Fuel additives to maintain optimum injector performance

Abstract

A diesel fuel, diesel fuel additive concentrate and method for improving the performance of fuel injectors for a diesel engine are provided. The diesel fuel includes a major amount of middle distillate fuel; and a reaction product of a hydrocarbyl substituted dicarboxylic acid or anhydride and an amine compound or salt. The amine compound has the formula wherein R is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group containing from about 1 to about 15 carbon atoms, and R 1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group containing from about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms. The reaction product contains at least one amino triazole group and is present in the fuel in an amount sufficient to improve the performance of diesel fuel injectors.

1 . A diesel fuel for fuel injection comprising:
 a major amount of middle distillate fuel; and   a reaction product of (a) a hydrocarbyl substituted dicarboxylic acid or anhydride,   and (b) an amine compound or salt thereof of the formula   
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     wherein R is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group containing from about 1 to about 15 carbon atoms, and R 1  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group containing from about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms and wherein the reaction product contains at least one amino triazole group and is present in an amount sufficient to improve the performance of diesel direct and/or indirect fuel injectors. 
   
   
       2 . The fuel of  claim 1 , wherein the reaction product is substantially devoid of succinimide dispersants. 
   
   
       3 . The fuel of  claim 1 , wherein the reaction product comprises a compound of a formula 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     and tautomers thereof wherein R 2  is a hydrocarbyl group having a number average molecular weight ranging from about 200 to about 3000. 
   
   
       4 . The fuel of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbyl dicarboxylic acid or anhydride is chosen from hydrocarbyl substituted succinic anhydrides, hydrocarbyl substituted succinic acids, and esters of hydrocarbyl substituted succinic acids. 
   
   
       5 . The fuel of  claim 3 , wherein R 2  is a polyolefin radical having a number average molecular weight of from about 200 to about 3,000. 
   
   
       6 . The fuel of  claim 5 , wherein the diesel fuel comprises a fuel for direct fuel injection. 
   
   
       7 . The fuel of  claim 6 , wherein the polyisobutylene radical is derived from high reactivity polyisobutenes having at least 60% or more terminal olefinic double bonds. 
   
   
       8 . The fuel of  claim 1 , wherein a molar ratio of (a) to (b) is from about 1:1 to about 1:2.2. 
   
   
       9 . The fuel of  claim 1 , wherein the amine comprises an inorganic salt of guanidine. 
   
   
       10 . The fuel of  claim 1 , wherein the amine comprises a salt of aminoguanidine. 
   
   
       11 . The fuel of  claim 1 , wherein the amine comprises aminoguanidine bicarbonate. 
   
   
       12 . A method of improving the injector performance of a fuel injected diesel engine comprising operating the diesel engine on a fuel composition comprising a major amount of fuel and a minor amount of a reaction product derived from (a) an amine compound or salt thereof of the formula 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       wherein R is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group containing from about 1 to about 15 carbon atoms, and R 1  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group containing from about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms 
       and (b) a hydrocarbyl carbonyl compound of the formula 
     
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       wherein R 2  is a hydrocarbyl group having a number average molecular weight ranging from about 200 to about 3000. 
     
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the reaction product is substantially devoid of succinimide dispersants. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein R 2  is a polyisobutylene having a number average molecular weight of from about 200 to about 3,000. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the fuel injected diesel engine comprises a direct fuel injected diesel engine. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a molar ratio of (a) to (b) is from about 1:1 to about 2.2:1. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the amine is aminoguanidine bicarbonate. 
   
   
       18 . A method of cleaning fuel injectors of a fuel injected diesel engine comprising operating the diesel engine on a fuel composition comprising a major amount of fuel and a minor amount of a reaction product derived from (a) an amine compound or salt thereof of the formula 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       wherein R is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group containing from about 1 to about 15 carbon atoms, and R 1  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group containing from about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms 
       and (b) a hydrocarbyl carbonyl compound of the formula 
     
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       wherein R 2  is a hydrocarbyl group having a number average molecular weight ranging from about 200 to about 3000. 
     
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the reaction product is substantially devoid of succinimide dispersants. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein R 2  is a polyolefin radical having a number average molecular weight of from about 200 to about 3,000. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the fuel injected diesel engine is a direct fuel injected diesel engine. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a molar ratio of (a) to (b) is from about 1:1 to about 2.2:1. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the amine is aminoguanidine bicarbonate. 
   
   
       24 . A fuel additive concentrate for addition to a diesel fuel for improving the performance of fuel injectors for a diesel engine comprising a reaction product derived from (a) an amine compound or salt thereof of the formula 
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       wherein R is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group containing from about 1 to about 15 carbon atoms, and R 1  is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group containing from about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms 
       and (b) a hydrocarbyl carbonyl compound of the formula 
     
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
       wherein R 2  is a hydrocarbyl group having a number average molecular weight ranging from about 200 to about 3000. 
     
   
   
       25 . The additive concentrate of  claim 24 , wherein R 2  is a polyolefin radical having a number average molecular weight of from about 500 to about 1,000 daltons. 
   
   
       26 . The additive concentrate of  claim 25 , wherein the polyolefin radical is a polyisobutylene radical. 
   
   
       27 . The additive concentrate of  claim 26 , wherein the polyisobutylene radical is derived from high reactivity polyisobutenes having at least 60% or more terminal olefinic double bonds. 
   
   
       28 . The additive concentrate of  claim 24 , wherein a molar ratio of (a) to (b) is from about 1:1 to about 2.2:1. 
   
   
       29 . The additive concentrate of  claim 24 , wherein the amine comprises an inorganic salt of guanidine. 
   
   
       30 . The additive concentrate of  claim 24 , wherein the diesel engine comprises a direct fuel injected diesel engine. 
   
   
       31 . The additive concentrate of  claim 24 , wherein the amine comprises aminoguanidine bicarbonate.