Shell GTL Isoparaffins in Action: 6 Key Industries and Their Uses

Shell GTL isoparaffins stand out as versatile solvents. Discover six industries and product applications where they deliver exceptional performance and value.

This article was originally published at renkertoil.com. It has been edited.

Shell GTL isoparaffins, based on Shell’s innovative gas-to-liquid technology, are a series of high-purity, versatile oils and solvents with a wide range of product applications.?

These next-generation fluids have a variety of benefits, including a reduced environmental impact, that make them ideal for many different use cases.??

As widely recognized as their advantages are, they are underutilized in industries in which inferior ingredients are more commonly used.?

Here is a look into a few of the industries that could benefit from the incorporation of Shell GTL isoparaffins.?

1. Household Cleaning Products

Isoparaffins can be used in products like polishes, dust removers, and cleaning sprays as a stable and reliable solvent.?

Products like these must be formulated precisely and with the best ingredients in order to maintain high performance while also not damaging the surfaces they clean.?

Additionally, as with all products in the household, health effects are particularly important to consumers.?

While oxygenated solvents are common in many household cleaners, Shell GTL isoparaffins offer the following benefits:

• readily biodegradable?
• dissolve impurities
• gentle rather than aggressively reactive?
• crystal clear
• low odor
• low toxicity

2. Cosmetics

Shell GTL isoparaffins are great ingredients for personal care and beauty products for multiple reasons.?

They are non-toxic, meeting the FDA’s stringent food contact and cosmetic standards, so that they don’t irritate the skin.??

GTL isoparaffins’ unique structure also gives creams and lotions a silky-smooth texture, as opposed to an oily feel.?

And because of their purified methane feedstock, GTL isoparaffins are water-white and odorless, helping to ensure consistent end-product quality.?

3. Aerosols

Aerosol sprays have three primary components, the active ingredient (such as the fragrance in an air freshener), the propellant (which pressurizes the solution so it will spray out of the can), and the solvent (which carries the active ingredient).?

The solvent is the unsung hero in this formulation. Without the proper solvent, the purity and distribution of the active ingredient would suffer.?

Using Shell GTL isoparaffins as a solvent in aerosols has a number of benefits. For example, their low viscosity facilitates consistent spreadability.?

Additionally, because these isoparaffins are so pure and inert, they won’t leave any unwanted color, staining, or residue.?

4. Paints and Inks

Finish and spreadability are two of the most important characteristics of a high-quality ink or paint.?

Shell GTL isoparaffins have a low viscosity which contributes to spreadability and gives painters more time to smooth over paint in an area without forming lap marks. They are also ideal for making paints with sought-after “glossy” finishes.?

Additionally, these isoparaffins help provide an alternative to the strong, unpleasant smell of most mineral oil-based paints, as their extremely low aromatic content makes them odor-free.?

In addition to paints, these oils have useful applications in

• publishing letterpresses,
• wallpaper manufacture,?
• photocopying, and
• tattoo ink.?

5. ANFO Explosives

Ammonium Nitrate/Fuel Oil are by far the most widely used variety of industrial explosives in North America. They are especially helpful in applications such as mining, quarrying, demolition, and even avalanche protection.?

Typically ANFO explosives use a mixture of ammonium nitrate prills and diesel fuel, but replacing diesel with Shell GTL isoparaffins can have a number of benefits.?

Shell GTL products are readily biodegradable and non-toxic, leading to a reduction in the emission of toxic fumes that often accompany detonation. The isoparaffin GTL (unlike diesel) does not dissolve styrene polymers often used in explosives - this allows more time-stable formulations. The consistency and purity of the isoparaffins also help create more controlled blasts which in turn increases safety.?

6. Crop Protection

Because they have very low levels of aromatics and no polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), Shell GTL isoparaffins are useful as crop protection sprays. Their very high purity measured by unsulfonated residue minimizes phytotoxicity, preventing foliage scorching on the crops.?

These agricultural spray oils also offer longer-lasting protection than traditional pesticides and are less harmful to plants and beneficial insects than many of the alternatives. That's why companies like Beijing Grand Agro Chem are using these oils in their crop protection products.?

(Though the focus of this article is isoparaffins, other horticultural oils from Renkert Oil may be more suitable for your application. Our selection of products includes PSO 70, an OMRI-Listed agricultural spray oil approved for use in organic farming.)

Applying Shell GTL Isoparaffins From Renkert Oil to Your Product Line

Renkert Oil is proud to carry Shell GTL isoparaffins. Their very wide ranging applications are due to their impressive stability, water-white clarity, purity, and low aromatic content.?

These synthetic isoparaffins are very stable when properly stored, consistently maintaining the desirable colorlessness, odorlessness, and overall quality of end products.??

That they are non-toxic and environmentally friendly, readily biodegradable, further expands the range of possible product applications.?

If you’re interested in integrating Shell GTL isoparaffins into existing or future product lines, our consultants at Renkert Oil have the expertise to help you find exactly what you need.?

Contact us today to learn more about Shell GTL isoparaffins.?