Engine cleaner composition

• US 6,541,435 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Gatzke, Kenneth G.
• Primary Examiner(s): DELCOTTO, GREGORY R
• Application Number:
  US09/731,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20020107161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 510/185, 510/189, 510/245, 510/254, 510/264, 510/265, 510/410, 510/411, 510/499, 510/500, 510/506
• US Class Current: 510/185
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/20 Industrial or commercial equipment, e.g. reactors, tubes or engines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/18 Hydrocarbons C11D3/164 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2068 Ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/26 containing nitrogen C11D3/162, C11D3/164, C11D3/166, C11D3/168 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/28 Heterocyclic compounds containing nitrogen in the ring
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/30 Amines; Substituted amines ; Quaternized amines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3445 containing sulfino groups, e.g. dimethyl sulfoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/43 Solvents
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/24 Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/261 Alcohols; Phenols
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/263 Ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/266 Esters or carbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/32 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/3281 Heterocyclic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/34 containing sulfur
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/5013 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/5022 containing oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/002 Cleaning of turbomachines

Abstract

Engine cleaner compositions are reported comprising a single phase solution comprising a polar solvent having a Hildebrand solubility parameter of about 10 cal^½ cm^−3/2 or greater; a non-polar solvent, immiscible with the polar solvent, having a Hildebrand solubility parameter of about 10 cal^½ cm^−3/2 or less; and a fugitive cosolvent having a higher evaporation rate than the polar solvent and the non-polar solvent. The engine cleaner compositions are suitable for cleaning internal combustion engines.

Claims

1. An engine cleaner composition comprising:

a single phase solution comprising;

(i) a polar solvent having a Hildebrand solubility parameter of about 10 cal^½

cm <sup>−

3/2</sup> or greater;

(ii) a non-polar solvent, immiscible with the polar solvent, having a Hildebrand solubility parameter of about 10 cal^½

cm<sup>−

3/2</sup> or less; and

(iii) a fugitive cosolvent having a higher evaporation rate than the polar solvent and the non-polar solvent;

wherein upon evaporation of the fugitive cosolvent, the polar solvent and non-polar solvent spontaneously separate into two immiscible phases.

2. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the polar solvent has a Hildebrand solubility parameter of about 12 cal^½

cm<sup>−

3/2</sup> or greater.

3. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the polar solvent has a Hildebrand solubility parameter of about 14 cal^½

cm<sup>−

3/2</sup> or greater.

4. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the polar solvent is selected from the group consisting of water, triethanolamine, ethanolamine, ethyleneglycol, diethyleneglycol, nitromethane, n-methylpyrolidone, pyridine, morpholine, and dimethylsulfoxide.

5. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the polar solvent is present in the engine cleaner composition in an amount ranging from about 5 to about 80% by weight.

6. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the polar solvent is present in the engine cleaner composition in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 50% by weight.

7. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the polar solvent comprises triethanolamine and water.

8. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the non-polar solvent has a Hildebrand solubility parameter ranging from about 8 to 10 cal^½

cm<sup>−

3/2</sup>.

9. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the non-polar solvent is aromatic.

10. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the non-polar solvent is selected from the group consisting of toluene, xylene, and aromatic petroleum distillates.

11. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the non-polar solvent is naphthalene depleted aromatic petroleum distillate.

12. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the cosolvent has an evaporation rate that is greater than about 1 relative to butyl acetate.

13. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the cosolvent has an evaporation rate that is greater than about 2 relative to butyl acetate.

14. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the polar and non-polar solvents have an evaporation rate that is less than about 0.5 relative to butyl acetate.

15. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the polar and non-polar solvents have an evaporation rate that is less than about 0.1 relative to butyl acetate.

16. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the cosolvent is selected from the group consisting of isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, and n-propanol.

17. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the cosolvent is present in the engine cleaner composition in a range from about 5% to about 80% by weight.

18. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the cosolvent is present in the engine cleaner composition in a range from about 20% to about 60% by weight.

19. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 wherein the cosolvent is present in the engine cleaner composition in a range from about 35% to about 65% by weight.

20. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 further including a non-fugitive cosolvent.

21. The engine cleaner composition of claim 20 wherein the non-fugitive cosolvent is propylene glycol monomethylether.

22. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 further including a detergent.

23. The engine cleaner composition of claim 22 wherein the detergent is oleic acid saponified with triethanolamine.

24. The engine cleaner composition of claim 1 further including an aerosol propellant.

25. An engine cleaner composition comprising:

a single phase solution comprising;

(i) a polar solvent having a δ

P of about 4.0 or greater;

(ii) a non-polar solvent, immiscible with the polar solvent, having a δ

P ranging from about 0 to about 3; and

(iii) a fugitive cosolvent having a higher evaporation rate than the polar solvent and the non-polar solvent.

wherein upon evaporation of the fugitive cosolvent, the polar solvent and non-polar solvent spontaneously separate into two immiscible phases.

26. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the polar solvent has a δ

P of about 5.5 or greater.

27. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the polar solvent has a δ

P of about 7.0 or greater.

28. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the polar solvent is selected from the group consisting of water, triethanolamine, ethanolamine, ethyleneglycol, diethyleneglycol, nitromethane, n-methylpyrolidone, pyridine, morpholine, and dimethylsulfoxide.

29. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the polar solvent is present in the engine cleaner composition in an amount ranging from about 5 to about 80% by weight.

30. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the polar solvent is present in the engine cleaner composition in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 50% by weight.

31. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the polar solvent comprises triethanolamine and water.

32. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the non-polar solvent has a δ

P ranging from about 1.0 to about 2.0.

33. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the non-polar solvent is aromatic.

34. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the non-polar solvent is selected from the group consisting of toluene, xylene, and aromatic petroleum distillates.

35. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the non-polar solvent is naphthalene depleted aromatic petroleum distillate.

36. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the cosolvent has an evaporation rate that is greater than about 1 relative to butyl acetate.

37. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the cosolvent has an evaporation rate that is greater than about 2 relative to butyl acetate.

38. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the polar and non-polar solvents have an evaporation rate that is less than about 0.5 relative to butyl acetate.

39. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the polar and non-polar solvents have an evaporation rate that is less than about 0.1 relative to butyl acetate.

40. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the cosolvent is selected from the group consisting of isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, and n-propanol.

41. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the cosolvent is present in the engine cleaner composition in a range from about 5% to about 80% by weight.

42. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the cosolvent is present in the engine cleaner composition in a range from about 20% to about 60% by weight.

43. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 wherein the cosolvent is present in the engine cleaner composition in a range from about 35% to about 65% by weight.

44. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 further including a non-fugitive cosolvent.

45. The engine cleaner composition of claim 44 wherein the non-fugitive cosolvent is propylene glycol monomethylether.

46. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 further including a detergent.

47. The engine cleaner composition of claim 46 wherein the detergent is oleic acid saponified with triethanolamine.

48. The engine cleaner composition of claim 25 further including an aerosol propellant.