Method of reducing piston deposits, smoke or wear in a diesel engine

• US 20070033865A1
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Martin Willis, Rinaldo Caprotti
• Original Assignee: Martin Willis, Rinaldo Caprotti
• Inventors: Caprotti, Rinaldo, Willis, Martin
• Application Number:
  US11/488,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20070033865A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 44/640
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/188 Carboxylic acids; metal salts thereof C10L1/1802, C10L1/1805, C10L1/1808, C10L1/1811, C10L1/1814, C10L1/1817 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1881 carboxylic group attached to an aliphatic carbon atom
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/301 derived from metals
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/02 for reducing smoke development
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/04 for minimising corrosion or incrustation
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/06 for facilitating soot removal
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/08 for improving lubricity; for reducing wear

Abstract

A method of reducing piston deposits, smoke or wear in a diesel engine. The method involves the step of running the engine on fuel comprising an oil soluble iron carboxylate or iron complex that includes Fe³⁺.

Claims

1. A method of reducing piston deposits, smoke or wear in a diesel engine, the method involving the step of running the engine on fuel comprising an oil soluble or oil dispersible iron carboxylate or iron complex that includes Fe³⁺;

with the proviso that when the method is a method of reducing smoke in a diesel engine, the ratio of the number of equivalents of organic acid to the number of equivalents of Fe³⁺ in the oil soluble or oil dispersible iron carboxylate or iron complex is 3 or more.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the iron carboxylate or iron complex includes more than 25% of Fe³⁺, preferably more than 50% of Fe³⁺, and most preferably more than 75% of Fe³⁺.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the iron carboxylate or iron complex includes more than 50% of Fe³⁺.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the iron carboxylate or iron complex includes more than 75% of Fe³⁺.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the iron carboxylate or iron complex is derived from a compound of the formula:

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein R₁ and R₂ are both hydrocarbyl and R₃ and R₄ are hydrogen.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fuel is a heavy fuel oil.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carboxylate is neodecanoate.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fuel contains 1 to 50 ppm of iron by weight of fuel.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fuel contains 1 to 25 ppm of iron by weight of fuel.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the fuel contains 5 to 15 ppm of iron by weight of fuel.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fuel is a marine diesel fuel and the iron carboxylate is iron neodecanoate.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method reduces piston groove deposits.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method reduces piston deposits and smoke, or piston deposits and wear, or smoke and wear in a diesel engine.