EP1192239A1

EP1192239A1 - Multifunctional additive composition for cold process treatment of middle distillates

Info

Publication number: EP1192239A1
Application number: EP00922705A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Franck Eydoux; Robert Leger
Original assignee: Elf Antar France
Current assignee: TotalEnergies Marketing Services SA
Priority date: 1999-04-26
Filing date: 2000-04-21
Publication date: 2002-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 2020-04-21
Also published as: CZ296126B6; DE60001368T2; CZ20013842A3; FR2792646B1; FR2792646A1; US6623536B1; KR20020050755A; SK15132001A3; CA2367927A1; DK1192239T3; PL352553A1; KR100657047B1; EP1192239B1; CA2367927C; WO2000065000A1; JP2002543237A; ATE232233T1; ES2192175T3; PL192234B1; PT1192239E

Abstract

The invention concerns a composition of mulifunctional additives for cold process treatment obtained by reacting carboxylic compounds with amine compounds, characterized in that it contains at least 50 wt. % of a mixture consisting of 10 to 90 wt. % of an additive (AB) of a carboxylic compound (A) selected among maleic and succinic anhydrides, corresponding acids and esters with a polyalkylamine (B) and 90 to 10 wt. % of an additive (CD) obtained by reacting a copolymer (C) obtained by reacting a first unsaturated carboxylic acid with an alkylated ester of a second unsaturated carboxylic acid, identical to or different from the first, of general formula (II) R1R2C=CR3COOR4 wherein R1 and R2, identical or different, being hydrogen, a linear or branched C1-C20 alkyl radical; R3 is hydrogen or a linear or branched alkyl group with not more than three carbon atoms and R4 is hydrogen or a C1-C25 radical, with N-alkylpolyalkylenepolyamine (D).

Description

COMPOSITION OF MULTIFUNCTIONAL COLD OPERABILITY ADDITIVES FOR MEDIUM DISTILLATES

The present invention relates to a new composition of multifunctional additives improving the cold operability of middle distillates, in particular during slow cooling processes during the storage of fuels and fuels at low temperatures. It aims in particular to improve the anti-sedimentation properties for an application in fuels for diesel engines and in fuels such as heating oil for boilers.

The cold operability corresponds to a limit temperature at which the middle distillates can be used without clogging problem. It is intermediate between the cloud point temperature (ASTM D 2500-66) characteristic of the start of paraffin crystallization in the distillate and the pour point of the latter (ASTM D 97-66).

It is well known that the crystallization of paraffins is a limiting factor in the use of middle distillates. Also, it is important to prepare Diesel fuels suitable for the temperatures at which they will be used in motor vehicles, that is to say the surrounding climate. Generally, cold operability of fuels at -10 ° C is sufficient in many industrialized countries. But in other countries, such as the Nordic countries, Canada and the countries of North Asia, you can reach fuel temperatures well below -20 ° C. The same is true for fuel oil stored outside for private homes and buildings.

This adequacy of 1 Cold Operability of Diesel fuels is important, especially when engines are started cold. If the paraffins are crystallized at the bottom of the tank, they can be entrained when starting in the engine and in particular clog the filters and prefilters arranged upstream of the injection systems (pump and injectors). Similarly for the storage of domestic fuel oils, paraffins precipitate at the bottom of the tank and can be entrained and obstruct the pipes upstream of the pump and the boiler supply system (nozzle and filter). It is obvious that the presence of solids, such as paraffin crystals, prevents the normal circulation of the middle distillate.

To improve their circulation either in the engine or towards the boilers, several types of additives have emerged.

Initially, the petroleum industry focused on the development of additives promoting fuel filterability at low temperatures. These additives, called TLF additives (Temperature Limit of

Filterability), have the role of limiting the size of the crystals of the paraffins formed. This type of additive, widely known to those skilled in the art, is currently systematically added to middle distillates. However, these additives, although regulating the size of the paraffinic crystals, cannot prevent the sedimentation of the crystals formed, that is to say their agglomeration, in particular at the bottom of the tanks of diesel vehicles at standstill or in the tanks of storage of fuel oil.

Also, in a second step, the petroleum industry endeavored to develop anti-sedimentation additives, that is to say dispersants, which keep the paraffinic crystals in suspension in the middle distillate which prevents them from depositing and clump together. The Applicant has in particular developed such an additive described in patent EP 0 674 689.

However, the combined action of TLF additives and anti-sedimentation has not improved the cold operability of all middle distillates produced in refineries from all known crude oils.

This is why the petroleum industry has implemented a third type of additive in order to lower the cold operability temperature of any middle distillate above -20 ° C, even if their cloud point temperature is above -20 ° C. This is the case of the additives described in patents EP 0 722 481 and EP 0 832 172. However, all of these additives show good operability properties according to the cold regimes compared to measurements which have been made. by cold quenching, according to standard NF M 07 085, fuels and combustibles containing such additives. However, if this method makes it possible to judge the effectiveness of additives, it is not rigorously representative of the real phenomena of cooling of fuels and combustibles. Thus, the amplitude and the cooling rate are variable according to the regions, and therefore according to the ambient temperature of the vehicles. Slow cooling is very favorable for the progressive sedimentation of paraffins, and therefore it is necessary to find solutions to prevent this phenomenon.

The present invention relates to a composition of multifunctional additives making it possible to lower and maintain the cold operability temperature of middle distillates, so that, during a slow cooling step during storage in a closed enclosure, up to temperatures above -20 ° C, no sedimentation of the paraffins contained in the middle distillates is observed.

The present invention therefore relates to a composition of multifunctional additives for cold operability of middle distillates resulting from the reaction of carboxylic compounds with amino compounds, characterized in that it contains at least 50% by weight of a mixture consisting by: a) 10 to 90% by weight of an additive (AB) resulting from the reaction of at least one carboxylic compound (A) chosen from alkylmaleic and alkenylmaleic anhydrides and alkylsuccinic and alkenylsuccinic anhydrides having from 4 to 32 atoms of carbon in the alkyl radicals and alkenyls, the acids and the esters corresponding with at least one polyalkyleneamine (B) of general formula (I) below:

NH ₂ - [(CH ₂ ) _n -NH-] _m -H (I)

where n is an integer varying from 2 to 4 and m is an integer varying from 1 to 4, the molar ratio A / B being between and m + 1, and m + 1 preferably between 1 and 2,

and 90 to 10% by weight of an additive (CD) resulting from the reaction:

i) of at least one copolymer (C) resulting from the reaction of at least one first unsaturated carboxylic acid substituted or not with at least one alkyl ester of at least one second unsaturated carboxylic acid substituted or not, identical or different from first, of general formula (II) below:

in which Ri and R ₂ , identical or different, are chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen, and linear or branched alkyl groups comprising from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, R3 is hydrogen or a linear alkyl group of at least plus three carbon atoms and R4 is hydrogen or an alkyl group comprising from 1 to 25 carbon atoms, ii) with an N-alkylpolyalkylenepolyamine (D) of general formula (III) below:

R ₅ -NH - [- (CH ₂ ) _p -NH-] _q -H (III) where R ₅ is a saturated aliphatic radical comprising from 1 to 32 carbon atoms, p is an integer varying between 2 and 4 and q is an integer varying between 1 and 4, the C / D molar ratio varying

1 between and q + 1, and preferably varying between 1 q + 1 and 2.

The combination of these two reaction products (AB) and (CD) in the composition according to the invention has made it possible to very significantly improve the cold operability of the fuels and combustibles in which they are incorporated for slow cooling with respect to the effectiveness of these products taken separately.

To compare the effectiveness of this additive composition with the additives known from the prior art, the applicant has developed a new test derived from standard NFT M 07 085 in which the rapid quench cooling procedure has been replaced by slow and controlled cooling of the temperature, for example from 1 to 3 degrees per minute, to a plateau temperature, for example -20 ° C.

More specifically, the additive according to the invention consists of:

- from 50 to 100% by weight of the combination containing from 20 to 80% by weight of the additive AB and from 80 to 20% by weight of the additive CD,

- and 0 to 50% by weight of a combination of the additives AD and CB obtained by reaction of A and D in a molar ratio varying between 0, 2 and 4, and of B with C in a molar ratio varying between 0, 2 and 4, A, B, C and D having been previously defined for the multifunctional additives AB and CD.

In a first embodiment, the additive composition is obtained by combination of 50 to 80% AB and 20 to 50% by weight of the reaction product CD. In a second embodiment, the additive composition comprises from 50 to 80% by weight of an AB, CD combination in an AB / CD molar ratio varying from 0.2 to 4, and from 20 to 50% by weight of a mixture of AD, CB in an AD / CB molar ratio varying from 0.2 to 4.

The carboxylic compound (A) is preferably chosen from the group comprising dodecylmaleic, dodecenylmaleic, hexadecylmaleic, hexadecenylmaleic octadecylmaleic, octadecenylmaleic, eicosylmaleic and eicosenylmaleic anhydrides.

The polyalkyleneamine (B) is preferably chosen from the group comprising diethylenetriamine, dipropylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine, tripropylenetetramine, tetraethylenepentamine and tetrapropylenepentamine.

The copolymer (C) is preferably a copolymer containing from 45 to 65 mol% of at least one carboxylic acid unit and from 55 to 35 mol% of at least one alkyl ester unit. The carboxylic acid units are preferably chosen from the units resulting from acrylic and methacrylic acids, and the alkyl ester units from the units resulting from acrylic and methacrylic esters, and their derivatives. In a more favorable mode, the copolymer (C) is chosen from acrylic acid / methacrylic ester copolymers and methacrylic acid / acrylic ester copolymers containing 45 to 65 mole% of acid units and 55 to 35 mole% of ester units.

The N-alkylpolyalkylenepolyamine (D) is preferably chosen from the group comprising N-alkylethylenediamines, N-alkylpropylenediamines, N-alkylbutylenediamines, N-alkyldiethylenetriamines, N-alkyldipropylenetriamines, N-alkyldibutylenetriamines, N-alkyldetriamines -alkyltripropylene-tetramines and N-alkyltributylenetetramines having an alkyl radical comprising from 12 to 22 carbon atoms. Preferably, D is chosen from N-dodecyldipropylenetriamine, N-octadecyldipropylene triamine, N-octadecyldiethylenetriamine and N-docosyldiethylenetriamine. A second object of the invention is a fuel containing a major part of middle distillate generally containing a filterability additive, and a minor part, for example from 50 to 1000 ppm of a composition of multifunctional additives of Cold operability for cooling. slow.

It would not go beyond the scope of the invention if procetane additives, detergents, pour point and cloud point additives, antifoam additives, demulsifiers, anticorrosion and antioxidants were added to this fuel.

For the purpose of illustrating the advantages of the present invention, examples are given without implied limitation.

EXAMPLE 1

The present example presents the two cooling methods used as well as the composition of the gas oils and additives tested. The method by quenching cooling described in standard NFT M07-085, consists in pouring a distillate sample into a graduated cylinder and placing it for 24 hours in a refrigerated cabinet at a temperature generally set between -13 and - 20 ° C, ie at a temperature at least 1 ° C below its cloud point temperature, and at least 6 ° C above its pour point temperature.

After 24 hours, the appearance of the distillate (cloudy, slightly cloudy, clear and limpid) and the volume of the decanted paraffin crystals in the bottom of the test tube are observed in the test tube.

If the upper phase has remained cloudy, the paraffin crystals have remained in suspension, the anti-sedimentation function of the additive compositions is therefore effective. If the upper phase is clear and a cloudy packing appears at the bottom of the test tube, the sedimentation is significant and the composition of additives ineffective in anti-sedimentation. For a more quantitative approach to sedimentation, equal volumes are taken from the top and bottom of the test tube to determine the starting crystallization temperature (Tcc) determined by the ACD method (differential scanning calorimetry) and the limit filterability temperature ( TLF). The results are compared with the initial values previously measured, a minimum temperature difference indicating a maximum homogeneity and therefore a maximum dispersing action of the additive composition.

The slow cooling method consists of introducing the sample of additive diesel fuel or not into a graduated cylinder, placing it in a refrigerated cabinet at a temperature 10 ° C higher than the cloud point temperature of said diesel fuel. The sample is gradually cooled from this temperature from 1 to 3 ° C / hour, to a final temperature of the test which can reach -15 to -20 ° C. Once the final temperature is reached, the sample is kept for 24 hours at this temperature, then the visual quotation already mentioned for the rapid quenching method is carried out, as well as the sampling of the phases at the top and bottom of the test piece to determine the temperatures Tcc and TLF of these different phases. The interpretation of the results is identical to the rapid quenching method.

Three gas oils, G _lt G ₂ and G ₃ were tested: their characteristics are given before and after doping with a filterability additive of the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer type in Table I below.

TABLE I

The additives according to the invention X _x to X ₆ are described in Table II below: the values correspond to the percentages by mass of each of the compounds AD, BC, CD and AB introduced into the formulations X .. TABLE II

with:

A = octadecylmaleic anhydride

B = diethylenetriamine

C = acrylic acid / methacrylate copolymer

(60% mole of acid units, 20% mole of lauryl methacrylate units and 20% mole of stearyl methacrylate units) D = N-dodecyldipropylenetriamine

These samples X ^ are introduced at a content of 200 ppm in diesel and G ₂ , and at 100 ppm in diesel G ₃ .

EXAMPLE II

The present example aims to show the difference between the quench cooling method and the slow cooling method at 1 ° C per hour and therefore the advantage of selecting additives reproducing the actual cooling phenomenon of a car tank at l '' and therefore the diesel cooling process.

The results of these tests using the cooling procedures described in Example I are given in Table III below. We assess the effectiveness of these additives by calculating the sum of the differences between firstly the filterability temperature (TLF), before sedimentation test, and that of the sample taken from the bottom of the test piece after sedimentation test, and secondly the sum of the differences between the starting crystallization temperatures (Tcc) of the top samples and low in the test tube after the sedimentation test.

The composition of multifunctional additives is all the more effective the smaller the sum of the six differences on the three diesel fuels.

TABLE III

It can be seen from this table that the classification of additives is significantly modified when the cooling mode varies. In fact, the formulas X. are more effective than the reaction products AD, AB, CD and CB when they are subjected to a slow cooling of 1 ° C. per hour.

Claims

1- Composition of multifunctional additives d Cold operability of middle distillates resulting from the reaction of carboxylic compounds with amino compounds characterized in that it contains at least 50% by weight of a mixture consisting of: a) 10 to 90% by weight of an additive (AB) of at least one carboxylic compound (A) chosen from alkylmaleic and alkenylmaleic anhydrides and alkylsuccinic and alkenylsuccinic anhydrides having from 4 to 32 carbon atoms in the alkyl and alkenyl radicals, the acids and the corresponding esters with at least one amino compound (B) chosen from the polyalkylamines of general formula (I) below:

NH ₂ - [(CH ₂ ) _n -NH-] _m -H (I)

where n is an integer varying between 2 and 4 and m is an integer varying between 1 and 4, the molar ratio A / B varying between and m + 1, of m + 1 preferably between 1 and 2, b) and 90 at 10% by weight of an additive (CD) i) of at least one copolymer (C) resulting from the reaction of at least one first unsaturated carboxylic acid substituted or not with at least one alkyl ester of at least one second unsaturated carboxylic acid, substituted or not, identical or different from the first, of general formula (II) below:

Ri ^ - ^ ^R3

. C = C (II)

R2 ^^ COOR4

in which Ri and R ₁ , which are identical or different, are chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen, and linear alkyl groups or branched comprising from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, R3 is hydrogen or a linear alkyl group of at most three carbon atoms and R ₄ is hydrogen or an alkyl group comprising from 1 to 25 carbon atoms, ii ) with an N-alkylpolyalkylenepolyamine (D) of general formula (III) below:

R ₅ -NH - [- (CH ₂ ) _p -NH-] _q -H (III)

where R ₅ is a saturated aliphatic radical comprising from 12 to 22 carbon atoms, p is an integer varying between 2 and 4, q is an integer varying between 1 and 4, the molar ratio C / D varying between

1 and q + 1, preferably varying between 1 and 2. q + 1

2- Composition according to claim 1 characterized in that it consists of:

- 50 to 100% by weight of the combination containing from 20 to 80% by weight of an AB additive and from 80 to 20% by weight of a CD additive,

-and 0 to 50% by weight of a combination of additives AD and CB obtained by reaction of A and D in a molar ratio varying between 0.2 and 4, and of B with C in a molar ratio varying between 0 , 2 and 4

3- Composition according to claims 1 and 2 characterized in that it is obtained by combination of 50 to 80% of an AB additive and 20 to 50% by weight of a CD additive.

4 -Composition according to claims 1 and 2 characterized in that it comprises from 50 to 80% by weight of an AB, CD combination in an AB / CD molar ratio varying from 0.2 to 4, and from 20 to 50 % by weight of an AD, CB combination in an AD / CB molar ratio varying from 0.2 to 4. 5-Composition according to claims 1 to 4 characterized in that the carboxylic compound (A) is chosen from the group consisting of dodecylmaleic anhydride, dodecenylmaleic, hexadecylmaleic, hexadecenylmaleic, octadecyl maleic, octadecenyl maleic, eicosyl maleic and eicosyl maleic .

6-Composition according to claims 1 to 5 characterized in that the polyalkyleamine (B) is chosen from the group comprising diethylenetriamine, dipropylene triamine, triethylenetetramine, tetraethylenepentamine and tetrapropylenepentamine.

7- Composition according to claims 1 to 6 characterized in that the copolymer (C) is chosen from copolymers containing from 45 to 65 mol% of at least one carboxylic acid unit and from 55 to 35 mol% of at least one alkyl ester unit, the carboxylic acid units being chosen from acrylic and methacrylic acid units, and alkyl ester units from acrylic and methacrylic ester units, and their derivatives.

8- Composition according to claim 7 characterized in that the copolymer (C) is chosen from acrylic acid / methacrylic ester copolymers and methacrylic acid / acrylic ester copolymers containing 45 to 65% mole of carboxylic acid units and 55 to 35% mole of ester patterns.

9- Composition according to claims 1 to 8 characterized in that the N-alkylpolyalkylenepolyamine (D) is a compound of the group consisting of N-alkylethylenediamines, N- alkylpropylenediamines, N-alkylbutylenediamines, N-alkyldiethylenetriamines, N-alkyldipropylenetriamines, N-alkyldibutylenetriamines, N-alkyltriethylene tetramines, N-alkyltripropylenetetramines and N-alkyltributylenetetramines having an alkyl radical containing from 12 to 22 carbon atoms 10- Composition according to claim 9 characterized in that N-alkylpolyalkylènepolyamine D is chosen from the group comprising N-dodecyldipropylenetriamine, N-octadecyldipropylenetriamine, N-octadecyldiethylene triamine and N-docosyldiethylenetriamine.

11- Fuel containing a major part of middle distillate, optionally containing a filterability additive, and a minor part, for example from 50 to 100 ppm of a composition of multifunctional additives according to one of claims 1 to 10.