TRACERS AND METHOD OF MARKING LIQUIDS
A method of marking a hydrocarbon liquid comprising adding to said hydrocarbon liquid a tracer compound, the tracer compound being a substituted biphenol ether having a core structure of Formula I, wherein the two R groups are the same or different and selected from straight chain, branched or cyclic alkyl groups, phenyl or substituted phenyl groups, benzyl or substituted benzyl groups, or the two R groups form a single substituent linked intramolecularly to both oxygen atoms, and wherein one or both of the aromatic rings of the core structure is further substituted with at least one non-planar group.
1 - 16 . (canceled)
17 . A method of marking a hydrocarbon liquid comprising adding to said hydrocarbon liquid a tracer compound, the tracer compound being a substituted biphenol ether having a core structure of Formula I:
wherein the two R groups are the same or different and selected from straight chain, branched or cyclic alkyl groups, phenyl or substituted phenyl groups, benzyl or substituted benzyl groups, or the two R groups form a single substituent linked intramolecularly to both oxygen atoms, and
wherein one or both of the aromatic rings of the core structure is further substituted with at least one non-planar group.
18 . The method according to claim 17 ,
wherein the or each non-planar group consists of atoms selected from the group carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
19 . The method according to claim 17 ,
wherein the or each non-planar group is a C 4 to C 20 non-planar group.
20 . The method according to claim 17 ,
wherein the or each non-planar group is a non-planar alkyl group.
21 . The method according to claim 20 ,
wherein the non-planar alkyl group is a branched alkyl group.
22 . The method according to claim 21 ,
wherein the branched alkyl group is a tert-butyl group.
23 . The method according to claim 17 ,
wherein one or both of the aromatic rings of the core structure is substituted with at least two of the non-planar groups.
24 . The method according to claim 17 ,
wherein the substituted biphenol ether is an ortho-biphenol ether or a para-biphenol ether.
25 . The method according to claim 24 ,
wherein the substituted biphenol ether is an ortho-biphenol ether.
26 . The method according to claim 17 ,
wherein the R groups consist of atoms selected from the group carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
27 . A method according to claim 17 ,
wherein the R groups are C 1 to C 20 groups.
28 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the tracer compound is added to the hydrocarbon liquid to yield a concentration of tracer compound in a range 1 μg/l to 10,000 μg/l.
29 . A method of identifying a source of a hydrocarbon liquid comprising:
analysing said hydrocarbon liquid to detect a tracer compound as defined in claim 17 ; and
determining the source of the hydrocarbon liquid by the presence of the tracer compound.
30 . A hydrocarbon liquid comprising a tracer compound as defined in claim 17 .
31 . The hydrocarbon liquid according to claim 30 , wherein the hydrocarbon liquid is a diesel fuel, a gasoline fuel, a liquified petroleum gas fuel, or a biofuel in which the tracer compound is disposed.
32 . The hydrocarbon liquid according to claim 30 , wherein the tracer compound is present at a concentration in a range 1 μg/l to 10,000 μg/l.