GELLED COMPOSITIONS FOR FIRE LIGHTER FLUIDS
ABSTRACT
Fire lighter fluids can be
very efficient means of starting a fire.�
The low viscosity of these fluids can, however, impede a practical and
safe usage. Gelation of these fluids is an elegant way to overcome these
disadvantages.
Currently such systems already
exist for ethanol based systems and are highly successful. However, the low
flash point of ethanol is still a point of concern, both in production as in
application at the consumer level. This invention presents the possibility of
generating a gelled fire lighter system based on mineral oils and other fuels
with a much higher and therefore safer flashpoint using various polymeric
gelling agents.
A.
Background
Efficient fire starters may be as simple as wood kindling or
paper, slightly more sophisticated products such as wax coated wood chips,
pitch soaked wood cubes, fat wood, impregnated card board and gelled alcohol,
are common. Because of the cost to produce fire starters, they are not
considered as primary fire fuel. Fire starters are designed only to initiate
the burn of the wood logs, coal, charcoal or other fuel in the fireplace or
barbeque grille. The effectiveness of a fire starter may be measured by
efficiency in relation to the ignition of fuel in a particular setting. To be
effective in a fireplace a sufficient quantity of fire starter must be supplied
to accomplish the relatively slow process of fuel ignition.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a fire starter which
effects fuel ignition rapidly and efficiently under a variety of burning
conditions. In addition there is need in the art for methods of manufacturing
such effective and efficient fire starters. The present invention fulfills
these needs and provides further related advantages.
B.
Gels
The gelled fire lighter fluids as disclosed herein contain
gellant, solvent that is gelled by the gellant, and optional ingredients.� The gel is preferably homogeneous and is
easily applied to a fireplace or barbeque grille before ignition.� Suitable gellants, solvents and optional
ingredients, as well as methods to manufacture the gels, are described below.
1.
Gellants and solvents
The following are exemplary gellants and solvents that may be
used to form a gel useful as a fire lighter fluid.
A suitable gel may be prepared from ester terminated polyamide
(ETPA) gellant as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,111,055 to Vivian Berger, et
al.� ETPA gels disclosed in that patent
are prepared from one or more solvents mixed with ester terminated polyamide resins.� In one aspect, the EPTA resin has the
formula (1):
� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � (1)
wherein n designates a number of repeating units such that ester groups
constitute from 10% to 50% of the total of the ester and amide groups; R1
at each occurrence is independently selected from an alkyl or alkenyl group
containing at least 4 carbon atoms; R2 at each occurrence is
independently selected from...