skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Potential Additives to Promote Seal Swell in Synthetic Fuels and Their Effect on Thermal Stability

Abstract

Synthetic fuels derived from the Fischer–Tropsch (F-T) process using natural gas or coal-derived synthesis gas as feedstocks can be used for powering ground vehicles, aircraft, and ships. Because of their chemical and physical properties, F-T fuels will probably require additives in order to meet specifications with respect to lubricity and seal swell capability for use in ground and air vehicles. Using both experimental and computational studies, the propensity of certain species to enhance the seal swell characteristics of synthetic fuels and surrogates has been determined, and promising additives have been identified. Important structural characteristics for potential additives, namely an aromatic ring along with a polar constituent, are described. The thermal stability of synthetic and surrogate fuels containing the single-component additive benzyl alcohol, which is representative of this structural class, has been determined by batch stressing of the mixtures at 350 °C for up to 12 h. Synthetic fuels spiked with benzyl alcohol at concentrations (vol %) of 1.0, 0.75, and 0.5 have demonstrated the ability to swell nitrile rubber o-rings to a comparable degree as petroleum jet fuel. Further, batch reactor studies have shown that addition of benzyl alcohol does not degrade the thermal oxidative stability of the fuel basedmore » on gravimetric analysis of the solid deposits after stressing. GC-MS was used to characterize the products from thermal stressing of neat and additized surrogate jet fuel, and their compositions were compared with respect to the creation of certain species and their potential effect on deposition.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV, and Albany, OR (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE - Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
OSTI Identifier:
925759
Report Number(s):
DOE/NETL-IR-2008-107
Journal ID: ISSN 0887-0624
DOE Contract Number:  
None cited
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Energy and Fuels
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 22; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 0887-0624
Publisher:
American Chemical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS

Citation Formats

Link, D D, Gormley, R J, Baltrus, J P, Anderson, R R, and Zandhuis, P H. Potential Additives to Promote Seal Swell in Synthetic Fuels and Their Effect on Thermal Stability. United States: N. p., 2008. Web. doi:10.1021/ef700569k.
Link, D D, Gormley, R J, Baltrus, J P, Anderson, R R, & Zandhuis, P H. Potential Additives to Promote Seal Swell in Synthetic Fuels and Their Effect on Thermal Stability. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/ef700569k
Link, D D, Gormley, R J, Baltrus, J P, Anderson, R R, and Zandhuis, P H. 2008. "Potential Additives to Promote Seal Swell in Synthetic Fuels and Their Effect on Thermal Stability". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/ef700569k.
@article{osti_925759,
title = {Potential Additives to Promote Seal Swell in Synthetic Fuels and Their Effect on Thermal Stability},
author = {Link, D D and Gormley, R J and Baltrus, J P and Anderson, R R and Zandhuis, P H},
abstractNote = {Synthetic fuels derived from the Fischer–Tropsch (F-T) process using natural gas or coal-derived synthesis gas as feedstocks can be used for powering ground vehicles, aircraft, and ships. Because of their chemical and physical properties, F-T fuels will probably require additives in order to meet specifications with respect to lubricity and seal swell capability for use in ground and air vehicles. Using both experimental and computational studies, the propensity of certain species to enhance the seal swell characteristics of synthetic fuels and surrogates has been determined, and promising additives have been identified. Important structural characteristics for potential additives, namely an aromatic ring along with a polar constituent, are described. The thermal stability of synthetic and surrogate fuels containing the single-component additive benzyl alcohol, which is representative of this structural class, has been determined by batch stressing of the mixtures at 350 °C for up to 12 h. Synthetic fuels spiked with benzyl alcohol at concentrations (vol %) of 1.0, 0.75, and 0.5 have demonstrated the ability to swell nitrile rubber o-rings to a comparable degree as petroleum jet fuel. Further, batch reactor studies have shown that addition of benzyl alcohol does not degrade the thermal oxidative stability of the fuel based on gravimetric analysis of the solid deposits after stressing. GC-MS was used to characterize the products from thermal stressing of neat and additized surrogate jet fuel, and their compositions were compared with respect to the creation of certain species and their potential effect on deposition.},
doi = {10.1021/ef700569k},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/925759}, journal = {Energy and Fuels},
issn = {0887-0624},
number = 2,
volume = 22,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2008},
month = {Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2008}
}