, di(iso-octyl) sebacate, di(tri-decyl) adipate and di(iso-octyl) azelate; and from 5 to 10% by weight of a pour point depressant of formula III which is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol mono-butyl ether, and diethylene glycol ether.

Claim 27

A process as claimed in claim 13 in which the oil spillage is sea-borne oil slick and the dilution water is sea-water.

Claim 28

A process as claimed in claim 13, in which the dilution rate is from five to fifteen times.

Claim 29

A process as claimed in claim 26, in which the dilution rate is ten times.