Modification of liquid hydrocarbons

Claim 2

A composition suitable for addition to a liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon fuel in order to impart to the fuel a resistance towards mist formation when the fuel is subject to conditions of shock, the composition comprising (A) a copolymer of a mixture of monomers consisting of (i) at least 75% by weight of tert-butylstyrene as one monomer, (ii) from 1% to 24% by weight of a second monomer selected from the acrylic and methacrylic esters of aliphatic monohydric alcohols containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, 2-ethoxyethyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, vinyl acetate, styrene and vinyltoluene, and (iii) from 1% to 10% by weight of methacrylic acid as a third monomer, the aggregate of monomers (i), (ii) and (iii) being 100% and the copolymer having the following characteristics: (a) it is soluble in AVTUR 50 aviation kerosene; (b) a 0.3% by weight solution of the copolymer in AVTUR 50 aviation kerosene has a relative viscosity in the range 1.3 to 2.6 and a differential orifice flow rate in the range 3 to 7 ccs per 30 seconds, and (B) a hydroxylic liquid which is a non-solvent for the copolymer or only a weak swellant therefor but which is miscible to the extent of at least 1% by weight with the fuel.

Claim 3

A composition suitable for addition to a liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon fuel in order to impart to the fuel a resistance towards mist formation when the fuel is subjected to conditions of shock, the composition comprising (A) a copolymer of a mixture of monomers consisting of (i) at least 75% by weight of tert-butylstyrene as one monomer, (ii) from 1% to 24% by weight of a second monomer selected from the acrylic and methacrylic esters of aliphatic monohydric alcohols containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, 2-ethoxyethyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, vinyl acetate, styrene and vinyltoluene, and (iii) from 1% to 10% by weight of methacrylic acid as a third monomer, the aggregate of monomers (i), (ii) and (iii) being 100% and the copolymer having the following characteristics: (a) it is soluble in AVTUR 50 aviation kerosene; (b) a 0.3% by weight solution of the copolymer in AVTUR 50 aviation kerosene has a relative viscosity in the range 1.3 to 2.6 and a differential orifice flow rate in the range 3 to 7 ccs per 30 seconds, (B) a hydroxylic liquid which is a non-solvent for the copolymer or only a weak swellant therefor but which is miscible to the extent of at least 1% by weight with the fuel, and (C) from 0.01 to 0.6 mole, based on each 100 g of copolymer, of an amino compound selected from the group consisting of alkyl monoamines containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, alkanolamines containing from 4 to 10 carbon atoms, aromatic amines and heterocyclic amines.

Claim 4

A composition suitable for addition to a liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon fuel in order to impart to the fuel a resistance towards mist formation when the fuel is subjected to conditions of shock, the composition comprising (A) a copolymer of a mixture of monomers consisting of (i) at least 75% by weight of tert-butylstyrene as one monomer, (ii) from 1% to 24% by weight of a second monomer selected from the acrylic and methacrylic esters of aliphatic monohydric alcohols containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, 2-ethoxyethyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, vinyl acetate, styrene and vinyltoluene, and (iii) from 1% to 10% by weight of methacrylic acid as a third monomer, the aggregate of monomers (i), (ii) and (iii) being 100% and the copolymer having the following characteristics: (a) it is soluble in AVTUR 50 aviation kerosene; (b) a 0.3% by weight solution of the copolymer in AVTUR 50 aviation kerosene has a relative viscosity in the range 1.3 to 2.6 and a differential orifice flow rate in the range 3 to 7 ccs per 30 seconds, (B) a hydroxylic liquid which is a non-solvent for the copolymer or only a weak swellant therefor but which is miscible to the extent of at least 1% by weight with the fuel, and (C) from 0.01 to 0.6 mole, based on each 100 g of copolymer, of an amino compound selected from the group consisting of alkyl monoamines containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, alkanolamines containing from 4 to 10 carbon atoms, aromatic amines and heterocyclic amines.

Claim 5

A composition as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the hydroxylic liquid is 2-methyl-2:4-pentanediol.

Claim 6

A composition as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the copolymer constitutes from 30% to 40% by weight of the total composition.

Claim 7

A composition as claimed in claim 2, wherein the amount of the amino compound is from 0.02 to 0.2 mole per 100 g of copolymer.

Claim 8

A composition as claimed in claim 2, wherein the amino compound is a primary aliphatic amine containing from 3 to 10 carbon atoms.

Claim 9

A composition as claimed in claim 6, wherein the amine compound is n-butylamine.

Claim 10

A fuel composition of improved resistance towards mist formation comprising (1) a liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon fuel which is normally subject to mist formation when the fuel is subjected to conditions of shock and (2) an effective amount of a modifier which reduces said tendency to mist formation, said modifier being a composition comprising (A) a copolymer of a mixture of monomers consisting of (i) at least 75% by weight of tert-butylstyrene as one monomer, (ii) from 1% to 24% by weight of a second monomer selected from the acrylic and methacrylic esters of aliphatic monohydric alcohols containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, 2-ethoxyethyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, vinyl acetate, styrene and vinyltoluene, and (iii) from 1% to 10% by weight of methacrylic acid as a third monomer, the aggregate of monomers (i), (ii) and (iii) being 100% and the copolymer having the following characteristics: (a) it is soluble in AVTUR 50 aviation kerosene; (b) a 0.3% by weight solution of the copolymer in AVTUR 50 aviation kerosene has a relative viscosity in the range 1.3 to 2.6 and a differential orifice flow rate in the range 3 to 7 ccs per 30 seconds, (B) a hydroxylic liquid which is a non-solvent for the copolymer or only a weak swellant therefor but which is miscible to the extent of at least 1% by weight with the fuel, and (C) from 0.01 to 0.6 mole, based on each 100 g of copolymer, of an amino compound selected from the group consisting of alkyl monoamines containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, alkanolamines containing from 4 to 10 carbon atoms, aromatic amines and heterocyclic amines.

Claim 11

A fuel composition of improved resistance towards mist formation comprising (1) a liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon fuel which is normally subject to mist formation when the fuel is subjected to conditions of shock and (2) an effective amount of a modifier which reduces said tendency to mist formation, said modifier being a composition comprising (A) a copolymer of a mixture of monomers consisting of (i) at least 75% by weight of tert-butylstyrene as one monomer, (ii) from 1% to 24% by weight of a second monomer selected from the acrylic and methacrylic esters of aliphatic monohydric alcohols containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, 2-ethoxyethyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, vinyl acetate, styrene and vinyltoluene, and (iii) from 1% to 10% by weight of methacrylic acid as a third monomer, the aggregate of monomers (i), (ii) and (iii) being 100% and the copolymer having the following characteristics: (a) it is soluble in AVTUR 50 aviation kerosene; (b) a 0.3% by weight solution of the copolymer in AVTUR 50 aviation kerosene has a relative viscosity in the range 1.3 to 2.6 and a differential orifice flow rate in the range 3 to 7 ccs per 30 seconds, (B) a hydroxylic liquid which is a non-solvent for the copolymer or only a weak swellant therefor but which is miscible to the extent of at least 1% by weight with the fuel, and (C) from 0.01 to 0.6 mole, based on each 100 g of copolymer, of an amino compound selected from the group consisting of alkyl monoamines containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, alkanolamines containing from 4 to 10 carbon atoms, aromatic amines and heterocyclic amines.

Claim 12

A fuel composition as claimed in claim 8, wherein the hydroxylic liquid is 2-methyl-2:4-pentanediol and the amino compound is n-butylamine.