Vegetable Oil Alkylester Additive for Viscosity Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current petroleum products face challenges with high viscosity and low calorific value, which affect their efficiency and environmental impact, particularly in combustion engines, and existing additives do not adequately address these issues.
Innovation Solution
The use of a mixture of fatty acid alkylesters derived from vegetable oils, such as palm kernel oil and candle nut oil, which are transesterified to create a composition effective as a viscosity reducer and lubricant in petroleum products, even at low concentrations, and can be used in fuels to decrease exhaust gas emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If vegetable oil is used as additive in petroleum products, then viscosity is reduced and API gravity is increased, but the additive requires specific composition control to achieve optimal performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by specifying precise compositional parameters for the fatty acid alkylesters mixture, including saturation levels (at least 56% saturated C12 chains, at least 23% saturated C14 chains), chain length distributions, and unsaturation limits. These parameter specifications enable the additive to achieve optimal viscosity reduction and API gravity increase while maintaining compositional stability and predictability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by creating a mixture of specific fatty acid alkylesters (combining saturated and monounsaturated varieties in defined proportions) rather than using a single compound. This composite approach allows the additive to achieve superior performance in reducing viscosity and increasing API gravity while managing composition complexity through structured mixing of complementary components.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If existing additives are used to improve combustion efficiency, then emission reduction is achieved, but they do not adequately address viscosity and calorific value issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing an additive that simultaneously performs multiple functions: reducing viscosity, increasing API gravity, improving combustion efficiency, and decreasing exhaust gas emissions. The specific composition of fatty acid alkylesters (with controlled saturation and chain length) enables this multi-functionality, allowing a single additive to address multiple performance issues rather than requiring separate additives for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by optimizing the compositional parameters of the additive mixture to achieve balanced performance across multiple functions. By controlling the proportions of saturated C12, saturated C14, and monounsaturated C18 chains, along with limiting unsaturated C18 chains to at most 5%, the additive achieves optimal balance between viscosity reduction, combustion efficiency, and emission control.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If biodiesel is mixed with diesel to improve sustainability, then environmental impact is reduced, but viscosity increases and calorific value decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the compositional parameters of the vegetable oil-derived additive to minimize negative impacts on viscosity and calorific value. By specifying that saturated C12 chains constitute at least 56% and saturated C14 chains at least 23% of the total fatty acid composition, while limiting monounsaturated C18 chains to at most 5%, the additive achieves optimal balance between sustainability and performance characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by creating a tailored mixture of fatty acid alkylesters that combines the beneficial environmental properties of vegetable oil derivatives with improved physical properties. The composite nature of the mixture, combining specific saturated and monounsaturated components in defined ratios, enables the additive to maintain sustainability while managing viscosity and calorific value within acceptable ranges.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The fatty acid alkylesters significantly reduce viscosity and increase API gravity of petroleum products, enhancing their flowability and efficiency, while also reducing emissions from combustion engines, demonstrating their potential as a sustainable and effective additive.
Implementation Method 1
The fatty acid alkylesters significantly reduce viscosity and increase API gravity of petroleum products, enhancing their flowability and efficiency
Implementation Method 2
The use of a mixture of fatty acid alkylesters derived from vegetable oils, such as palm kernel oil and candle nut oil, which are transesterified to create a composition effective as a viscosity reducer
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns a mixture of alkylesters of fatty acids, wherein the fatty acids have the following composition: at least 56% of saturated C12 chains, at least 23% of saturated C14 chains, at most 8% of saturated C16 chains, at most 5% of saturated C6-10 chains, at most 5% of monounsaturated C18 chains, at most 2% of saturated C18 chains, at most 0.8% of diunsaturated C18 chains, at most 0.2% of saturated C20 chains, the percentages being an average percentage expressed in number of moles per total number of moles of alkylesters, and the use of these mixtures as a viscosity agent.