EP0036783A2

EP0036783A2 - Firelighters

Info

Publication number: EP0036783A2
Application number: EP81301250A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Thomas Fletcher Smith; David Edward Ryan
Original assignee: Kenco Chemicals (Bolton) Ltd
Current assignee: Kenco Chemicals (Bolton) Ltd
Priority date: 1980-03-26
Filing date: 1981-03-24
Publication date: 1981-09-30
Also published as: EP0036783A3

Abstract

An improved firelighter is manufactured by combining kerosene, a binder in the form of a soap system, and a filler arranged to open up the structure of the finished product to give more effective combustion.

Description

The invention relates to firelighters and to methods of making them.
Two types of firelighter are in common use at the present time. The first is the so-called white fireli_fhter, which utilises an oil in water emulsion. The aqueous phase of this emulsion contains a resin which is caused to set by the use of a catalyst or hardener, thus producing a solid combustible material. The second type is the so-called brown firelighter, which utilises a sol or gel of soap in oil. This system is filled with wood flour at elevated temperature and sets to a stiff, solid, combustible mass on cooling.
Both firelighters depend on kerosene as the primary fuel and both are becoming increasingly expensive. Much work has been done to seek alternative fuels and firelighters of the white type have been developed, which contain solid, particulate fuels such as coal or peat. It is also known to those skilled in the art that mineral additives may be included in the white firelighter to extend the burning time and promote controlled heat release.
A disadvantage of the white firelighter in connection with the inclusion of solid particles lies in the fact that it is based on an emulsion system which can easily be disrupted unless care is taken in selection of the physical and chemical properties of the particulate additive.
The brown firelighter is much more flexible in respect of the inclusion of solid particulate materials. The commercial product contains wood flour which offers the advantage of a hot afterglow when the kerosene flame is expended. It is obvious to substitute other particulate solid fuels for wood flour in a brown firelighter type composition. It is also obvious to include mineral additives for the purpose of cheapening the firelighter, or modifying its weight or physical attributes such as hardness and tactile property.
The inclusion of simple fillers in firelighter compositions can bring about raw material economies. However, it can also lead to products of reduced efficiency by virtue of a reduction in active fuel content. Furthermore, fillers may have an inhibitory or masking effect on the combustion of a firelighter to the extent that its active fuel content is not used to best effect. This under-utilisation may be manifested as slow, candle-like flames, or by smokiness, or by incomplete combustion.
We have now discovered novel combinations of .fuel/filler systems for brown firelighter types which permit kerosene economy but which modify the structure in such a way that the products burn longer, combustion is enhanced, and the overall effect is increased efficiency. Such combinations continue to permit modification of weight and physical properties.
According to the invention, a method of manufacturing a firelighter comprises the combining .of kerosene, a binder in the form of a soap system, and a filler arranged to open up the structure of the finished product to give more effective combustion.
The filler may comprise particles which have tiny spaces within them. They may for example comprise particles of foamed or expanded plastics materials.
Alternatively or in addition the filler may comprise particles which have tiny concave pockets on their surfaces which result in tiny spaces being formed in the structure of the finished firelighter after the particles have been mixed into the firelighter composition.
The soap system may be formed by reacting stearene with caustic soda or sodium silicate.
Preferably kerosene and stearine are first mixed together, for example in a steam jacketed vessel at 70^° to 75^° and are then mixed with caustic soda or sodium silicate at a similar temperature, for example in a further steam jacketed vessel.
Preferably the filler is added subsequently.
The firelighter may contain from 35 to 80° (e.g. 60 to 75%) kerosene by weight.
The firelighter may contain from 1 to 10% (e.g. 1 to 3%) solid caustic soda by weight.
As an alternative to caustic soda, sodium silicate may be used. The firelighter may contain from 2 to 10% (e.g. 4 to 7%) by weight of a sodium silicate solution containing 25 to 55% total solids.
The firelighter may contain from 5 to 15% (e.g. 6 to 10% of water by weight.
The firelighter may contain from 1 to 50% (e.g. 1 to 20% or 2 to 15%) filler by weight.
The invention includes a firelighter manufactured by the method according to the invention.
3y way of example, specific embodiments of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus for carrying 'out a first embodiment of the invention; and
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus for carrying out an alternative embodiment of method according to the invention.

Referring first to Figure 1, kerosene and stearine are fed to a first steam jacketed vessel 10 via pipes 11 and. 12 respectively. They are mixed in this vessel by means of a stirrer 13 and the mixture overflows via pipe 14 to the bottom of a second steam jacketed vessel 15. Caustic soda and water are fed into the vessel 15 through pipes 16 and 17 respectively and mixing again takes place using a stirrer 18: In-this vessel a soap forms into which the kerosene is bound. The hot mixture overflows from the steam jacketed vessel 15 through a pipe 19 and is pumped by a pump 20 to a mixing device 21. The mixing device comprises a downwardly directed tube containing paddles 22 driven by a-motor 23. Fillers are fed to the mixing device 21 through a screw feed device 24. The fillers are mixed. into the hot composition as the composition travels down the tube 21 and the final composition passes into a mould device 25 where the composition cools and sets.
In the alternative embodiment shown in Figure 2, the caustic soda and water are first mixed together in an unheated vessel 26 before they join the kerosene and stearine mixture in the steam jacketed vessel 18. The output from the pump 20 leads to a two-way valve 27 so that the hot mixture can either be recycled to the vessel 18 or can be pumped via pipe 28 to the inlet of a wide throat monopump 29. The fillers 31 are fed from a hopper 30 to the pump 29 by a moving belt conveyor 32 which forms the base of the hopper 30. The hot composition and the fillers are mixed together by the pump 29 and are fed via pipe 33 to the mould device 25 for cooling and setting.
There will now be described Examples of compositions which may be manufactured according to the invention using the above described embodiments.

CONTROL EXAMPLE

A brown firelighter having a conventional composition was first manufactred having the following composition:-
A rectangular block from the set composition measured 55 x 28 x.24 millimetres, weighed 33 grams, and burned for 15 minutes.30 seconds.

EXAMPLE ¹

The following composition was used:-
The kerosene and stearine were first mixed together at a temperature from 70° to 75⁰C. This mixture was then reacted with caustic soda and water at the same temperature. The wood flour and perlite were then subsequently mixed in and the composition was allowed to set. The composition set to give a firm non-soapy block which had dry surfaces even when cut. A block having the same dimensions as the control example was found to burn for 21 minutes 40 seconds.

EXAMPLE2

This Example is identical to Example 1, except that in addition to 15 grams of wood flour and 15 grams of Perlite, 10 grams of whiting (Snowcal) were added. A firmer product resulted, which again had dry surfaces when cut. A block having similar dimensions to the control example block burned for 24 minutes 17 seconds.

EXAMPLE 3

This Example was identical to Example 1, except that the wood flour was replaced by sawdust. A similar product was produced, but with a slightly mottled appearance. A . block having similar dimensions to the control example block burned for 24 minutes 25 seconds.

EXAMPLE 4

This Example was similar to Example 2, 'except that the 15 grams of wood flour were replaced with 15 grams of sawdust. Again a similar but mottled product resulted. A block having the same dimensions as the control example block burned for 27 minutes.

. EXAMPLE 5

Whereas all the above Examples except for the control Example were produced by a batch process, the following Example was produced by a continuous process, the proportions of the ingredients being given as a percentage of the total mixture by weight.
The final mixture was formed into blocks by a continuous moulding process and it was found that a block having similar dimensions to the control example block burned for 22 minutes 41 seconds.

EXAMPLE 6

The following composition was used:-
This Example was manufactured using a similar continuous process and a block measuring 55 x 28 x 28 millimetres was found to weigh 38.5 grams. It ignited on touch, flane had spread to the entire block in 18 seconds, and the total flame burning time was 20 minutes 30 seconds. There was an afterglow of over 8 minutes.
The above Examples show how opening up the structure of a brown firelighter composition with expanded or lightweight additives in combination with wood flour or sawdust leads to more effective combustion.
The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments and Examples. For instance caustic soda may be replaced with an appropriate quantity of sodium silicate, which may produce improved consistency and performance..
Other fillers may be used as alternatives or additions to those described. Other fillers may for example comprise sepiolite, mica, foamed plastics materials, sander dust, cork, peat, paper, bark, nut shells, husks, straw, lignite, coal, coke, solid smokeless fuels, carbonaceous residues, felspar, chalk, limestone, sand, talc, fullers earth, Bentonite, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, fillite, flyash.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a firelighter characterised by combining kerosene, a binder in the form of a soap system, and a filler arranged to open up the structure of the finished product to give more effective combustion.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, in which the filler comprises particles which have tiny spaces within them.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 2, in which the filler comprises particles of foamed or expanded plastics materials.

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the filler comprises particles which. have tiny concave pockets on their surfaces which result in tiny spaces being formed in the structure of the finished firelighter after the particles have been mixed into the firelighter composition.

5. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the soap system is formed by reacting stearine with caustic soda or sodium silicate.

6. A method as claimed in Claim 5, in which the kerosene and stearine are first mixed together at 70° to 75° and are then mixed with caustic soda or sodium silicate at a similar temperature.

7. A method as claimed in Claim 6, in which the filler is added subseuently.

8. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the firelighter contains from 35% to 80% kerosene by weight.

9. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the firelighter contains from 1 to 10% solid caustic soda by weight.

10. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, in which the firelighter contains from 2 to 10% by weight of a sodium silicate solution containing 25 to 55% by weight total solids.

11. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, .in which the firelighter contains from 5 to 15% water by weight.

12. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the firelighter contains from 1 to 50% filler by weight.

13. A method as claimed in Claim 12, in which the firelighter contains from 1 to 20% filler by weight.

14. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the filler includes one or more of the following: wood flour, whiting, sawdust, vermiculite, sepiolite, mica, sander dust, cork, peat, paper, bark, nut shells, husks, straw, lignite, coal, coke, solid smokeless fuels, carbonaceous residues, felspar, chalk, limestone, sand, talc, fullers earth,. Bentonite, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, fillite, flyash.

15. A firelighter when manufactured by the method claimed in any one of the preceding claims.