GB2435387A - Firelighter - Google Patents

Abstract

A firelighter composition comprises a mixture of a liquid hydrocarbon and lignite. The liquid hydrocarbon preferably comprises kerosene. The kerosene and lignite may be dispersed in a solid matrix of an aqueous cured resin, to form a solidified emulsion. The resin is preferably an acid cured urea formaldehyde resin. The lignite may be substituted by a peat and lignite mixture.

Description

<p>Firelighter This invention relates to firelighters, that is, flammable

compositions in solid form for use in lighting fires.</p>

<p>Solid block flammable firelighters are manufactured so that the product is either white in colour or grey-black, according to the national target market. Conventional firelighters contain kerosene as the flammable ingredient together with a resin binder, typically a urealformaldehyde resin, water, emulsifier and, for grey-black firelighters, a colouring material. Peat is also used in grey-black lirelighters as a filler and to modify the combustion properties of the kerosene.</p>

<p>Conventional white firelighters are to some extent wasteful of heat in that they bum with a flame height which is higher than required in most grates.</p>

<p>It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved flrelighter composition which enhances the characteristics of conventional white firelighters.</p>

<p>In one aspect, the invention provides a firelighter composition comprising a mixture of a liquid hydrocarbon and lignite. The liquid hydrocarbon preferably comprises kerosene.</p>

<p>Lignite is a soft brown fuel with a lower carbon content than coal but a higher moisture content which, nevertheless, crumbles readily and can be comminuted to form granules.</p>

<p>Being a natural product, lignite comprises a heterogeneous mixture of compounds for which there is no single chemical structural formula. It has surprisingly been found that, when used as a component of a firelighter composition, lignite has the effect of extending the burn time and lowering the flame height, thereby increasing the combustion efficiency for a given weight of firelighter. In firelighter compositions containing peat, the use of lignite enables a lower concentration of peat to be used and, indeed, as with white compositions, also a lower relative amount of kerosene or other hydrocarbon in the overall composition.</p>

<p>-</p>

<p>In firelighter compositions according to the invention, the total fuel (hydrocarbon and lignite) concentration should preferably be from 75 to 85 parts by weight of the total composition. Assuming the hydrocarbon is kerosene, the weight ratio of lignite to kerosene may vary from 5% to 25%, depending on the properties required of the composition. Thus, a lower requirement for lignite results in a higher requirement for kerosene, to meet the total fuel requirement.</p>

<p>Firelighter compositions are generally manufactured as solid blocks in which the fuel is distributed or dispersed within a solid matrix of an aqueous cured resin, forming a solidified emulsion. Preferably, the resin comprises an acid-catalysed urea-formaldehyde resin and the composition also includes an emulsifier. The emulsifier may be a surfactant, preferably an anionic surfactant such as an alkyl aryl sulphonate, generally provided as an aqueous solution.</p>

<p>The total water content of compositions according to the invention, including naturally-occurring water in the lignite and any water present in the solution of emulsitier, may be in the range 12.5 to 20 parts by weight, preferably 15 to 17.5 parts by weight.</p>

<p>Optionally, firelighter compositions according to the invention include a trace amount of fragrance material for olfactory enhancement and/or masking purposes.</p>

<p>For a grey-black firelighter, the same formulations may be used substituting a peat-lignite mixture for the lignite and including a trace amount of a dye for colouring purposes.</p>

<p>By way of example, the following formulations may be used for a white firelighter according to the invention, amounts being quoted in parts by weight:</p>

<p>Example I</p>

<p>[çrosene 70 Lignite 10 Urea-formaldehyde resin io Water 16 Emulsifier (alkyl-aryl sulphonate) 1.25</p>

<p>Example 2</p>

<p>Kerosene 75 Lignite 5 Urea-formaldehyde resin 10 Water 16 Emulsifier (alkyl-aryl sulphonate) 1.25</p>

<p>Example 3</p>

<p>Kerosene 65 Lignite 15 Urea-formaldehyde resin 10 Water 16 Emulsifier (alkyl-aryl sulphonate) 1.25 in the above Examples, the urea-formaldehyde resin is Prefere 87 164011 (CFL3) (Dynea Ireland Ltd.) and the emulsifier is Ufacid K (Unger Fabrikker, Norway) supplied by Lankro Chemicals. The firelighters were manufactured by forming a base material by mixing together the resin, emulsifier, water and any optional additives, adding the kerosene, preferably pre-heated, and mixing at high speed to form an emulsion, and finally adding the lignite and acid catalyst and allowing the mixture to solidify by acid-initiated polymerisation of the resin. Lf</p>

Claims (1)

1. <p>Claims 1. A firelighter composition comprising a mixture of a liquid

   hydrocarbon and lignite.</p>

   <p>2. A firelighter composition according to claim 1, in which the liquid hydrocarbon comprises kerosene.</p>

   <p>3. A firelighter composition according to claim I or claim 2, in which the total fuel (hydrocarbon and lignite) concentration is from 75 to 85 parts by weight of the total composition.</p>

   <p>4. A firelighter composition according to claim 3 in which the hydrocarbon comprises kerosene, the weight ratio of lignite to kerosene being from 5% to 25%.</p>

   <p>5. A firelighter composition according to any preceding claim, in which the fuel is distributed or dispersed within a solid matrix of an aqueous cured resin, forming a solidified emulsion.</p>

   <p>6. A firelighter composition according to claim 5, in which the resin comprises an acid-catalysed urea-formaldehyde resin and the composition also includes an emulsifier.</p>

   <p>7 A firelighter composition according to claim 6, in which the emulsifier comprises a surfactant.</p>

   <p>8. A firelighter composition according to claim 7, in which the surfactant comprises an anionic surfactant such as an alkyl aryl sulphonate.</p>

   <p>9. A firelighter composition according to any preceding claim, in which the total water content is in the range 12.5 to 20 parts by weight, preferably 15 to 17.5 parts by weight.</p>

   <p>10. A firelighter composition according to any preceding claim, further including a trace amount of fragrance material.</p>

   <p>11. A grey-black firelighter composition according to any preceding claim, in which a peat lignite mixture is substituted for the lignite, the formulation including a trace amount of a dye for colouring purposes.</p>