Hydrocarbon component

Abstract

This specification discloses a hydrocarbon component mainly comprising C15 - C22 n - paraffins, C15 - C22 mono - branched i - paraffins, and C15 - C22 multi - branched i - paraffins. In the hydrocarbon component, the weight ratio of i - paraffins to n - paraffins is higher than that in the hydrocarbon components of the prior art. Due to its improved properties, this hydrocarbon component can be used in a wide range of applications, particularly Arctic - grade diesel fuels, and can be incorporated at a higher ratio.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to processes for producing fuel components and their products. The present disclosure relates in particular, but not exclusively, to novel hydrocarbon components that can be obtained from renewable feeds, mainly renewable diesel fuel components.

Background Art

[0002] This section presents useful background technical information without admitting that any of the techniques described herein represents the current state of the art.

[0003] There remains a continuing need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and / or carbon footprint, particularly in transportation. Accordingly, there is increasing interest in renewable transportation fuels and alternatives to various petrochemical products.

[0004] Processes have been proposed for producing fuel components from renewable feedstocks. Non-fossil diesel, such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), renewable diesel and especially fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), has struggled to meet the defined requirements for low temperature properties. Measures have been proposed to improve low temperature properties, i.e., to lower the cloud point (CP) and cold filter plugging point (CFPP) given as temperature, and currently winter grades, and even arctic grades, are at least partially available as non-fossil diesel. However, reducing the CP and / or CFPP often leads to undesirable changes in other product properties such as viscosity, density and / or cetane. Generally, viscosity and low temperature properties are inversely proportional. For example, commercially available fossil arctic grade diesel has a relatively low viscosity of less than 2,000 mm 2 / s at 40 °C.

[0005] On the other hand, a higher viscosity means that the viscosity of the fuel is within the EN590 / EN15940 specifications (maximum viscosity at 40 °C of 4,500 mm 2 / s) or EN590:2022 Arctic Diesel Specification (maximum viscosity of 4,000 mm at 40 °C 2 is desirable to improve the fuel injection within the fuel system, provided that the general requirements of

[0006] Renewable fuel components with good low-temperature properties are still needed. More specifically, there is a need to provide hydrocarbon components suitable for Arctic use that have a higher cetane number and a higher viscosity at 40 °C than conventional fossil Arctic-grade diesel. In particular, there is interest in producing hydrocarbon components that can be used in a wide range of applications such as fuels, transformer oils, gear oils, solvents, lubricants, heating oils, insulating oils, hydraulic oils, or turbine oils, or for power generation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] It is an object to solve or mitigate at least some of the problems associated with the prior art. The object is to improve the quality of hydrocarbon components, particularly diesel fuel components, that can be obtained from renewable sources.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM

[0008] The appended claims define the scope of protection. Any examples and technical descriptions of products, processes, and / or uses in the description and / or drawings not covered by the claims are presented as useful examples for understanding the invention, rather than as embodiments of the invention.

[0009] According to a first exemplary embodiment, a hydrocarbon component, preferably a renewable hydrocarbon component, such as a diesel fuel component or a renewable diesel fuel component, comprising n-paraffins, mono-branched i-paraffins and multi-branched i-paraffins, wherein the total amount of C15-C22 n-paraffins, C15-C22 mono-branched i-paraffins and C15-C22 multi-branched i-paraffins is at least 90 wt-% of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component, and the weight ratio of C15-C22 i-paraffins to C15-C22 n-paraffins is at least 22:1, preferably at least 24:1, more preferably at least 30:1, even more preferably at least 34:1, is provided.

[0010] The inventors have found that this hydrocarbon component and its embodiments provide certain advantages as compared to hydrocarbon components of the prior art, in particular renewable hydrocarbon components such as prior art renewable diesel components. The advantages are related to a higher density and a higher viscosity at temperatures above 0 °C, combined with excellent low temperature properties including good fluidity at sub-zero temperatures, as will be explained in more detail later.

[0011] The production of the hydrocarbon component can use a specific process comprising a combination of hydroisomerization and hydrocracking of a paraffinic feedstock. This hydrocarbon component can be obtained from a process for producing a renewable fuel component, which process further comprises at least the recovery of an aviation fuel component.

[0012] According to a second exemplary embodiment, a diesel fuel composition is provided comprising 1 to 99 vol-%, preferably 10 to 70 vol-% of the hydrocarbon component as defined herein of the total volume of the diesel fuel composition. Surprisingly, a high volume fraction such as 70 vol-% of the hydrocarbon component in the diesel fuel composition is possible due to the unusually high density of this hydrocarbon component in particular.

[0013] According to a third exemplary embodiment, there is provided the use of the hydrocarbon component in a diesel fuel composition to improve one or more product characteristics of the diesel fuel composition.

[0014] According to a fourth exemplary embodiment, in raw materials for industrial conversion processes, preferably in pyrolysis raw materials and / or catalytic cracking raw materials, in transformer oils, heat transfer media, switchgear oils, buffer oils, insulating oils, hydraulic oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, degreasing compositions, penetrating oils, anticorrosive compositions, multipurpose oils, metalworking fluids, especially rolling oils for aluminum, cutting oils, drilling fluids, solvents, lubricating oils, extender oils, carriers, dispersant compositions, demulsifiers, extractants, paint compositions, coating liquids or pastes, adhesives, resins, varnishes, printing pastes or inks, surfactants, detergents, plasticized oils, turbine oils, hydrophobized compositions, in agriculture, in crop protection fluids, in construction, in concrete release formulations, in electronic devices, in medical devices, in compositions for the automotive, electrical, textile, packaging, paper, cosmetic and / or pharmaceutical industries, and / or in the manufacture of intermediates therefor, there is provided the use of the hydrocarbon component as defined herein. In the above uses, excellent physicochemical properties can be utilized, and at the same time, the property of being preferably renewable can be evaluated.

[0015] Exemplary embodiments and implementations without various constraints are shown above. The foregoing embodiments are used only to illustrate selected embodiments or steps that can be utilized in different implementations. It should be understood that some embodiments may be presented only with reference to specific exemplary embodiments. Corresponding embodiments can also be applied to other exemplary embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] Some exemplary embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0018] In the following description, like reference numerals indicate like elements or steps.

[0019] All standards referred to in this specification are the latest revised versions available as of the filing date, unless otherwise specified.

[0020] Unless otherwise specified, for distillation characteristics such as initial boiling point (IBP), final boiling point (FBP), T5 temperature (5 vol-% recovery), T95 temperature (95 vol-% recovery), and boiling point range, EN ISO3405-2019 is referred to. The IBP is the temperature at the moment when the first droplet of condensate falls from the lower end of the condenser tube, and the FBP is the maximum thermometer measurement value obtained during the test, usually occurring after all the liquid has evaporated from the bottom of the flask. For boiling point distribution, a GC-based method (simdis) ASTM D2887-19e1 or, for gasoline-range hydrocarbons, ASTM D7096-19 can also be referred to.

[0021] As used in the context of the present disclosure, a diesel fuel component refers to a hydrocarbon composition suitable for use in a fuel composition that meets the standard specifications of diesel fuel, such as those specified in EN 590:2022 or EN 15940:2016+A1:2018+AC:2019. Typically, such a diesel fuel component has an IBP and an FBP and boils within a range of about 160°C to about 380°C as determined in accordance with EN ISO3405-2019.

[0022] As used in the context of the present disclosure, an aviation fuel component refers to a hydrocarbon composition suitable for use in a fuel composition that meets the standard specifications of aviation fuel, such as the specifications defined in ASTM D7566-21. Typically, such an aviation fuel component is determined according to EN ISO3405-2019 and boils within a range of about 100°C to about 300°C, for example within a range of about 150°C to about 300°C, that is, it has an IBP and an FBP.

[0023] As used in the context of the present disclosure, a gasoline fuel component or naphtha refers to a hydrocarbon component suitable for use in a fuel composition that meets the standard specifications of gasoline fuel, such as the specifications defined in EN228-2012+A1-2017. Typically, such a gasoline fuel component is determined according to EN ISO3405-2019 and boils within a range of about 25°C to about 210°C, that is, it has an IBP and an FBP.

[0024] As used in the context of the present disclosure, a marine fuel component refers to a hydrocarbon component suitable for use in a fuel composition that meets the standard specifications of marine fuel, such as the specifications defined in ISO8217-2017. Typically, such a marine fuel component is determined according to EN ISO3405-2019 and boils within a range of about 180°C to about 600°C, such as about 180°C to about 400°C, that is, it has an IBP and an FBP.

[0025] As used herein, hydrocarbon refers to a compound consisting of carbon and hydrogen. Hydrocarbons of particular interest in this context include paraffins, n-paraffins, i-paraffins, mono-branched i-paraffins, multi-branched i-paraffins, olefins, naphthenes, and aromatics. Oxygenated hydrocarbons refer herein to hydrocarbons containing covalently bonded oxygen.

[0026] As used herein, paraffin refers to acyclic alkanes, i.e., acyclic open-chain saturated hydrocarbons that are straight-chain (normal paraffins, n-paraffins) or branched (isoparaffins, i-paraffins). In other words, paraffin refers to n-paraffins and / or i-paraffins herein.

[0027] In the context of the present disclosure, i-paraffin refers to a branched open-chain alkane, i.e., an acyclic open-chain saturated hydrocarbon having one or more alkyl side chains. As used herein, an i-paraffin having one alkyl side chain or branch is referred to as a monobranched i-paraffin, and an i-paraffin having two or more alkyl side chains or branches is referred to herein as a multi-branched i-paraffin. In other words, i-paraffin refers to monobranched i-paraffin and / or multi-branched i-paraffin herein. The alkyl side chain of the i-paraffin may be, for example, a C1-C9 alkyl side chain, preferably a methyl side chain. The amounts of monobranched and multi-branched i-paraffins may be given separately. The term "i-paraffin" refers to the total amount of any monobranched i-paraffin and any multi-branched i-paraffin present, indicating the total amount of any i-paraffin present regardless of the number of branches. Correspondingly, "paraffin" refers to the total amount of any n-paraffin, any monobranched i-paraffin, and any multi-branched i-paraffin present, if present.

[0028] In the context of the present disclosure, olefin refers to an unsaturated, straight-chain, branched or cyclic hydrocarbon excluding aromatic compounds. In other words, olefin refers to a hydrocarbon having at least one unsaturated bond except for the unsaturated bonds in the aromatic ring.

[0029] As used herein, cyclic hydrocarbons refer to all hydrocarbons containing a cyclic structure, including cyclic olefins, naphthenes, and aromatics. Naphthenes, as used herein, refer to cycloalkanes, i.e., saturated hydrocarbons containing at least one cyclic structure, with or without side chains. Since naphthenes are saturated compounds, they are compounds without an aromatic ring structure. Aromatics, as used herein, refer to hydrocarbons containing at least one aromatic ring structure, i.e., a cyclic structure having alternating π bonds delocalized throughout the above-mentioned cyclic structure.

[0030] In the context of the present disclosure, in the case of a composition that boils at 36 °C or higher (at standard atmospheric pressure), the contents of n-paraffin, i-paraffin, mono-branched i-paraffin, various multi-branched isoparaffins, naphthenes, and aromatics are expressed as weight % (wt-%) relative to the degassed weight of the feed, stream, effluent, product, component, or sample, or, if so defined, as weight % (wt-%) relative to the (total) weight of paraffin or the (total) weight of i-paraffin of the feed, stream, effluent, product, component, or sample. The above contents can be determined by the GC×GC-FID / GC×GC-MS method, preferably performed as follows: The GC×GC (2D GC) method was performed with the following modifications as disclosed generally in UOP990-2011 and by Nousiainen M. in the experimental section of his master's thesis, Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with mass spectrometric and flame ionization detectors in petroleum chemistry (University of Helsinki, August 2017). GC×GC was first performed using a semi-polar column (Rxi17Sil), followed by a non-polar column (Rxi5Sil), and then using an FID detector, with the following operating parameters: carrier gas helium 31.7 cm / sec (column flow rate at 40 °C 1.60 ml / min); split ratio 1:350; injector 280 °C; column T program 40 °C (0 min) - 5 °C / min - 250 °C (0 min) - 10 °C / min - 300 °C (5 min), run time 52 min; modulation period 10 sec; detector 300 °C with H2 40 ml / min and air 400 ml / min; make-up flow helium 30 ml / min; sampling rate 250 Hz and injection size 0.2 microliter, performed in reverse mode. GC×GC-MS was used with the following MS parameters: ion source 230 °C; interface 300 °C; scan range 25 - 500 amu; event time (sec) 0.05; scan rate 20000 to identify individual compounds.Commercially available tools (Shimadzu's LabSolutions, Zoex's GC images) were used for data processing including the identification of detected compounds or hydrocarbon groups, and for applying the response factor for n-heptane to the volume of the detected peaks, followed by normalizing to 100 wt-% to determine their mass concentrations. Olefins were grouped with heteroatom species having naphthenes and aromatics unless otherwise reported. The quantification limit for individual compounds by this method is 0.1 wt-%.

[0031] In the context of the present disclosure, various properties of feeds, streams, effluents, products, components or samples are determined according to standard methods appropriately prepared and referenced or disclosed herein. For example, the cloud point is determined from a degassed feed, stream, effluent, product, component or sample according to ASTM D5771-17.

[0032] In the context of the present disclosure, feeds to the reaction section, particularly the first reaction section and / or the second reaction section, are defined such that H2 that may be fed to each reaction section, e.g., H2 fed to hydroisomerization and / or H2 fed to hydrocracking, is excluded from the definition of the feed.

[0033] As used herein, the hydroisomerization (HI) effluent may, in some cases, refer to the total HI effluent, the degassed HI effluent, or the degassed and stabilized HI effluent, and the term HI effluent may encompass each of these.

[0034] In the context of the present disclosure, CX+ paraffin, CX+ n-paraffin, CX+ i-paraffin, CX+ mono-branched i-paraffin, CX+ multi-branched i-paraffin, CX+ hydrocarbon, or CX+ fatty acid each refer to a paraffin, n-paraffin, i-paraffin, mono-branched i-paraffin, multi-branched i-paraffin, hydrocarbon, or fatty acid having at least X carbon atoms, where X is any achievable integer. It is understood that not all compounds falling within the definition necessarily exist.

[0035] In the context of the present disclosure, CY-paraffin, CY-n-paraffin, CY-i-paraffin, CY-monobranched i-paraffin, CY-multibranched i-paraffin, CY-hydrocarbon, or CY-fatty acid each refers to a paraffin, n-paraffin, i-paraffin, monobranched i-paraffin, multibranched i-paraffin, hydrocarbon, or fatty acid having up to Y carbon atoms, where Y is any achievable integer. It is understood that not all compounds falling within the definition necessarily exist.

[0036] In the context of the present disclosure, CX Y -CX Z (or CX Y -CX Z ) paraffin, CX Y -CX Z n-paraffin, CX Y -CX Z i-paraffin, CX Y -CX Z monobranched i-paraffin, CX Y -CX Z multibranched i-paraffin, CX Y -CX Z hydrocarbon or CX Y -CX Z fatty acid each refers to a range of paraffin, n-paraffin, i-paraffin, monobranched i-paraffin, multibranched i-paraffin, hydrocarbon or fatty acid, where X Y and X Zis a realizable end - value integer, and the number of carbon atoms within such a range is indicated by the end - value integer and, if present, any integer between the end - values. However, in some cases, within the above - mentioned range, all paraffins, n - paraffins, i - paraffins, mono - branched i - paraffins, multi - branched i - paraffins, hydrocarbons or fatty acids with the above - mentioned number of carbon atoms, especially at the endpoints or around them, do not necessarily exist, except when explicitly indicated as such. On the other hand, by definition, isomers may include several compounds having the same number of carbon atoms. For example, C15 isomers may include methyltetradecane (different positions of methyl branching), dimethyltridecane (different positions of two methyl branchings), etc., and "C15 isomers" includes the total amount of all such variants.

[0037] Typically, it means the total weight or volume of paraffins, n - paraffins, i - paraffins, mono - branched i - paraffins, multi - branched i - paraffins, hydrocarbons or fatty acids with each defined number of carbon atoms included. For example, C15 - C22 n - paraffins refer to any n - paraffins within the above - mentioned range, even if the content of C15 n - paraffin is 0, such as C15, C16, C17, C18, C19, C20, C21 and C22 n - paraffins. In other words, the total amount can be obtained by adding 0 (referring to non - existent C15 n - paraffin) to the total weight of all other existing C15 - C22 n - paraffins.

[0038] Isomerization converts at least a certain amount of n - paraffins into i - paraffins, especially mono - branched i - paraffins. By further increasing the degree of isomerization, for example, by increasing the degree of hydro - isomerization as described below, more n - paraffins can be converted into i - paraffins, and mono - branched i - paraffins can be converted into multi - branched i - paraffins, such as di - branched and / or tri - branched i - paraffins, and even i - paraffins containing more than three branches.

[0039] As used in the context of this specification and the second reaction section, effective resolution refers to cracking that produces non-gas (NTP) decomposition products, particularly expressed as the ratio of the C8 - C14 hydrocarbon content during hydrocracking to the C8 - C14 hydrocarbon content in the second reaction section feedstock.

[0040] As used herein, the term renewable refers to a compound or composition that can be obtained from, derivable from, or derived from plants and / or animals, and includes, in whole or in part, a compound or composition that can be obtained from, derivable from, or derived from fungi and / or algae. As used herein, a renewable compound or composition can include a genetically engineered compound or composition. A renewable feedstock, component, compound, or composition may also be referred to as a biological feedstock, component, compound, or composition, or a feedstock, component, compound, or composition of biological origin.

[0041] As used herein, the term fossil refers to a compound or composition that can be obtained from, derivable from, or derived from naturally occurring non-renewable compositions such as crude oil, petroleum / gas, shale oil / gas, natural gas, or coal deposits, and combinations thereof, and includes any hydrocarbon-rich deposits that can be utilized from surface / subsurface sources. The term recycle typically refers to recycled materials derived from non-renewable sources. For example, the term recycle can refer to recycled materials derived from waste plastics.

[0042] The above renewable, recycled, and fossil compounds or compositions are considered to be different from each other based on their origin and impact on environmental issues. Thus, they can be treated differently under the framework of laws and regulations. Typically, renewable, recycled, and fossil compounds or compositions are distinguished based on their origin and the information provided by their manufacturers.

[0043] Chemically, the renewable or fossil origin of any organic compound containing hydrocarbons can be determined by suitable methods for analyzing the carbon content from renewable sources, such as DIN 51637 (2014), ASTM D6866 (2020) or EN 16640 (2017). The above methods are based on the fact that carbon atoms of renewable or biological origin contain a larger number of unstable radiocarbon ( 14 C) atoms compared to carbon atoms of fossil origin. Thus, 12 C and 14 C isotope ratios can be analyzed to distinguish carbon compounds derived from renewable or biological sources or raw materials from those derived from non-renewable or fossil sources or raw materials. Thus, the specific ratios of the above isotopes can be used as "tags" to identify renewable carbon compounds and distinguish them from non-renewable carbon compounds. The isotope ratios do not change during the course of a chemical reaction. Thus, the isotope ratios can be used to identify renewable compounds, components and compositions and distinguish them from non-renewable fossil materials in reactor feeds, reactor effluents, separated product fractions, and various blends thereof. Numerically, the carbon content of biological origin can be expressed as the amount of carbon of biological origin in the material as a weight percentage of the total carbon (TC) in the material (in accordance with ASTM D6866 (2020) or EN 16640 (2017)). In this context, the term renewable preferably refers to a material having a carbon content of biological origin of more than 50 wt-%, in particular more than 60 wt-%, or more than 70 wt-%, preferably more than 80 wt-%, more preferably more than 90 wt-%, or more than 95 wt-%, even more preferably about 100 wt-% based on the total weight of carbon in the material (EN 16640 (2017)).

[0044] According to a first aspect, herein, a hydrocarbon component, preferably a renewable diesel fuel component, comprising n-paraffins, mono-branched i-paraffins, and multi-branched i-paraffins, wherein the total amount of C15-C22 n-paraffins, C15-C22 mono-branched i-paraffins, and C15-C22 multi-branched i-paraffins is at least 90 wt-% or in the range of 90-99 wt-% of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component, and the weight ratio of C15-C22 i-paraffins to C15-C22 n-paraffins is at least 22:1, preferably at least 24:1, more preferably at least 30:1, and even more preferably at least 34:1, is provided. A high paraffin content provides an excellent cetane number to the hydrocarbon component. In addition, paraffins with a higher carbon number ensure a higher density compared to conventional hydrotreated vegetable oils and fuel components derived therefrom. The higher density gives the possibility to blend a larger amount of the hydrocarbon component into fossil diesel without falling below the density requirements of the blend.

[0045] The inventors have found that this hydrocarbon component, which contains a high content of paraffins in the carbon number range C15 - C22, is very beneficial for several reasons. For example, the high paraffin content leaves little room for aromatics, olefins and naphthenes, and reducing or minimizing their content can help meet standards such as EN 15940. The high paraffin content can also provide easy biodegradability. Furthermore, this high - paraffin hydrocarbon component can offer better performance to the end - user regarding combustion and / or emissions. Additionally, the blendability of this hydrocarbon component, which is highly iso - paraffinic, with other typical diesel fuel range components is very good. Moreover, this high - paraffin hydrocarbon component is more stable or inert during storage and blending compared to components with a high content of non - paraffins, especially olefins, which can react in the component or its blend composition to form high - molecular - weight precipitates, i.e., gums. Also, aromatics are particularly susceptible to the effects of instability, especially with increasing aromatic size and concentration, for example, the tendency to deposit under stress caused by aromatic oxidation and molecular growth may be higher. The improved stability is a particularly desirable property, for example, for devices used seasonally or for hybrid vehicles that use diesel only as a secondary fuel held in the fuel system for a long time with another primary power source such as electricity or gas. Furthermore, paraffins in a certain range, such as in the range C15 - C22, are beneficial for the final product properties when blended with components of other typical diesel fuel ranges compared to neat or pure components, for example, neat C16 paraffin. Typically, the carbon number distribution of paraffins in this hydrocarbon component covers at least four adjacent carbon numbers, preferably at least five adjacent carbon numbers, more preferably at least six adjacent carbon numbers within the range C15 - C22. Preferably, this hydrocarbon component contains hydrocarbons of three different carbon numbers within the range C15 - C22 at least 5 wt-% per carbon number.

[0046] Therefore, according to certain preferred embodiments, in this hydrocarbon component, the total amount of C15 - C22 n - paraffins, C15 - C22 mono - branched i - paraffins and C15 - C22 multi - branched i - paraffins is at least 92 wt - %, preferably at least 95 wt - %, more preferably 95 - 99 wt - % of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component.

[0047] In the hydrocarbon component, the weight ratio of C15 - C22 i - paraffins to C15 - C22 n - paraffins is at least 22:1, preferably at least 24:1, more preferably at least 30:1, even more preferably at least 34:1. The degree of isomerization can set an upper limit for the achievable ratio. The above ratio can be 24:1 - 1000:1, preferably 34:1 - 1000:1. Experimentally, the results showed a wide variety of high values for the weight ratio of C15 - C22 i - paraffins to C15 - C22 n - paraffins, typically about 22:1 - about 100:1, for example about 24:1 - about 100:1. As the amount of n - paraffins approaches zero, very high ratios can be reached. In practice, some n - paraffins are typically present. The high total amount of paraffins in the C15 - C22 range, together with a very high weight ratio of C15 - C22 i - paraffins to C15 - C22 n - paraffins, provides a very desirable combination of excellent low - temperature properties, especially the viscosity at sub - zero temperatures for the component, high density, and high viscosity at 40°C, while at the same time providing a high cetane number and good low - temperature starting properties.

[0048] The high C15 - C22 paraffin content clearly leaves little room for other components in the total hydrocarbon component composition. Therefore, in certain preferred embodiments, the total amount of any C1 - C14 hydrocarbons is at most 3 wt - % or at most 2 wt - %, or 0.1 - 3 wt - % of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component. This ensures a high flash point for the hydrocarbon component. The carbon number distribution contributes to the density of the hydrocarbon component. Further, when the C15 - C22 paraffin content is high, the viscosity increases at temperatures above zero.

[0049] This hydrocarbon component is highly paraffinic, and most of the above paraffins are isomerized. Thus, in certain preferred embodiments, the total amount of total n-paraffins is at most 5 wt-%, preferably at most 3 wt-% of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component. Such a high relative ratio of i-paraffins to n-paraffins is associated with good low-temperature properties and can be further improved by increasing the degree of isomerization. Dissolved wax can also increase the pour point, which can be undesirable or have an adverse effect in many applications. The very low total content of n-paraffins further reduces the risk of solidification of n-paraffins, for example, on cold surfaces.

[0050] Preferably, this hydrocarbon component has a total amount of C15 - C22 i-paraffins of at least 80 wt-%, preferably at least 85 wt-%, more preferably at least 90 wt-%, even more preferably at least 95 wt-% of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component. Such embodiments can be considered typical.

[0051] The significant occupancy of i-paraffins can include two or more branches, which are herein referred to as multi-branched i-paraffins. Preferably, the content or occupancy of C15 - C22 multi-branched i-paraffins is high when compared to the amount of mono-branched i-paraffins, the total amount of paraffins, or the amount of n-paraffins in the hydrocarbon component, contributing to the improvement of low-temperature properties including fluidity at sub-zero temperatures.

[0052] This can be represented by the content of C15 - C22 mono - branched and multi - branched i - paraffins, in particular by a reduced content of mono - branched i - paraffins and an increased content of multi - branched i - paraffins. Thus, according to certain embodiments, the hydrocarbon component has a total amount of C15 - C22 mono - branched i - paraffins of at most 35 wt -%, preferably at most 30 wt -%, more preferably at most 25 wt -% of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component. According to certain further embodiments, the hydrocarbon component has a total amount of C15 - C22 multi - branched i - paraffins of at least 60 wt -%, preferably at least 63 wt -%, more preferably at least 65 wt -% of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component.

[0053] A further way to represent this can be the weight ratio of C15 - C22 multi - branched i - paraffins to C15 - C22 mono - branched i - paraffins, which can be at least 1.8, preferably at least 2.0, more preferably at least 2.5. As shown by the examples, the above ratio can be, for example, about 20, or even much higher. According to certain embodiments, the weight ratio of C15 - C22 multi - branched i - paraffins to C15 - C22 mono - branched i - paraffins can be 1.8 - 40, such as 2.0 - 25, or 2.0 - 20. Surprisingly, the inventors have found that a high content of multi - branched i - paraffins, or a high multi - branched i - paraffin / mono - branched i - paraffin ratio, provides excellent low - temperature properties for the hydrocarbon component, in particular a cloud point much lower than expected based on the weight ratio of C15 - C22 i - paraffins to C15 - C22 n - paraffins alone.

[0054] A high i-paraffin content, especially a high content of multi-branched i-paraffins, enables the hydrocarbon component to incorporate a high occupancy of heavier paraffins in the C15 - C20 range, for example, which contributes to high density, and while having a density within the specifications of diesel fuel, enables the hydrocarbon component to be incorporated in large amounts into, for example, diesel fuel, especially winter or arctic grade diesel fuel. Thus, in certain preferred embodiments, the hydrocarbon component comprises at least 35 wt-%, preferably at least 40 wt-%, more preferably at least 45 wt-%, more preferably at least 50 wt-%, even more preferably at least 55 wt-%, most preferably at least 60 wt-%, typically up to 80 wt-% or up to 78 wt-% or up to 76 wt-%, for example 48 wt-% - 80 wt-% or 48 wt-% - 75 wt-% of C18 i-paraffin, based on the total weight of the hydrocarbon component. In certain preferred embodiments, the total amount of C19 - C22 i-paraffins in the hydrocarbon component is at least 6 wt-% or at least 8 wt-%, preferably at least 9 wt-%, more preferably at least 10 wt-%, typically up to 55 wt-%, or up to 50 wt-%, or up to 45 wt-%, for example up to 40 wt-%, based on the total weight of the hydrocarbon component. In certain particularly preferred embodiments, the total amount of C19 - C22 multi-branched i-paraffins in the hydrocarbon component is at least 5 wt-% or at least 6 wt-%, preferably at least 7 wt-%, more preferably at least 8 wt-%, typically up to 50 wt-%, or up to 45 wt-%, or up to 40 wt-%, for example up to 35 wt-%, based on the total weight of the hydrocarbon component. Such C19 - C22 i-paraffins and / or C19 - C22 multi-branched i-paraffin content may be included in the hydrocarbon component having a C18 i-paraffin content as defined above.The C19-C22 i-paraffin, C19-C22 multi-branched i-paraffin and / or C18 i-paraffin content as defined above is beneficially included in a hydrocarbon component having, in particular, a C15-C22 i-paraffin content and / or a C15-C22 i-paraffin to C15-C22 n-paraffin ratio as defined above, and / or a C15-C22 multi-branched i-paraffin content and / or a C15-C22 multi-branched i-paraffin to C15-C22 mono-branched i-paraffin ratio.

[0055] The components of interest here can be defined as renewable hydrocarbon components since at least a part of the raw material from which the components are derived is preferably of non-fossil origin. The carbon content of biological origin can be defined for any feasible composition according to EN 16640 (2017). In certain embodiments, the hydrocarbon component has a carbon content of biological origin of at least 50 wt-%, preferably at least 70 wt-%, more preferably at least 90 wt-%, or even about 100 wt-% based on the total weight (TC) of carbon in the hydrocarbon component. Such hydrocarbon components can help increase the bio-content of the products in which they are used. Hydrocarbon components having a carbon content of biological origin are also desirable for many applications due to their extremely low sulfur content.

[0056] The hydrocarbon component has a kinematic viscosity at 40 °C of more than 3.0 mm 2 / s, preferably more than 3.9 mm 2 / s, more preferably at least 4.0 mm 2 / s. As an upper limit given for the kinematic viscosity at 40 °C of the hydrocarbon component, less than 7.0 mm 2 / s, less than 6.0 mm 2 / s, less than 5.0 mm 2 / s, or less than 4.5 mm 2 / s can be inferred based on the experiments conducted and on the desired properties in various applications. Thus, in certain preferred embodiments, the hydrocarbon component is determined according to EN ISO3104-2020 to be more than 3.0 mm 2 / s to 7.0 mm at 40 °C2 / s, 3.9 mm 2 / s exceeds ~7.0 mm 2 / s, or 3.9 mm 2 / s exceeds ~6.0 mm 2 / s. The kinematic viscosity of conventional fossil Arctic-grade diesel is typically low, e.g., less than 2.000 mm 2 / s. This hydrocarbon component can be used to improve or even optimize all of the properties of Arctic-grade diesel fuel, such as viscosity, cetane number, and cold properties, all at the same time. For example, this hydrocarbon component can be used to improve the viscosity of Arctic-grade diesel at 40 °C, thereby improving its behavior in the fuel system. A higher viscosity improves the atomization of the fuel in the fuel system, leading to better fuel economy. In the case of diesel fuel, the kinematic viscosity preferably meets the specification limits of EN590:2022 / EN15940:2019 (maximum viscosity at 40 °C of 4.500 mm 2 / s).

[0057] The kinematic viscosity at sub-zero temperatures is lower than expected based on the carbon number distribution of this hydrocarbon component. This is beneficial when optimizing the properties of blend products such as diesel fuel, especially when this hydrocarbon component is used in an Arctic-grade diesel blend. Typically, the kinematic viscosity of this hydrocarbon component at -20 °C, determined in accordance with EN ISO3104-2020, is in the range of 20 - 100 mm 2 / s, preferably 30 - 50 mm 2 / s, more preferably 30 - 45 mm 2 / s. When studying the kinematic viscosity of this hydrocarbon component at even lower temperatures, typically, the component can have a kinematic viscosity in the range of 160 - 200 mm 2 / s, or 160 - 185 mm 2 / s, and thus it has been found that it can easily meet even the stringent sub-zero temperature performance requirements, such as the maximum specification for the kinematic viscosity of low-temperature switchgear oil at -40 °C (IEC60296-2012), which is 400 mm 2 / s.

[0058] The high density of this hydrocarbon component is beneficial for providing a higher calorific value compared to components derived from conventional hydrotreated vegetable oils. As a result, the fuel consumption is slightly lower. The density also affects the component blend and enables blending more hydrocarbon components with fossil fuels before reaching the lower limit of the density specification. Typically, the density of the hydrocarbon component at 15 °C is determined according to EN ISO 12185-1996 and is at least 780 kg / m 3 , preferably at least 785 kg / m 3 , more preferably at least 790 kg / m 3 , for example, in the range of 780 - 800 kg / m 3 , preferably 785 - 800 kg / m 3 , more preferably 790 - 795 kg / m 3 within the range.

[0059] In certain embodiments, the flash point of the hydrocarbon component is determined according to ISO 2719-2016 (Pensky-Martens closed cup procedure) and is 100 °C or higher, preferably 110 °C or higher, more preferably 135 °C or higher, for example up to 160 °C, for example in the range of 110 °C to 150 °C. Such a flash point is beneficial for certain uses or applications. For example, in the case of low-temperature opening and closing device oil, the flash point should not be less than 100 °C.

[0060] The hydrocarbon component has been found to have a very low cloud point. Experimentally, low cloud point values below -30°C, such as -35°C, -38°C, -41°C, -42°C, -43°C, -44°C, -64°C, etc., have been measured for this hydrocarbon component. Typically, the cloud point of the hydrocarbon component may be -32°C or lower, preferably -35°C or lower, or more preferably -40°C or lower. When expressed as a temperature range, the cloud point of the hydrocarbon component may typically vary within the range of -32°C to -70°C, preferably -35°C to -70°C, for example -40°C to -70°C. The cloud point is preferably determined according to ASTM D5771-17. In the case of renewable diesel, the cloud point and the cold filter plugging point (CFPP) are substantially the same. Thus, the minimum storage temperature (cloud point) of the fuel typically also reflects the minimum operating temperature (CFPP).

[0061] Due to the advantageous physicochemical properties described, this hydrocarbon component is particularly well-suited for use as a diesel fuel component, and any property evaluation or embodiment of this hydrocarbon component applies to the renewable diesel fuel component described herein. Thus, according to certain preferred embodiments, this hydrocarbon component is a renewable diesel fuel component. Due to its remarkable properties at very low temperatures such as -28°C, -34°C, -38°C, and even -44°C, preferably, this hydrocarbon component is a renewable Arctic-grade diesel fuel component. Examples of Arctic-grade diesel are classes 3 and 4 diesel according to EN590:2022.

[0062] The cetane number represents the ignition delay of diesel fuel, and a higher cetane value indicates a shorter ignition delay, and thus easier ignition, i.e., better ignition quality of the diesel fuel. Typically, this renewable diesel fuel component is determined according to EN 15195-2014 and may have a cetane number of at least 51, preferably at least 65, more preferably at least 68, even more preferably at least 70, and most preferably at least 74. Typically, the cetane number of the renewable diesel fuel component may be within the range of 51 to 84, for example 68 to 80.

[0063] An increase in the water content, i.e. the amount of water, is very undesirable as it has an adverse effect, especially important for use in transformer oils, on, for example, dielectric properties. Typically, this hydrocarbon component may have a water content of up to 100 w-ppm, preferably up to 50 w-ppm, more preferably up to 40 w-ppm, or up to 30 w-ppm, as determined according to IEC 60814.

[0064] The beneficial properties of this hydrocarbon component, in particular the high i-paraffin / n-paraffin ratio in C15 - C22 paraffins, can be contributed to by the production process and the feedstocks to the production process. Additives or enhancers for improving low-temperature properties or cetane number may not be necessary. The hydrocarbon component can be obtained directly from, or can be obtained from, the product recovery of the production process.

[0065] In certain embodiments, the hydrocarbon component is preferably obtained by hydrodeoxygenation of an oxygen-containing hydrocarbon feedstock, typically comprising vegetable oil, animal fat and / or microbial oil, and optionally subsequent gas-liquid separation and / or paraffinic feedstock fractionation to provide a paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock, and subjecting the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock to at least hydroisomerization, preferably to hydroisomerization and hydrocracking, followed by fractionation and recovering at least the hydrocarbon component from the fractionation. The feedstocks and process steps, in particular the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock, hydroisomerization and optional hydrocracking, and fractionation are preferably as further defined herein.

[0066] Thus, according to certain embodiments, the hydrocarbon component providing a paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock comprising at least 60 wt-% paraffins of the total weight of the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock, with up to 30 wt-% of the paraffins in the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock being i-paraffins, In a first reaction section, preferably a first reactor, subject a paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock to hydroisomerization in the presence of a hydroisomerization catalyst to obtain a hydroisomerization effluent. Subject a second reaction section feedstock comprising at least a portion of the hydroisomerization effluent to hydrocracking in a second reaction section, preferably a second reactor, in the presence of a hydrocracking catalyst to obtain a hydrocracking effluent. Subject the hydrocracking effluent and, optionally, (at least) a portion of the hydroisomerization effluent to fractionation to recover at least hydrocarbon components and, optionally, an aviation fuel component from the fractionation. It can be obtained by a process comprising:

[0067] In addition to the hydrocarbon components and, optionally, the recovered aviation fuel component, at least a gasoline fuel component and / or a marine fuel component can be recovered from the fractionation. Optionally, other products can also be recovered.

[0068] Preferably, the process has a T5 temperature (5 vol-% recovery, EN ISO 3405-2019) of preferably 270 °C or higher and further comprises recovering a recycle stream containing C16n-paraffins, if desired, from the fractionation. The recycle stream may be included in at least a portion of the hydroisomerization effluent or may form at least a portion of the hydroisomerization effluent that is subjected to hydrocracking in a second reaction section, preferably a second reactor. In other words, the recycle stream is fed to hydrocracking in a second reaction section, preferably a second reactor, as part of the second reaction section feed. The recycle stream may include at least a portion of the fractionation bottoms. In embodiments where the recycle stream is separated, particularly in embodiments where the second reaction section feed to hydrocracking includes, in addition to the recycle stream, a further portion of the hydroisomerization effluent, the yield of the desired liquid fuel components can be further optimized. In embodiments where the recycle stream is separated, the hydrocarbon component is preferably recovered by separating a portion from the recycle stream (i.e., in other words, the recycle stream is separated as part of the hydrocarbon component). Thus, the hydrocarbon component may have a T5 temperature (5 vol-% recovery, EN ISO 3405-2019) of 270 °C or higher.

[0069] In the present process, the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock contains at least 60 wt-%, preferably at least 70 wt-%, more preferably at least 80 wt-%, even more preferably at least 90 wt-% paraffins, based on the total weight of the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock. The paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock of the present disclosure may even contain at least 95 wt-% paraffins, based on the total weight of the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock, or may consist essentially of paraffins. The paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock of the present disclosure may contain minor amounts, preferably less than 5 wt-%, more preferably less than 1 wt-% olefins, as well as minor amounts of aromatics and / or naphthenes, based on the total weight of the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock.

[0070] The advantage of using a paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock in the process of the present disclosure is that paraffins isomerize relatively easily under milder conditions when subjected to hydroisomerization, for example, compared to cyclic hydrocarbons. Also, paraffins decompose relatively easily under mild conditions when subjected to hydrocracking, which helps to reduce the formation of light gases.

[0071] In this process, a paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock comprising at least 60 wt-% paraffins of the total weight of the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock, with at most 30 wt-% of the paraffins being i-paraffins, can be obtained from paraffin hydrotreated effluents such as hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) effluents, paraffinic Fischer-Tropsch (FT) effluents, or combinations thereof, after subjecting the effluent to at least gas-liquid separation, i.e., removal of at least the compounds that are gaseous at NTP, and optionally also to a paraffinic feedstock fractionation. For example, paraffinic FT effluents of fossil origin are readily available (in addition to FT effluents of renewable origin), but the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstocks of the present disclosure are at least partially renewable, i.e., contain components of biological origin.

[0072] Preferably, the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock of the present disclosure comprises, or consists essentially of, a hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) effluent or a portion thereof, such as a de-aerated HDO effluent or a portion thereof, from the catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (catalytic HDO) of an oxygenated hydrocarbon feedstock. Preferably, the oxygenated hydrocarbon feedstock comprises at least one or more of vegetable oils, animal fats, and / or microbial oils. This type of paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock tends to have a relatively narrow carbon number distribution and thus provides more benefits when subjected to the process of the present invention compared to, for example, FT-based feedstocks which typically have a substantially Gaussian distribution of hydrocarbon chains and a broad carbon chain length distribution. Typically, providing a paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock involves subjecting an oxygenated hydrocarbon feedstock to hydrodeoxygenation in the presence of a hydrodeoxygenation catalyst to obtain a hydrodeoxygenation effluent, and then subjecting the hydrodeoxygenation effluent to vapor-liquid separation and, optionally, to a paraffinic feedstock fractionation to obtain a de-aerated hydrodeoxygenation effluent or a fraction thereof as the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock. Hydrodeoxygenation can be carried out as described in prior art publications, such as Finnish Patent No. 100248, European Patent Application Publication No. 1741768, European Patent No. 2155838, or Finnish Patent 129220.

[0073] Generally, in the context of the present disclosure, the hydroisomerization (HI) of a paraffinic hydrocarbon feed in a first reaction section / reactor is operated such that the isomerization reaction is predominant while the cracking reaction is controlled or suppressed. Typically, the HI in the first reaction section / reactor is carried out at a temperature in the range of 200°C to 500°C, preferably 230°C to 500°C, more preferably 250°C to 450°C, even more preferably 280°C to 400°C, a pressure in the range of 1 MPa to 10 MPa, preferably 2 MPa to 8 MPa or 3 MPa to 10 MPa, an H2 partial pressure at the inlet of the first reaction section / reactor in the range of 1 MPa to 10 MPa, preferably 2 to 8 MPa, a weight hourly space velocity in the range of 0.1 to 10, preferably 0.2 to 8, more preferably 0.4 to 6 kg paraffinic hydrocarbon feed / kg catalyst / hour, and an H2 to paraffinic hydrocarbon feed ratio in the range of 10 to 2000, preferably 50 to 1000 normal liters H2 / liter paraffinic hydrocarbon feed. The hydroisomerization can be carried out as described in prior art publications, for example, Finnish Patent No. 100248, European Patent Application Publication No. 1741768, European Patent No. 2155838 or Finnish Patent 129220. The degree of HI can be increased by at least one or more of decreasing the WHSV, increasing the temperature, and / or increasing the pressure. When using a fresh HI catalyst, it is possible to reach a high degree of HI conditions at a lower temperature and / or pressure and / or using a higher WHSV, and towards the end of the HI catalyst life, higher temperature and / or pressure and / or a lower WHSV may be required even to reach a moderate HI.In this context, an HI that produces a liquid effluent having a total i-paraffin content of 50 to 85 wt-% and a multi-branched i-paraffin content of up to 25 wt-%, or a total i-paraffin content of 85 to 95 wt-% and a multi-branched i-paraffin content of 25 to 55 wt-%, or a total i-paraffin content of at least 95 wt-% and a multi-branched i-paraffin content exceeding 55 wt-%, as wt-% of paraffin in the liquid effluent, is generally regarded as a low, or medium, or high HI, respectively. However, these content ranges are only for indicating an index, overlap to some extent, and can vary depending on the case.

[0074] Generally, the hydrocracking in the second reaction section / reactor is operated such that reactions that particularly enhance the degree of effective cracking, not only for cracking reactions, especially C8 - C14 hydrocarbons but also for lighter non-gaseous hydrocarbons, are more abundant than the hydroisomerization in the first reaction section / reactor. Preferably, the cracking reaction, especially the reaction that enhances the degree of effective cracking, is dominant in the hydrocracking in the second reaction section / reactor, but generally there is no excessive cracking and no excessive fuel gas formation. Typically, the hydrocracking in the second reaction section / reactor is carried out at a temperature in the range of 200 °C to 450 °C, preferably 220 °C to 430 °C, more preferably 280 °C to 350 °C, a pressure in the range of 0.4 MPa to 8 MPa, preferably 1 MPa to 7 MPa, an H2 partial pressure at the inlet of the second reaction section / reactor in the range of 0.4 MPa to 8 MPa, preferably 1 MPa to 7 MPa, a weight hourly space velocity in the range of 0.1 to 10, preferably 0.2 to 8, more preferably 0.4 to 6, even more preferably 0.5 to 1.5 kg of the second reactor feed / kg catalyst / hour, and an H2 to second reactor feed ratio in the range of 10 to 2000, preferably 50 to 1000 normal liters H2 / liter of the second reactor feed.

[0075] Preferably, the hydrogen isomerization catalyst is a non-sulfided dual-functional hydrogen isomerization catalyst, and the hydrocracking catalyst is a non-sulfided dual-functional hydrocracking catalyst. Preferably, the above non-sulfided dual-functional catalyst comprises at least one or more metals selected from the noble metals of Group VIII, more preferably at least one or more metals selected from Pt and / or Pd, and at least one or more acidic porous materials. The non-sulfided dual-functional catalyst does not require sulfiding during operation to maintain activity, and thus can keep the sulfur content of various process streams and products low, and is preferred because less efficient H2S separation and recovery are required. In particular, a non-sulfided dual-functional catalyst containing noble metals can be active at a lower temperature and can exhibit higher selectivity for the isomerization reaction compared to sulfided catalysts, but is sensitive to deactivation by H2S. In particular, in the hydrocracking reaction in the second reaction section / reactor, the dual-functional hydrocracking (HC) catalyst has at least some isomerization activity in addition to cracking activity and can be particularly efficient in effective cracking, which is beneficial. As a further advantage, a dual-functional hydrocracking catalyst containing at least one or more metals selected from Group VIII noble metals, preferably Pt and / or Pd, provides high activity at a relatively low temperature compared to HC catalysts containing non-noble metals, and thus has been found to provide better control of thermal cracking. At low temperatures, the thermodynamic equilibrium tends to shift towards dearomatization, thus reducing the formation of aromatics by side reactions. By providing a dual-functional HC catalyst in the second reaction section / reactor, it can also be achieved that the isoparaffin content (wt-% isoparaffin out of total paraffin) in the hydrocracking effluent is not necessarily significantly lower than, or may be the same as or even higher than, that in the hydrogen isomerization effluent.

[0076] According to certain preferred embodiments, the hydrocarbon component is Subjecting an oxygenated hydrocarbon feedstock containing at least one or more of vegetable oils, animal fats and / or microbial oils to hydrodeoxygenation followed by gas-liquid separation to provide a paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock containing at least 60 wt-% paraffin based on the total weight of the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock, with a maximum of 30 wt-% of the paraffins in the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock being i-paraffins, In a first reaction section, preferably a first reactor, subjecting the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock to hydroisomerization in the presence of a hydroisomerization catalyst to obtain a hydroisomerization effluent, Subjecting a second reaction section feedstock containing at least a portion of the hydroisomerization effluent and optionally a recycle stream to hydrocracking in a second reaction section, preferably a second reactor, in the presence of a hydrocracking catalyst to obtain a hydrocracking effluent, Subjecting the hydrocracking effluent to fractionation to recover at least a hydrocarbon component and optionally an aviation fuel component from the fractionation, and optionally separating a recycle stream having a T5 temperature (5 vol-% recovery, EN ISO3405-2019) of preferably 270 °C or higher as part of the hydrocarbon component, which can be obtained by a process comprising.

[0077] The dominant component in the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock is n-paraffin. However, the presence of a certain amount of i-paraffin in the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock can still be beneficial. Compared to a similar feedstock except for the absence of the i-paraffin content, a paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock containing a certain amount of i-paraffin can obtain a hydroisomerization effluent having a higher content of multi-branched i-paraffin.

[0078] Preferably, the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock of the present disclosure comprises hydrocarbons having a carbon number in the range of C12 to C30, more preferably in the range of C14 to C22, at least 70 wt-%, preferably at least 80 wt-%, more preferably at least 90 wt-% of the total weight of the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock. These feedstocks enable good yields of two or more different types of fuel components and are readily available from conventional hydrodeoxygenation processes of vegetable oils containing fatty acids, animal fats and / or microbial oils. The heavier paraffinic feedstocks can be obtained, for example, from the HDO of oils from energy crops such as Brassica species, algal oils, crude tall oil (CTO), tall oil fatty acids (TOFA), and / or tall oil pitch (TOP).

[0079] The presence of multi-branched i-paraffins in the hydroisomerization effluent can be considered beneficial as it can beneficially contribute to the degree of effective cracking in the hydrocracking step. In particular, when the desired degree of effective cracking for not only C8 - C14 hydrocarbons but also lighter non-gaseous hydrocarbons is achieved in the hydrocracking step under milder operating conditions, excessive cracking is avoided and the formation of gaseous hydrocarbons can be reduced. Also, an increase in the content of multi-branched i-paraffins in the hydroisomerization effluent can be considered beneficial in that it provides improved low-temperature properties to the hydrocarbon component and, optionally, the recovered aviation fuel component, and / or improved RON to the optionally recovered gasoline fuel component. Without being bound by any theory, multi-branched i-paraffins are more likely to form two branched paraffin molecules upon cracking in the hydrocracking step instead of one branch and one n-paraffin, and thus it is believed that the i-paraffin content of the hydrocracking effluent increases relative to the n-paraffin content. The same can be seen downstream of the product recovered from the fractionation and in the optionally recovered recycle stream.

[0080] According to certain embodiments, the first reaction section for hydrogen isomerization and the second reaction section for hydrocracking may be arranged in one and the same reactor, for example in separate catalyst beds provided with suitable devices. According to certain other embodiments, the first reaction section for hydrogen isomerization is in a first reactor and the second reaction section for hydrocracking is in a second reactor. Having a hydrogen isomerization section in the first reactor and a hydrocracking section in the second reactor provides advantages in process design, process control, and maintenance.

[0081] Preferably, at least a portion of the hydrogen isomerization effluent fed to the hydrocracking comprises at least 50 wt-%, more preferably at least 60 wt-%, even more preferably at least 70 wt-%, still more preferably at least 80 wt-% of isoparaffins based on the total amount of paraffins in at least a portion of the hydrogen isomerization effluent, and optionally at least 5 wt-%, preferably at least 10 wt-%, more preferably at least 15 wt-%, still more preferably at least 20 wt-%, typically up to 70 wt-% of multi-branched isoparaffins based on the total amount of paraffins in at least a portion of the hydrogen isomerization effluent. Typically, at least a portion of the hydrogen isomerization effluent has a cloud point of less than 0 °C, preferably less than -5 °C, more preferably less than -8 °C, still more preferably less than -10 °C, or less than -15 °C (ASTM D5771-17).

[0082] Hydrocracking of at least a portion of the hydrogen isomerization effluent increases the yield of non-gaseous cracking products, in particular C8 - C14, but also increases the yield of lighter non-gaseous hydrocarbons that contribute to the yield of components in the gasoline and / or jet fuel range. Since the feed to the hydrocracking can contain a high i-paraffin content and a high multi-branched i-paraffin content, the inventors have found that hydrocracking can produce additional i-paraffins without excessive cracking to lower value light C1 - C3 hydrocarbons and instead reduce their amount.

[0083] The advantageous hydrocarbon composition of this hydrocarbon component is demonstrated to enhance the physicochemical properties, particularly those desirable for use in diesel fuel compositions, especially in Arctic diesel fuels, especially with respect to a relatively narrow carbon number distribution mainly in the C15 - C22 range, a very high content of i - paraffins, preferably multi - branched i - paraffins, and a very low content of n - paraffins. When studied under laboratory conditions, the properties that correlate with the desirable properties of the fuel are, for example, the shape of the distillation curve and the distillation characteristics.

[0084] According to certain embodiments, herein, the difference between the T95 temperature (95 vol-% recovery, EN ISO3405-2019) and the T5 temperature (5 vol-% recovery, EN ISO3405-2019) is at most 70 °C, preferably at most 65 °C, more preferably at most 60 °C, typically at least 10 °C, preferably at least 15 °C, more preferably at least 25 °C, typically in the range of 10 °C to 70 °C, preferably 15 °C to 70 °C, more preferably 20 °C to 70 °C, even more preferably 25 °C to 65 °C, and a hydrocarbon component is provided. A relatively narrow boiling range may provide certain advantages, but defining the minimum boiling range exemplified herein may also be beneficial, for example, for combustion and blend properties. Preferably, the hydrocarbon component has a T5 temperature (5 vol-% recovery, EN ISO3405-2019) of 270 °C or higher, preferably 275 °C or higher, more preferably 280 °C or higher, typically in the range of 270 °C to 310 °C or 270 °C to 310 °C, such that it increases the paraffin content, density, and flash point in the C15 - C22 range and enables the recovery of aviation fuel components in high yields from the same manufacturing process. Typically, the hydrocarbon component may have a final boiling point (FBP) of at most 380 °C, preferably at most 370 °C, more preferably at most 360 °C, even more preferably at most 350 °C, as determined according to EN ISO3405-2019. Such an FBP is generally considered to be within the boiling range of diesel fuel. The hydrocarbon component allows for the inclusion of heavier i-paraffins within the C15 - C22 range, especially as defined above, while still boiling within the diesel range.According to a second aspect, a diesel fuel composition according to the present disclosure comprises a hydrocarbon component or a diesel fuel component, preferably a renewable hydrocarbon component or a renewable diesel component, as defined above, in an amount of at least 10 vol-%, at least 15 vol-%, at least 20 vol-%, at least 25 vol-%, at least 30 vol-%, at least 35 vol-%, at least 40 vol-%, at least 45 vol-%, at least 50 vol-%, at least 55 vol-%, at least 60 vol-%, or at least 65 vol-% of the total volume of the diesel fuel composition, such as in an amount of 1 to 99 vol-%, preferably 10 to 70 vol-%. Surprisingly, a high volume fraction such as 70 vol-% of the hydrocarbon component in the diesel fuel composition is possible due to an unusually high density, especially compared to conventional paraffinic diesel components.

[0085] The remainder of the diesel fuel composition can consist of a diesel fuel component and, optionally, additives, especially additives typical of the prior art. Currently, the most common diesel fuel component is a fossil diesel grade. In embodiments where low storage or operating temperatures are involved, the diesel fuel component (in addition to this component) can be selected from a class 0 winter diesel grade or a class 1 winter diesel grade or a class 2 winter diesel grade or a class 3 arctic diesel grade or a class 4 arctic diesel grade according to EN 590:2022. An exemplary diesel fuel composition may include, for example, this hydrocarbon component, a hydrocarbon component of a fossil arctic diesel grade, and an antioxidant. In certain embodiments, the diesel fuel composition meets the requirements for diesel fuel defined in Directive 2009 / 30 / EC. In certain embodiments, the requirements of EN 590:2022 are also met.

[0086] The blend of this hydrocarbon component with Arctic grade fossil diesel has been experimentally studied and reported in this example compared to renewable diesel components of the prior art. Advantages were shown, for example, with respect to the kinematic viscosity, calorific value, and low temperature properties of the blend. The results were improved with an increase in the proportion of this hydrocarbon component in the blend.

[0087] Accordingly, according to a third aspect, the hydrocarbon component according to the present disclosure can be used in a diesel fuel composition to improve one or more product characteristics of the diesel fuel composition. The one or more product characteristics of the diesel fuel composition include at least one or more of kinematic viscosity at 40 °C, cloud point, clogging point, cetane number, density, calorific value, and / or carbon content of biological origin.

[0088] In certain embodiments, the use of this hydrocarbon component is provided to provide a diesel fuel composition that meets the requirements of diesel fuel as defined in Directive 2009 / 30 / EC. In certain embodiments, the requirements of EN590:2022 are also met.

[0089] In certain embodiments, the hydrocarbon component can be used in the diesel fuel composition in an amount of 1 vol-% to 99 vol-%, preferably 10 vol-% to 70 vol-%, for example 10 vol-%, 15 vol-%, 20 vol-%, 25 vol-%, 30 vol-%, 35 vol-%, 40 vol-%, 45 vol-%, 50 vol-%, 55 vol-%, 60 vol-%, or 65 vol-% of the total volume of the diesel fuel composition. Such use typically improves at least the carbon content of biological origin of the diesel fuel composition.

[0090] Due to its improved properties, this hydrocarbon component can be used in a wide range of applications, particularly in Arctic grade diesel fuels, and can be incorporated at high rates.

[0091] In addition to its usefulness in diesel fuel compositions, this hydrocarbon component is suitable for a wide variety of other uses, for example in raw materials for industrial conversion processes, preferably in pyrolysis raw materials such as steam cracking raw materials and / or catalytic cracking raw materials, in transformer oils, heat transfer media, switchgear oils, buffer oils, insulating oils, hydraulic oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, degreasing compositions, penetration oils, corrosion protection compositions, multipurpose oils, metalworking fluids, especially rolling oils for aluminum, cutting oils, drilling fluids, solvents, lubricating oils, extender oils, carriers, dispersant compositions, demulsifiers, extractants, paint compositions, coating liquids or pastes, adhesives, resins, varnishes, printing pastes or inks, surfactants, detergents, plasticized oils, turbine oils, hydrophobizing compositions, in agriculture in crop protection fluids, in construction in concrete release formulations, in electronic devices, in medical devices, in compositions for the automotive, electrical, textile, packaging, paper, cosmetic and / or pharmaceutical industries, and / or in the manufacture of intermediates therefor. The high isoparaffin to n-paraffin ratio of this hydrocarbon component can improve fluidity, pumping and mixing characteristics, as well as blendability, which are generally desired and beneficial properties for a wide range of applications, especially those involving spraying, injection and / or mixing with other components. The use of this hydrocarbon component is particularly preferred not only in transformer oils, but also in pyrolysis raw materials and / or catalytic cracking raw materials for producing olefinic monomers, especially ethylene and / or propylene, since the very low content of cyclic substances helps to reduce the formation of coke-forming aromatics, the very high paraffin content helps to improve the conversion to light olefins even under less severe cracking conditions, and the high isoparaffin content is expected to favorably contribute to the production of a preferred propylene to ethylene product ratio in these processes.

[0092] Depending on the intended application, one or more of, for example, antioxidants, stabilizers, surfactants, corrosion inhibitors, friction modifiers, metal deactivators, lubricity additives, defoamers, and / or fuel dyes can be suitably added to the hydrocarbon component or diesel fuel composition.

[0093] Schematic presentation of the process Figure 1 schematically shows a process according to an exemplary embodiment for producing the hydrocarbon component. In Figure 1, the oxygenated hydrocarbon feed 110 is fed to the HDO reactor 120, where in the HDO reactor 120, it is subjected to hydrodeoxygenation in the presence of the HDO catalyst 130 to obtain a hydrodeoxygenation effluent (HDO effluent) 140. The obtained HDO effluent 140 is subjected to gas-liquid separation 150 to separate at least a compound 160 that is gaseous at NTP from the HDO effluent, obtaining a degassed HDO effluent 170, which in this exemplary embodiment is the paraffinic hydrocarbon feed as defined herein. The degassed HDO effluent 170 is then fed in Figure 1 to the first reactor 180, where in the first reactor, the degassed HDO effluent 170 is subjected to hydroisomerization in the presence of the hydroisomerization catalyst 190 to obtain a hydroisomerization effluent (HI effluent) 200. The obtained HI effluent 200 is subjected to gas-liquid separation 210 to separate at least a compound 220 that is gaseous at NTP from the HI effluent 200, obtaining a degassed HI effluent 230. In Figure 1, the degassed HI effluent 230 is fed to a distillation unit 240 that may include a single column or a prefractionation and a main distillation column, from which several streams or cuts are obtained. From the distillation in Figure 1, for example, a hydrocarbon component 270 as a diesel fuel component, as well as an aviation fuel component 260 and / or a gasoline fuel component 250 are recovered. In the fractionation of Figure 1, a recycle stream 280 having a T5 boiling point of 270 °C or higher is also separated, and the hydrocarbon component 270 may be partially separated therefrom. A second reaction section feed including the recycle stream 280 as at least a part of the HI effluent is fed in Figure 1 to the second reactor 290, where in the second reactor 290, it is subjected to hydrocracking in the presence of the hydrocracking catalyst 300 to obtain a hydrocracking effluent 310. In Figure 1, the hydrocracking effluent 310 is subjected to gas-liquid separation 320 to separate at least a compound 330 that is gaseous at NTP from the hydrocracking effluent 310, obtaining a degassed hydrocracking effluent 340, and the degassed hydrocracking effluent 340 is then fed to the distillation unit 240 for fractionation as a co-feed with the degassed HI effluent 230.In certain embodiments, yet another portion of the HI effluents 200, 230 may be fed as a co-feed 500 with the recycle stream 280, i.e., as part of the second reactor feed, to hydrocracking in the second reactor 290.

[0094] Figure 2 schematically shows a process according to another exemplary embodiment for producing the hydrocarbon component. In Figure 2, an oxygenated hydrocarbon feed 110 is supplied to an HDO reactor 120, where it is subjected to hydrodeoxygenation in the presence of an HDO catalyst 130 to obtain a hydrodeoxygenation effluent (HDO effluent) 140. The obtained HDO effluent 140 is subjected to gas-liquid separation 150 to separate a compound 160 that is gaseous at least at NTP from the HDO effluent, obtaining a degassed HDO effluent 170, which, in this exemplary embodiment, is a paraffinic hydrocarbon feed as defined herein. The degassed HDO effluent 170 is then supplied to a first reactor 180 in Figure 2, where the degassed HDO effluent 170 is subjected to hydroisomerization in the presence of a hydroisomerization catalyst 190 to obtain a hydroisomerization effluent (HI effluent) 200. The obtained HI effluent 200 is subjected to gas-liquid separation 210 to separate a compound 220 that is gaseous at least at NTP from the HI effluent 200, obtaining a degassed HI effluent 230. In Figure 2, a second reaction section feed containing the degassed HI effluent 230 is supplied to a second reactor 290, where it is subjected to hydrocracking in the presence of a hydrocracking catalyst 300 to obtain a hydrocracking effluent 350. The hydrocracking effluent 350 is subjected to gas-liquid separation 360 to separate a compound 370 that is gaseous at least at NTP from the hydrocracking effluent 350, obtaining a degassed hydrocracking effluent 380. In Figure 2, the degassed hydrocracking effluent 380 is supplied to a distillation unit 240 that may include a single column or a prefractionation and a main distillation column, where it is fractionated into several streams or cuts. From the distillation in Figure 2, a hydrocarbon component 410, such as a diesel fuel component, as well as an aviation fuel component 400 and / or a gasoline fuel component 390 are recovered. If a recycle stream 420 having a T5 boiling point of 270 °C or higher is separated, the hydrocarbon component 410 may be partially separated therefrom. In Figure 2, the recycle stream 420 can be supplied to the second reactor 290 for hydrocracking as a co-feed with the degassed HI effluent 230, i.e., as part of the second reaction section feed.In certain embodiments, a portion of the HI effluents 200, 230 may be fed to the fractionation as co-feed 500 with the hydrocracking effluents 350, 380.

Example

[0095] Example 1 - Production of the hydrocarbon component The hydrocarbon components studied herein were recovered from a pilot run. Here, two different types of fatty raw materials were subjected to hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) and gas-liquid separation to obtain a paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock containing >95 wt-% paraffins based on the total weight of the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock, and the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock was further subjected to different degrees of hydroisomerization (HI) to obtain four different hydrocracking (HC) feedstocks (feedstocks A, B, C, and D). Fractions of the hydroisomerization effluent obtained by degassing the hydroisomerization effluent or by recovering only the bottom fraction were hydrocracked, and subsequently the effluent from the hydrocracking was degassed or degassed and stabilized. Renewable aviation fuel components were recovered as the main product from the hydrocracking effluent thus obtained, and at least hydrocarbon components were recovered as further products of particular interest. The hydrocarbon components thus obtained were renewable hydrocarbon components. Details of the hydrocracking feedstocks are shown in Table 1, and Table 2 shows details of the hydrocracking process as well as the approximate boiling range and yields of the hydrocarbon components.

[0096]

Table 1

[0097]

Table 2

[0098] The hydrocracking catalyst was a non-sulfided dual-functional hydrocracking catalyst containing Pt on a zeolite / zeolite type material in all test runs. When the feeds reported in Table 1 were subjected to the hydrocracking conditions reported in Table 2, the catalyst had not only cracking activity but also isomerization activity.

[0099] The hydrocarbon components were recovered in good yields, and generally, the yields were higher at lower hydrocracking temperatures, higher WHSVs, and / or with heavier hydrocracking feeds.

[0100] Example 2 - Composition and Properties of this Hydrocarbon Component Some physicochemical and compositional properties of the hydrocarbon components of Example 1 were analyzed and summarized in Tables 3, 4, and 5. The hydrocracking feed HC Feed B, and the fatty raw materials were subjected to HDO and hydroisomerization, and two conventional renewable paraffinic diesels (reference renewable diesel, RRD) obtained by the recovery of the diesel fraction, i.e., not subjected to hydrocracking, were used here as references.

[0101]

Table 3

[0102]

Table 4

[0103]

Table 5

[0104] Some variations are seen due to process conditions, the starting target distillation cut point, and / or the use of different HC feeds in the test runs. However, as can be summarized based on Table 3, the cloud point (and CFPP) temperature varied from -35°C to -64°C, the kinematic viscosity at 40°C varied in the range of 3.668 mm 2 / s to 4.368 mm 2 / s, the measured cetane number was >68, and the components had a high density with only slight variations (787 - 793 kg / m 3 ).

[0105] From Table 4, it can be seen that the hydrocarbon component of Example 1 mainly contained C15 - C22 paraffins with isoparaffin as the main fraction (>96 wt-%). Regarding the carbon number, the dominant i-paraffin was C18i-paraffin, more specifically, C18i-paraffin with two or more branches (data not reported here). Depending on the process conditions, about 48 wt-% to about 75 wt-% of the total paraffins were C18i-paraffin. The weight ratio of C15 - C22i-paraffin to C15 - C22n-paraffin in the hydrocarbon component of Example 1 was >22, i.e., much higher than the ratio in HC Feed B used here as a reference. Furthermore, compared with HC Feed B and RRD, the hydrocarbon component of Example 1 had a lower total n-paraffin content, a lower content of mono-branched i-paraffin (<30 wt-%), and a higher content of multi-branched i-paraffin (>65 wt-%).

[0106] Example 3 - Comparison of Physicochemical Properties of This Hydrocarbon Component (NC), Hydrocracked Feed, and Paraffinic Reference Renewable Diesel (RRD) The following comparison demonstrates that the present hydrocarbon component (NC) is clearly different from the hydrocracked feedstock (HC feedstock B) and two conventional paraffinic renewable diesels (the same reference renewable diesel RRD as in the previous example). Table 6 shows some physicochemical properties of HC feedstock B, RRD1 and RRD2, and two hydrocarbon components (NC_TR3, NC_TR8) obtained from test runs 3 and 8, the average properties (average NC) of five hydrocarbon components according to the present disclosure obtained from five different test runs (TR) of hydrocracking HC feedstock B under different HC conditions, and the average properties (average NC) of three components according to the present disclosure obtained from three different test runs (TR) of hydrocracking HC feedstock C under different HC conditions.

[0107]

Table 6

[0108] The results in Table 6 show that hydrocarbon components with excellent low cloud points, increased kinematic viscosity at 40 °C and high density can be obtained from different HC feedstocks under various test run conditions. The individual and average cloud points of the new components were at least about 10 °C lower than the cloud points of the hydrocracked feedstock and the RRD. The individual and average kinematic viscosities at 40 °C of the present hydrocarbon component were significantly higher than the kinematic viscosity of the RRD, but clearly higher than the viscosity of the hydrocracked feedstock. The cetane number of the new component was at approximately the same level as the hydrocracked feedstock and the RRD, clearly exceeding even the cetane requirement of at least 51.0 for class B paraffinic diesel and at least 70.0 for class A paraffinic diesel (EN 15940-2016). The individual and average densities of the present hydrocarbon component were significantly higher than the density of the RRD and clearly higher than the density of HC feedstock B.

[0109] Example 4 - Blend Experiment with Arctic Grade Fossil Diesel Already, the physicochemical properties of Example 3 suggest that this hydrocarbon component is an excellent blend component, especially for diesel fuel compositions. In these blend examples, the compatibility of this hydrocarbon component with Arctic / winter diesel grades is demonstrated. As reference components, conventional paraffinic renewable diesel (reference renewable diesel, RRD) and conventional fossil Arctic grade diesel were used. The blend examples were calculated linearly using the properties of the pure blend components (NC_TR8, RRD, and fossil Arctic grade).

[0110]

Table 7

[0111] For example, when 10 vol-% of NC_TR8 was blended with fossil Arctic grade diesel, a viscosity of approximately 2 mm 2 / s (at 40 °C) could be obtained. This viscosity was clearly higher than the viscosity achieved by blending 10 vol-% of RRD with fossil Arctic grade diesel.

[0112] Furthermore, when the blend contained 25 vol-% of NC_TR8, the viscosity advantage became even more apparent compared to the case where RRD was used as the blend component. Additionally, when NC_TR8 was used as the blend component, unlike when RRD was used as the blend component, the cloud point of the Arctic grade diesel did not increase. Instead, due to the very low cloud point of NC-TR8, it was actually possible to lower the cloud point of the Arctic grade diesel.

[0113] According to the diesel specifications (Table 3 of EN590:2022) for climate-related requirements regarding Arctic or winter climates, class 4 diesel has a cloud point of up to -34 °C, 800 - 840 kg / m 3should have a density at 15 °C within the range of, a kinematic viscosity at 40 °C within the range of 1.200 to 4.000, a cetane number within the EU minimum of 51.0, and distillation characteristics with a maximum 10.0 vol-% recovery at 180 °C and a minimum 95.0 vol-% recovery at 340 °C. The density of the hydrocarbon component (NC) tested herein was slightly lower than 800 kg / m 3 but the other mentioned properties are well within the Class 4 specification range and thus enable incorporating the hydrocarbon component into an Arctic / winter diesel fuel composition at a much higher rate, for example, than a paraffinic reference renewable diesel (RRD) tested herein.

[0114] Furthermore, the examples showed that using NC as a blend component instead of RRD can reach a higher calorific value per liter for the blend. This is a significant advantage as it directly leads to a reduction in fuel consumption.

[0115] Various embodiments are presented. It should be understood that herein, the terms comprising, including, and containing are each used as open-ended expressions without intended exclusivity. The foregoing description has provided a complete and helpful explanation of the best mode currently contemplated by the inventors for carrying out the invention as a non-limiting example of particular embodiments and implementations. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the embodiments presented above and can be implemented in other embodiments or different combinations of embodiments using equivalent means without departing from the features of the invention.

[0116] Furthermore, some of the features of the exemplary embodiments disclosed above can be advantageously used without correspondingly using other features. Therefore, the foregoing description should be considered merely an illustration of the principles of the invention and not as limiting the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A hydrocarbon component comprising n-paraffin, mono-branched i-paraffin, and multi-branched i-paraffin, wherein the total amount of C15-C22 n-paraffin, C15-C22 mono-branched i-paraffin, and C15-C22 multi-branched i-paraffin is at least 90 wt-% of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component, and the weight ratio of C15-C22 i-paraffin to C15-C22 n-paraffin is at least 22:1, preferably at least 24:1, more preferably at least 30:1, and even more preferably at least 34:

1. The hydrocarbon component.

2. The hydrocarbon component according to claim 1, wherein the total amount of C1-C14 hydrocarbons is at most 3 wt-% of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component.

3. The hydrocarbon component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the total amount of total n-paraffin is at most 5 wt-%, preferably at most 3 wt-% of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component.

4. The hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the weight ratio of C15-C22 multi-branched i-paraffin to C15-C22 mono-branched i-paraffin is at least 1.8, preferably at least 2.0, and more preferably at least 2.

5.

5. The hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the total amount of C15-C22 i-paraffin is at least 80 wt-%, preferably at least 85 wt-%, more preferably at least 90 wt-%, and even more preferably at least 95 wt-% of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component.

6. The hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the total amount of C15-C22 multi-branched i-paraffin is at least 60 wt-%, preferably at least 63 wt-%, more preferably at least 65 wt-% of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component, and / or the total amount of C15-C22 mono-branched i-paraffin is at most 35 wt-%, preferably at most 30 wt-%, more preferably at most 25 wt-% of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component.

7. The hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the total amount of C15-C22 n-paraffin, C15-C22 mono-branched i-paraffin, and C15-C22 multi-branched i-paraffin is at least 92 wt-%, preferably at least 95 wt-%, more preferably 95-99 wt-% of the total weight of the hydrocarbon component.

8. The difference between the T95 temperature (95 vol-% recovery, EN ISO 3405-2019) and the T5 temperature (5 vol-% recovery, EN ISO 3405-2019) is at most 70 °C, preferably at most 65 °C, more preferably at most 60 °C, and / or at least 10 °C, preferably at least 15 °C, more preferably at least 25 °C, and / or within the range of 10 °C to 70 °C, preferably 15 °C to 70 °C, more preferably 20 °C to 70 °C, even more preferably 25 °C to 65 °C, the hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 7

9. The kinematic viscosity of the hydrocarbon component at 40 °C is determined according to EN ISO 3104-2020 and is more than 3.0 mm 2 / s, preferably more than 3.9 mm 2 / s, more preferably at least 4.0 mm 2 / s, and / or the kinematic viscosity of the hydrocarbon component at -20 °C is determined according to EN ISO 3104-2020 and is 20 to 100 mm 2 / s, preferably 30 to 50 mm 2 / s, more preferably in the range of 30 to 45 mm 2 / s, The hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The flash point of the hydrocarbon component is determined according to ISO 2719-2016 (Pensky-Martens closed cup procedure) and is 100 °C or higher, preferably 110 °C or higher, more preferably 135 °C or higher, the hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 9

11. The density of the hydrocarbon component at 15 °C is determined according to EN ISO 12185-1996 and is at least 780 kg / m 3 , preferably at least 785 kg / m 3 , more preferably at least 790 kg / m 3 The hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which is as described above.

12. The cloud point of the hydrocarbon component is determined according to ASTM D5771-17 and is -32 °C or lower, preferably -35 °C or lower, more preferably -40 °C or lower, the hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 11

13. The carbon content of biological origin of the hydrocarbon component is determined according to EN 16640 (2017) and is at least 50 wt-%, preferably at least 70 wt-%, more preferably at least 90 wt-%, or even more preferably about 100 wt-% based on the total weight of carbon (TC) in the hydrocarbon component, the hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 12

14. Typically, hydrodeoxygenation of an oxygenated hydrocarbon feedstock containing vegetable oil, animal fat and / or microbial oil, and optionally subsequent gas-liquid separation and / or paraffinic feedstock fractionation to preferably provide a paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock Subjecting the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock to at least hydroisomerization, preferably to hydroisomerization and hydrocracking, followed by fractionation, and recovering at least the hydrocarbon component from the fractionation The hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 13 can be obtained or is obtained by a process comprising

15. Providing a paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock that contains at least 60 wt-% paraffin of the total weight of the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock, and up to 30 wt-% of the paraffin in the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock is i-paraffin, In a first reaction section, preferably a first reactor, subjecting the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock to hydroisomerization in the presence of a hydroisomerization catalyst to obtain a hydroisomerization effluent, Subjecting a second reaction section feedstock containing at least a portion of the hydroisomerization effluent to hydrocracking in a second reaction section, preferably a second reactor, in the presence of a hydrocracking catalyst to obtain a hydrocracking effluent, Subjecting the hydrocracking effluent, and optionally a portion of the hydroisomerization effluent, to fractionation to recover at least the hydrocarbon component and optionally an aviation fuel component from the fractionation, A hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 14, which can be obtained by a process comprising:

16. The hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the hydrocarbon component is a diesel fuel component, preferably a diesel fuel component of Arctic grade.

17. The cetane number of the hydrocarbon component is determined according to EN 15195-2014 and is at least 51, preferably at least 65, more preferably at least 68, even more preferably at least 70, and most preferably at least 74. The hydrocarbon component according to claim 16.

18. A diesel fuel composition comprising 1 to 99 vol-%, preferably 10 to 70 vol-% of the hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 17 of the total volume of the diesel fuel composition.

19. Use of the hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 17 in the diesel fuel composition to improve one or more product characteristics of the diesel fuel composition, wherein the one or more product characteristics of the diesel fuel composition preferably include at least one or more of kinematic viscosity at 40 °C, cloud point, clogging point, cetane number, density, calorific value, and / or carbon content of biological origin.

20. The use according to claim 19, or the diesel fuel composition according to claim 18, wherein the diesel fuel composition meets the requirements of diesel fuel specified in Directive 2009 / 30 / EC and optionally EN 590:2022.

21. The use according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the diesel fuel composition contains the hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 17 in an amount of 1 to 99 vol-% of the total volume of the diesel fuel composition, preferably 10 to 70 vol-%.

22. In raw materials for industrial conversion processes, preferably in pyrolysis raw materials and / or catalytic cracking raw materials, in transformer oils, heat transfer media, switching device oils, buffer device oils, insulating oils, hydraulic oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, degreasing compositions, penetration oils, anticorrosion compositions, multipurpose oils, metalworking fluids, especially rolling oils for aluminum, cutting oils, drilling fluids, solvents, lubricating oils, extender oils, carriers, dispersant compositions, demulsifiers, extractants, paint compositions, coating liquids or pastes, adhesives, resins, varnishes, printing pastes or inks, surfactants, detergents, plasticized oils, turbine oils, hydrophobizing compositions, in agriculture, in crop protection fluids, in construction, in concrete release formulations, in electronic devices, in medical devices, in compositions for the automotive, electrical, textile, packaging, paper, cosmetic and / or pharmaceutical industries, and / or in the manufacture of intermediates therefor, of the hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

23. The use according to any one of claims 19 to 22, the diesel fuel composition according to claim 18 or 20, or the hydrocarbon component according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein at least one or more of an antioxidant, a stabilizer, a surfactant, a corrosion inhibitor, a friction modifier, a metal deactivator, a lubricity additive, an antifoaming agent, and / or a fuel dye is added to the hydrocarbon component or the diesel fuel composition.

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