Fuel-Soluble Synergistic Cleaning Mixture for High Pressure Gasoline Engines

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to methods and fuel compositions for reducing fuel injector deposits in gasoline engines operated at high fuel pressures. The fuel compositions include hydrocarbons boiling in the gasoline range and a synergistic fuel injector cleaning mixture.

1 . A method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine, the method comprising:
 providing a fuel composition at a pressure of about 1,000 to about 7,500 psi to a fuel injector of a gasoline engine and combusting the fuel composition in the gasoline engine;   the fuel composition including a major amount of gasoline and a minor amount of a fuel injector cleaning mixture;   the fuel injector cleaning mixture including a first additive of Formula I and a second additive of Formula II   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein
 R and R′ are independently alkylene linkers having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; 
 R 1  is a hydrocarbyl group or optionally substituted hydrocarbyl group, or an aryl group or optionally stustituted aryl group; 
 R 2  is independently a linear or branched C1 to C4 alkyl group; 
 R 3  is hydrogen or a C1 to C4 alkyl group; 
 R 4  is a hydrocarbyl group; 
 R 5  is hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, —OH, —NHR 6 , or a polyamine and wherein R 6  is a hydrogen or an alkyl group. 
 
     
     
         2 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the additive of Formula I to the additive of Formula II is about 1:8 to about 8:1. 
     
     
         3 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 2 , wherein the fuel composition includes about 1.5 to about 100 ppmw of the additive of Formula I and about 3 to about 800 ppmw of the additive of Formula II. 
     
     
         4 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 2 , wherein the fuel composition includes no more than about 600 ppmw of the fuel injector cleaning mixture. 
     
     
         5 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel composition further includes about 45 to about 1000 ppmw of a separate intake valve deposit (IVD) control additive selected from a Mannich detergent, polyetheramine detergent, hydrocarbyl amine detergent, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 5 , wherein the fuel composition further includes at least one additive selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, carrier fluids, metal deactivators, dyes, markers, corrosion inhibitors, biocides, antistatic additives, drag reducing agents, demulsifiers, emulsifiers, dehazers, anti-icing additives, antiknock additives, anti-valve-seat recession additives, lubricity additives, surfactants and combustion improvers. 
     
     
         7 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel injector cleaning mixture achieves about 30 to about 100 percent clean-up of fuel injector deposits in the gasoline engine when supplied at pressures of about 1,000 psi to about 7,500 psi and when the clean-up of injector deposits is measured by at least one of long-term fuel trim, injector pulse width, injection duration, injector flow, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 1 , wherein R and R′ are independently alkylene linkers having 1 to 3 carbon atoms and R 1  is a C8 to C20 hydrocarbyl group. 
     
     
         9 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 8 , wherein R′ includes a methylene linker. 
     
     
         10 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 9 , wherein R 2  is a methyl group. 
     
     
         11 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the additive of Formula II includes a hydrocarbyl substituted succinimide derived from ethylene diamine, diethyelene triamine, triethylene tetraamine, tetraethylene pentamine, pentaethylene hexamine, N,N′-(iminodi-2,1,ethanediyl)bis-1,3-propanediamine and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 11 , wherein R 4  in the compound of Formula II is a hydrocarbyl group having a number average molecular weight from about 450 to about 3000 and R 5  is derived from tetraethylene pentamine and derivatives thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the fuel composition is provided at a pressure of about 500 to about 4,000 psi. 
     
     
         14 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 1 , wherein R 1  is oleyl derived and wherein R 5  is derived from ethylene diamine, diethyelene triamine, triethylene tetraamine, tetraethylene pentamine, pentaethylene hexamine, N-N′-(iminodi-2,1,ethanediyl)bis-1,3-propanediamine, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 1 , wherein R and R′ are independently alkylene linkers having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, R 1  is a C8 to C20 hydrocarbyl group, and wherein R 4  in the compound of Formula II is a hydrocarbyl group having a number average molecular weight from about 450 to about 3000 and R 5  is derived from ethylene diamine, diethyelene triamine, triethylene tetraamine, tetraethylene pentamine, pentaethylene hexamine, N-N′ -(iminodi-2,1,ethanediyl)bis-1,3 -propanediamine, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 15 , wherein R′ is a methylene linker. 
     
     
         17 . The method of reducing fuel injector deposits in a gasoline engine according to  claim 15 , wherein R 2  is a methyl group.