Flushing composition

Abstract

A flushing composition containing a lubricant and a deposit removal component having a deposit removal effect which is especially useful for cleaning refrigeration systems by reducing or removing unwanted deposits in constricted areas in the refrigeration system.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A flushing composition comprising a lubricant and an amphiphilic deposit removal component.  
     
     
         2 . A flushing composition according to  claim 1  for use in a refrigeration system in which the lubricant comprises a polyol ester and/or a polyalkylene glycol.  
     
     
         3 . A composition according to  claim 1  wherein the amphiphilic deposit removal component is such that the Dispersibility Test describes herein, the phases of 1, 1, 1,2-tetrafluoroethane and the total oil mixture separate after at least 10 seconds.  
     
     
         4 . A composition according to  claim 1  wherein the deposit removal component is anionic and contains a non-polar part to the molecule.  
     
     
         5 . A composition according o  claim 4  wherein the non-polar part of the molecule contains a fluorocarbon group.  
     
     
         6 . A composition according to  claim 1  wherein the component is anionic and comprises a sulphonate or a phosphate moiety.  
     
     
         7 . A composition according to  claim 1  wherein the deposit removal component is selected from an alkyl sulphosuccinate, an aromatic sulphonic acid and a petroleum sulphonate, a fluoroaliphatic polymeric ester, and a solution of an acrylic graft copolymer.  
     
     
         8 . A composition according to  claim 1  wherein the deposit removal component is present at a level of 0.001 to 5% based on the weight of the lubricant.  
     
     
         9 . A composition according to  claim 1  wherein the lubricant comprises a compound of the general formula II:  
       R(0C(O)R 1 )n  II 
       wherein R is a hydrocarbon radical remaining after removing the hydroxyl groups from the pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, tripentaerythritol. trimethylolethane trimethylol propane or neopentyl glycol, or the hydroxyl containing hydrocarbon radical remaining after the removing of a portion of the hydroxyl groups from pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, tripentaerythritol, trimethylolethane, trimethylol propane or neopentyl glycol; each R 1  is, independently, H, a straight chain aliphatic hydrocarbyl group, a branched chain aliphatic hydrocarbyl group, an aliphatic hydrocarbyl group (linear or branched) containing a carboxylic acid or at least one R 1  group in a linear aliphatic hydrocarbyl group or branched aliphatic hydrocarbyl group; and n is an integer.  
     
     
         10 . A composition according to  claim 9  wherein the lubricant comprises an ester of neopentyl glycol, pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol and/or tripentaerythritol and each R 1  is selected from a straight chain aliphatic hydrocarbyl group and a branched chain aliphatic hydrocarbyl group.  
     
     
         11 . A composition according to  claim 9  in which R 1  is selected from a linear hydrocarbyl group having from 5 to 10 carbon atoms and a branched hydrocarbyl group having from 8 to 10 carbons.  
     
     
         12 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the lubricant comprises a polyalkylene glycol.  
     
     
         13 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition is in the form of a concentrate and comprises the deposit removal component at a level of at least 5% by weight based on the flushing composition.  
     
     
         14 . Use of a flushing composition as defined in  claim 1 , in a refrigeration system for the inhibition of deposition or the removal of residues which adversely affect the performance of the refrigeration system.  
     
     
         15 . The use according to  claim 14  in which the refrigeration system is an automotive air-conditioning system.  
     
     
         16 . A method of removing deposits from a refrigeration system which comprises charging a flushing composition as defined in  claim 1  to the refrigeration system, circulating the flushing composition through the refrigeration system for a period of time sufficient to remove at least some deposits and removing the flushing composition containing at least some deposits from the refrigeration system.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16  which further comprises the step of removing an old refrigerant and lubricant contained in a refrigeration system, prior to charging the flushing composition to the refrigeration system.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16  wherein the step of charging the flushing composition to the refrigeration system prior to removing old refrigerant and lubricant in a retrofitting process and operating the system whereby the flushing composition is circulated in the refrigeration system with the old refrigerant.