Bio-based synthetic fluids

Abstract

A method is provided involving altering the viscosity of bio-derived paraffins to produce a paraffinic fluid, where the altering step includes chlorinating the bio-derived paraffins; the bio-derived paraffins include a hydrodeoxygenated product produced by hydrodeoxygenating a bio-based feed where the bio-based feed includes bio-derived fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or a combination thereof; the bio-derived paraffins include n-paraffins; and the n-paraffins have a biodegradability of at least 40% after about 23 days of exposure to microorganisms. Also provided are methods of protecting and/or cleaning a substance by applying the paraffinic fluid.

1 . A method comprising altering the viscosity of bio-derived paraffms to produce a paraffmic fluid, wherein
 the altering step comprises chlorinating the bio-derived paraffms to produce a chlorinated product, where the chlorinated product comprises haloalkanes and has a kinematic viscosity of greater than about 10 cSt at 40° C.;   the paraffmic fluid comprises the chlorinated product;   the bio-derived paraffms comprise a hydrodeoxygenated product produced by hydrodeoxygenating a bio-based feed where the bio-based feed comprises bio-derived fatty acids, fatty acid esters, or a combination thereof; and   the bio-derived paraffms comprise n-paraffms where the n-paraffms have a kinematic viscosity of less than about 10 cSt at 40° C.; and
 have a biodegradability of at least about 40% after about 23 days of exposure to microorganisms. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein chlorinating the bio-derived paraffms comprises contacting the bio-derived paraffms with chlorine gas at a temperature between about 60° C. and about 150° C. to produce the chlorinated product. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the chlorinated product is about 30 wt % to about 70 wt % chlorine. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the chlorinated product has less than about 1 wt % aromatics. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the chlorinated product is free of benzene. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein
 the hydrodeoxygenated product has less than about 1 wt % aromatics;   the chlorinated product has less than about 1 wt % aromatics; and   the paraffmic fluid has less than about 1 wt % aromatics.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein
 the hydrodeoxygenated product has less than about 0.1 wt % aromatics;   the chlorinated product has less than about 0.1 wt % aromatics; and   the paraffmic fluid has less than about 0.1 wt % aromatics.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the temperature for contacting the bio-derived paraffms with chlorine gas is about 80° C. to about 120° C. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein contacting the bio-derived paraffms with chlorine gas does not involve a catalyst. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein contacting the bio-derived paraffms with chlorine gas further comprises UV light. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising purging the chlorinated product with air or nitrogen. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the paraffmic fluid comprises bio-derived paraffms within the C 16 -C 36  range. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bio-derived paraffms are produced by at least partially hydroisomerizing the hydrodeoxygenated product to produce a hydroisomerized product; wherein
 the bio-derived paraffms comprise the hydrodeoxygenated product and the hydroisomerized product;   the hydrodeoxygenated product comprises n-paraffms;   the hydroisomerized product comprises isoparaffms where at least about 80 wt % of the isoparaffms are mono-methyl branched paraffms and the mono-methyl branched paraffms comprise less than about 30 wt % terminal branched isoparaffms; and   the isoparaffms
 have a kinematic viscosity of greater than about 10 cSt at 40° C.; and 
 have a biodegradability of at least about 40% after about 23 days of exposure to microorganisms. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the hydrodeoxygenated product comprises
 n-paraffms in the range of about 80 wt % to about 100 wt %;   cycloparaffms in the range of about 0 wt % to about 10 wt %; and   less than about 1 wt % total aromatics.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the hydrodeoxygenated product comprises
 n-paraffms in the range of about 90 wt % to about 100 wt %;   cycloparaffms in the range of about 0 wt % to about 10 wt %; and   less than about 0.1 wt % total aromatics.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the bio-derived paraffms are produced by hydrodeoxygenating the bio-based feed to produce a hydrodeoxygenated product; and at least partially hydroisomerizing the hydrodeoxygenated product to produce a hydroisomerized product; wherein
 the bio-derived paraffms comprise the hydrodeoxygenated product and the hydroisomerized product;   the hydrodeoxygenated product comprises n-paraffms;   the hydroisomerized product comprises isoparaffms where at least about 80 wt % of the isoparaffms are mono-methyl branched paraffms and the mono-methyl branched paraffms comprise less than about 30 wt % terminal branched isoparaffms; and   the isoparaffms
 have a kinematic viscosity of greater than about 10 cSt at 40° C.; and 
 have a biodegradability of at least about 40% after about 23 days of exposure to microorganisms. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein contacting the bio-derived paraffms with chlorine gas does not involve a catalyst. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein contacting the bio-derived paraffms with chlorine gas further comprises UV light. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising purging the chlorinated product with air or nitrogen. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein paraffmic fluid comprises bio-derived paraffms within the C 16 -C 36  range. 
     
     
         21 - 28 . (canceled)