Topanol A as an Antioxidant for Jet Fuel: Preparation and Application

Topanol A is a phenolic antioxidant additive, which is used in storage tanks for jet fuels produced in the petroleum refineries throughout the country. Topanol A mostly consists of 2,6-di-t-butylphenol. The conventional methods for the preparation of this compound involve ortho-alkylation of phenol using 2-methylpropene (isobutylene) as the alkylating agent. The compound has been prepared by ortho-alkylation of phenol using 2-methylpropene (isobutylene) as the alkylating agent and aluminum phenolate, prepared in situ using commercial grade aluminum, as the catalyst in bench and pilot plant scales and the synthetic parameters have been optimized. An alternative, cheap alkylating agent, namely Butane-Butene Raffinate (BBR) from Arak Petrochemical Complex, has also been successfully used in the synthesis. Moreover, the product has been characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy, and its antioxidant efficiency has been evaluated. Also, the samples prepared have been blended in ATK (Aviation Turbine Kerosene) jet fuel together with another necessary antistatic additive (ASA), and the formulations have been tested by the central quality control laboratory of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC). Finally, the results of quality control tests have indicated the efficiency of the prepared formulations with respect to the corresponding specifications and their comparability with authentic additive samples.