LOW-SULFER ODORANTS FEATURING IMPROVED STABILITY

1 . An odorant comprising or consisting of

(A) at least 75% by weight of acrylic acid methyl ester and/or acrylic acid ethyl ester,

(B) 2-19.5% by weight of tetrahydrothiophene (THT),

(C) 5-50 ppm of hydroquinone monomethyl ether,

and also neither, one or both components are selected from the group consisting of

(D) 0.025-0.2% by weight of butylhydroxy toluene and/or butyl hydroxyanisole

and

(E) 5-500 ppm of one or more compounds of formula (I)

wherein

R is selected from the group consisting of H, —OH, —NH 2 , —O 2 CR 1 and —NOCR 1 , wherein R 1 represents an alkyl radical containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms,

based on the total weight of the odorant.

2 . The odorant as claimed in claim 1 , comprising

(D) 0.025-0.2% by weight of butylhydroxy toluene and/or butyl hydroxyanisole

and/or

(E) 5-500 ppm of one or more compounds of formula (I)

wherein

R is selected from the group consisting of H, —OH, —NH 2 , —O 2 CR 1 and —NOCR 1 , wherein R 1 represents an alkyl radical containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

3 . The odorant as claimed in claim 1 , comprising or consisting of

(A) at least 84% by weight of acrylic acid methyl ester and/or acrylic acid ethyl ester,

and/or

(B) 5-15% by weight of tetrahydrothiophene (THT),

and/or

(C) 10-20 ppm of hydroquinone monomethyl ether,

and/or

(D) 0.05-0.15% by weight of butylhydroxy toluene and/or butyl hydroxyanisole

and/or

(E) 10-200 ppm of one or more compounds of formula (I).

4 . The odorant as claimed in claim 1 , comprising

(A) at least 84% by weight of acrylic acid methyl ester and/or acrylic acid ethyl ester,

(B) 5-15% by weight of tetrahydrothiophene (THT),

and

(C) 10-20 ppm of hydroquinone monomethyl ether

and also neither, one or both components selected from the group consisting of

(D) 0.05-0.15% by weight of butylhydroxy toluene and/or butyl hydroxyanisole

and

(E) 10-200 ppm of one or more compounds of formula (I).

5 . The odorant as claimed in claim 1 , comprising in component (E) one or more compounds of formula (I)

wherein

R is selected from the group consisting of H and —OH.

6 . The odorant as claimed in claim 1 , comprising

(A) at least 84% by weight of acrylic acid methyl ester and/or acrylic acid ethyl ester,

(B) 5-15% by weight of tetrahydrothiophene (THT),

and

(C) 10-20 ppm of hydroquinone monomethyl ether

and also one or both components selected from the group consisting of

(D) 0.05-0.15% by weight of butylhydroxy toluene

and

(E) 10-200 ppm of one or more compounds of formula (I)

wherein

R is selected from the group consisting of H and —OH.

7 . The odorant as claimed in claim 1 , comprising neither tert-butyl mercaptan (TBM) nor ethyl mercaptan.

8 . The odorant as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the odorant comprises no mercaptan.

9 . The odorant as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the odorant comprises, apart from tetrahydrothiophene (THT), no sulfur-containing compound.

10 . A fuel gas having a methane content of at least 60% by weight, comprising an odorant as defined in claim 1 .

11 . The fuel gas as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the fuel gas is natural gas.

12 . A vessel comprising

(i) an odorant as claimed in claim 1 , comprising component (E), wherein the odorant is contacted in the vessel with a metal or metal ions or another reactant which is capable of reacting with component (E)

or

(ii) a fuel gas having a methane content of at least 60% by weight, containing an odorant as defined in claim 1 comprising component (E), wherein the fuel gas is contacted in the vessel with a metal or metal ions or another reactant which is capable of reacting with component (E).