Correlation between the binding and associative strength of modified PIBSA-based dispersants

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This proposal is to characterize the associative and binding strength of a series of dispersants made from PIBSA. PIBSA are polyisobutylene chains (PIB) terminated at one end with succinic anhydride (SA). The PIBSA-based dispersants used by the oil-additive industry are obtained by reacting PIBSA with a polyamine. The PIB moiety of the dispersant likes the oil whereas the polyamine moiety does not. In the oil, the dispersants can either associate via their polyamine core into dispersant aggregates referred to as micelles, or bind onto carbon-rich particles generated by the engine. The polyamine core of the PIBSA-based dispersants will be modified with a cyclic carbonate or boric acid to further adjust their associative properties. The associative strength of the modified dispersants will be estimated from their critical micelle concentration determined by fluorescence measurements. Their binding onto carbon-rich particles will be described with a Langmuir isotherm. The competition existing between the association of the dispersants into micelles and their binding onto the polar surface of carbon-rich particles will be investigated. The correlation between the binding and associative strength of the dispersants will be established. The basic knowledge learned from these experiments will benefit Imperial Oil, a Canadian company selling PIBSA-based oil-additives used in oil formulations.