High performance liquid rocket propellant
Disclosed is a high performance hydrocarbon fuel characterized by a hydrogen content greater than 14.3% by weight, a hydrogen to carbon atomic ratio greater than 2.0 and/or a heat of combustion greater than 18.7 KBtu/lb. The disclosed fuels generally have a paraffin content that is at least 90% by mass and a C 12 -C 20 isoparaffin content of at least 40% by mass.
1. A hydrocarbon fuel having a range of components that provide a boiling point range of at least 100° F., and having a hydrogen content greater than 14.3% on a mass basis, an aromatics content of less than 5% by volume, a sulfur content of less than 30 ppm by mass, and wherein the hydrocarbon fuel is a blend of an isoparaffin and a kerosene.
2. A hydrocarbon fuel having a range of components that provide a boiling point range of at least 100° F., and having a hydrogen to carbon ratio greater than 2.0 on an atomic basis, an aromatics content of less than 5% by volume, a sulfur content of less than 30 ppm by mass, and wherein the hydrocarbon fuel is a blend of an isoparaffin and a kerosene.
3. The hydrocarbon fuel of claim 2 having a net heat of combustion greater than 18.7 KBtu/lb.
4. A hydrocarbon fuel in accordance with claim 3 which is a blend of an isoparaffin and a highly paraffinic kerosene.
5. The hydrocarbon fuel of claim 4 , in which the isoparaffin is comprised of at least one isododecane, at least one isohexadecane, at least one isoeicosane, or a mixture of these.
6. A hydrocarbon fuel in accordance with claim 3 which is a blend of an isoparaffin and a naphthenic kerosene.
7. The hydrocarbon fuel of claim 6 , in which the isoparaffin is comprised of at least one isododecane, at least one isohexadecane, at least one isoeicosane, or a mixture of these.
8. A fuel composition comprising:
a blend of an isoparaffin and a kerosene;
the blend having a total paraffin content of at least 90% by mass, an aromatics content of less than 5% by volume, a sulfur content of less than 30 ppm by mass; and
wherein the composition contains at least 40% by mass of isoparaffins having from 12 to 20 carbon atoms.
9. The composition of claim 8 , in which a net heat of combustion is greater than 18,700 BTU/lb.
10. The composition of claim 8 , in which the hydrogen content is greater than 14.5% by mass.
11. The composition of claim 8 wherein the total paraffin content is at least 95% by mass.
12. The composition of claim 8 wherein the composition contains at least 60% by mass of isoparaffins having from 12 to 20 carbon atoms.
13. The composition of claim 8 in which the total paraffin content is at least 95% by mass, and wherein the composition contains at least 60% by mass of isoparaffins having from 12 to 20 carbon atoms.
14. The composition of claim 8 in which the total paraffin content is at least 95% by mass, and wherein the composition contains at least 70% by mass of isoparaffins having from 12 to 20 carbon atoms.
15. The composition of claim 8 in which the total paraffin content is at least 95% by mass, and wherein the composition contains at least 75% by mass of isoparaffins having from 12 to 20 carbon atoms.
16. The composition of claim 8 in which the total paraffin content is at least 99% by mass, the net heat of combustion is at least 18,800 BTU/lb, and the specific gravity is at least 0.76.
17. The composition of claim 8 in which the total paraffinic content is at least 99% by mass, the net heat of combustion is at least 18,900 BTU/lb, and the specific gravity is at least 0.77.
18. The composition of claim 8 which has been subjected to a separation process to reduce the amount of oxygen-containing compounds in the composition.
19. The composition of claim 18 in which the separation process comprises passing the composition through a sorption bed that comprises a material that selectively adsorbs or absorbs oxygen-containing compounds.
20. The composition of claim 8 which comprises less than 200 ppm (weight) of oxygen-containing compounds.