Fuel management systems having a fluororubber article in contact with biodiesel fuel
View Patent ↗Disclosed herein is a fuel management system having at least one fluororubber article in contact with biodiesel fuel wherein said fluororubber article comprises i) a polyhydroxy cured fluoroelastomer comprising copolymerized units of vinylidene fluoride and at least one other fluoromonomer, and ii) 1 to 10 parts by weight of a diester of a dicarboxylic acid per hundred parts fluoroelastomer. Also disclosed is a method for reducing volume swell of a polyhydroxy cured fluororubber article in contact with biodiesel fuel wherein 1 to 10 parts by weight of a diester of a dicarboxylic acid is incorporated into said article.
1. In a fuel management system having at least one fluororubber article in contact with biodiesel fuel, the improvement wherein said fluororubber article comprises i) a polyhydroxy cured fluoroelastomer comprising copolymerized units of vinylidene fluoride and at least one other fluoromonomer and ii) 1 to 10 parts by weight, per hundred parts fluoroelastomer, of a diester of a dicarboxylic acid having the formula R(COOR′) 2 wherein R is an alkylene group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms and R′ is an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms.
2. A fuel management system of claim 1 wherein said fluoroelastomer comprises copolymerized units of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene.
3. A fuel management system of claim 2 wherein said fluoroelastomer further comprises copolymerized units of tetrafluoroethylene.
4. A fuel management system of claim 1 wherein said biodiesel fuel comprises a fatty acid alkyl ester of biological origin.
5. A fuel management system of claim 1 wherein said biodiesel fuel comprises a blend of a fatty acid alkyl ester of biological origin and petroleum diesel fuel.
6. A fuel management system of claim 1 wherein said diester of a dicarboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of diisobutyl adipate, dimethyl adipate, diisobutyl pimelate, diisobutyl glutarate, di-n-butyl sebacate and mixtures thereof.
7. A fuel management system of claim 1 wherein said fuel management system is in a motor vehicle.
8. A fuel management system of claim 1 wherein said fuel management system is in a stationary diesel powered device.
9. A fuel management system of claim 1 wherein said fuel management system is in a biodiesel supply system.
10. A fuel management system of claim 1 wherein said fuel management system is in a biodiesel manufacturing plant.
11. A method for reducing the volume swell of a polyhydroxy cured fluororubber article in contact with biodiesel fuel wherein 1 to 10 parts by weight, per hundred parts by weight fluoroelastomer, of at least one diester of a dicarboxylic acid is incorporated into a polyhydroxy curable fluoroelastomer composition prior to curing said composition, said diester of a dicarboxylic acid having the formula R(COOR′) 2 wherein R is an alkylene group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms and R′ is an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms.
12. A method according to claim 11 wherein said fluoroelastomer comprises copolymerized units of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene.
13. A method according to claim 12 wherein said fluoroelastomer further comprises copolymerized units of tetrafluoroethylene.
14. A method according to claim 11 wherein said biodiesel fuel comprises a fatty acid alkyl ester of biological origin.
15. A method according to claim 11 wherein said biodiesel fuel comprises a blend of a fatty acid alkyl ester of biological origin and petroleum diesel fuel.
16. A method according to claim 11 wherein said diester of a dicarboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of diisobutyl adipate, dimethyl adipate, diisobutyl pimelic pimelate, diisobutyl glutarate, di-n-butyl sebacate and mixtures thereof.