Dye-stable biofuel blend compositions

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a dye-stable furnace fuel composition comprising: about 10 to 99 parts by volume of a mineral oil component having an effective boiling range from about 160° C. to about 380° C.; about 1 to 90 parts by volume of a biocomponent fuel component comprising C 1 -C 5 alkyl esterified fatty acids from renewable sources; one or more azo dye components present in an amount from about 0.5 mg/kg to about 5 mg/kg, relative to the total fuel composition; and a tert-butyl-functionalized hydroquinone antioxidant component present in an amount of at least about 50 vppm, relative to the fuel composition, wherein the fuel composition exhibits an increased dye stability, relative to a fuel composition having similar mineral oil and biocomponent fuel components and identical azo dye component(s), but having a different or no antioxidant component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dye-stable furnace fuel composition comprising:
 a first amount of a mineral oil component having an effective boiling range from about 160° C. to about 380° C.;   a second amount of a biocomponent fuel component comprising C 1 -C 5  alkyl esterified acids from one or more of rapeseed oil, canola oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, peanut oil, linseed oil, tall oil, corn oil, castor oil, jatropha oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, camelina oil, safflower oil, babassu oil, tallow oil, rice bran oil, and yellow grease;   one or more azo dye components present in an amount from about 0.5 mg/kg to about 5 mg/kg, relative to the total fuel composition; and   a tert-butyl-functionalized hydroquinone antioxidant component present in an amount of at least about 50 vppm, relative to the fuel composition,   wherein a volume ratio of the first amount to the second amount is from about 99:1 to about 1:9, and wherein the fuel composition exhibits an increased dye stability, relative to a fuel composition having similar mineral oil and biocomponent fuel components and identical azo dye component(s), but having a different or no antioxidant component.   
     
     
         2 . The furnace fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the mineral oil component has an effective boiling range from about 175° C. to about 365° C. 
     
     
         3 . The furnace fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the mineral oil component has an effective boiling range from about 190° C. to about 350° C. 
     
     
         4 . The furnace fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the biocomponent fuel component comprises a C 1 -C 2  alkyl esterified acid from one or more of rapeseed oil, canola oil, soybean oil, tallow oil, and corn oil. 
     
     
         5 . The furnace fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the first amount of the mineral oil component to the second amount of the biocomponent fuel component is from about 49:1 to about 1:3. 
     
     
         6 . The furnace fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the first amount of the mineral oil component to the second amount of the biocomponent fuel component is from about 19:1 to about 1:1. 
     
     
         7 . The furnace fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more azo dye components comprises one or more of Solvent Red 19, Solvent Red 24, Solvent Red 26, Solvent Red 164, and Sudan Red 462. 
     
     
         8 . The furnace fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the tert-butyl-functionalized hydroquinone antioxidant component comprises 2-tert-butyl-1,4-hydroquinone and/or 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-hydroquinone. 
     
     
         9 . The furnace fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the tert-butyl-functionalized hydroquinone antioxidant component is present in an amount from about 75 vppm to about 1000 vppm, relative to the fuel composition. 
     
     
         10 . The furnace fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the furnace fuel composition exhibits one or more of the following characteristics: a total insoluble content, after aging for about 14 weeks at about 43° C., of less than 1.0 mg/100 mL; a Rancimat stability of at least 17 hours; and a filter blocking tendency less than 1.5. 
     
     
         11 . The furnace fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the furnace fuel composition exhibits one or more of the following characteristics: a total insoluble content, after aging for about 14 weeks at about 43° C., of less than 0.5 mg/100 mL; a Rancimat stability of at least 20 hours; and a filter blocking tendency less than 1.2.