Fuel composition
A fuel composition for powering a combustion engine the composition comprising: a liquid base fuel; and a copolymer obtainable by copolymerizing at least the following monomers: —at least one bicyclic (meth)acrylate ester; —at least one fatty-alkyl (meth)acrylate; —optionally, and preferably, at least one aromatic vinyl monomer; and —optionally other ethylenically unsaturated monomers.
1. A fuel composition for powering a combustion engine, the composition comprising:
a liquid base fuel; and
a copolymer formed by copolymerizing monomers, the monomers comprising at least the following:
at least one bicyclic methacrylate ester at a concentration of 10 wt. % to 95 wt. %, wherein the at least one bicyclic methacrylate ester is according to Formula I:
wherein:
R is selected from the group consisting of H and —CH 3 ,
A is selected from the group consisting of —CH 2 —, —CH(CH 3 )—, and —C(CH 3 ) 2 —, and
M is covalently bonded to a carbon atom of a six-membered ring and is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a methyl group, and a plurality thereof;
at least one fatty-alkyl (meth)acrylate at a concentration of 5 wt. % to 40 wt %, wherein the fatty-alkyl (meth)acrylate is a C 8 -C 24 alkyl (meth)acrylate, wherein the C 8 -C 24 alkyl group can be linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsaturated;
at least one aromatic vinyl monomer at a concentration of 0 wt. % to 65 wt. %; and
other ethylenically unsaturated monomers at a concentration of 0 wt. % to 50 wt. %,
wherein the copolymer comprises up to a total of 100 wt. %,
wherein the weight percentages of the monomers are based on the total weight of all the monomers,
wherein the copolymer has a weight averaged molecular weight of 1,500,000 Dalton to 50,000,000 Dalton, and
wherein a weight percentage of below 5% of divinylbenzene is added to the copolymer.
2. The fuel composition according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of
the bicyclic (meth)acrylate ester is at the concentration of 60 wt % to 95 wt %;
the fatty-alkyl (meth)acrylate is at the concentration of 15 wt % to 25 wt %;
the aromatic vinyl monomer is at the concentration of 10 wt % to 35 wt %;
the other ethylenically unsaturated monomers are at the concentration of 0 wt % to 30 wt %, up to a total of 100 wt %, wherein the weight percentages of the monomer are based on the total weight of all the monomers.
3. The fuel composition according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of a total of bicyclic (meth)acrylate ester and fatty-alkyl (meth)acrylate is 35 wt. % or more, by weight of the copolymer.
4. The fuel composition according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of a total of bicyclic (meth)acrylate ester and aromatic vinyl monomer is 35 wt % or more, by weight of the copolymer.
5. The fuel composition according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one bicyclic (meth)acrylate ester comprises, or is, isobornyl methacrylate.
6. The fuel composition according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one fatty-alkyl methacrylate comprises, or is, lauryl (meth)acrylate, methacrylic ester 13.0, and/or iso-dec (meth)acrylate.
7. The fuel composition according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one aromatic vinyl monomer comprises, or is, styrene.
8. The fuel composition according to claim 1 , wherein the copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of at least 2,000,000 Dalton.
9. The fuel composition according to claim 1 , wherein the copolymer has a glass transition temperature in the range of from 50° C. to 190° C.
10. The fuel composition according to claim 1 , wherein the base fuel is a diesel base fuel and the fuel composition is a diesel fuel composition.
11. The fuel composition according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of copolymer present in the fuel composition is in the range of from 10 ppm to 100 ppm, by weight of the fuel composition.
12. A method of blending a fuel composition, the method comprising:
blending a copolymer or a copolymer component containing the copolymer with a base fuel,
wherein the copolymer is formed by copolymerizing monomers, the monomers comprising at least the following:
at least one bicyclic (meth)acrylate ester at a concentration of 10 wt. % to 95 wt. %, wherein the at least one bicyclic (meth)acrylate ester is according to Formula I:
wherein:
R is selected from the group consisting of H and —CH 3 ,
A is selected from the group consisting of —CH 2 —, —CH(CH 3 )—, and —C(CH 3 ) 2 —, and
M is covalently bonded to a carbon atom of a six-membered ring and is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a methyl group, and a plurality thereof;
at least one fatty-alkyl (meth)acrylate at a concentration of 5 wt. % to 40 wt %, wherein the fatty-alkyl (meth)acrylate is a C 8 -C 24 alkyl (meth)acrylate, wherein the C 8 -C 24 alkyl group can be linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsaturated;
at least one aromatic vinyl monomer at a concentration of 0 wt. % to 65 wt. %; and
other ethylenically unsaturated monomers at a concentration of 0 wt. % to 50 wt. %,
wherein the copolymer comprises up to a total of 100 wt. %,
wherein the weight percentages of the monomers are based on the total weight of all the monomers,
wherein the copolymer has a weight averaged molecular weight of 1,500,000 Dalton to 50,000,000 Dalton, and
wherein a weight percentage of below 5% of divinylbenzene is added to the copolymer.