Composition for cleaning combustion engine systems.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

Examples of the disclosure relate to compositions for cleaning combustion engine systems, and particularly for cleaning combustion engine systems used to power vehicles and other devices.

BACKGROUND

Combustion engine systems are commonly used to power vehicles and other machines. In some examples, a combustion engine system comprises a fuel storage system, an internal combustion engine, a fuel injection system for introduction of fuel into the engine, a catalytic converter and an exhaust system.

Over time, deposits build up on these components which reduces performance of, and increases emissions from, the combustion engine system. Compositions are known which reduce or remove such deposits.

It is desirable to provide improved cleaning compositions for combustion engine systems.

All proportions referred to in this specification are indicated as % by volume of the total composition, unless indicated otherwise.

BRIEF SUMMARY

According to various, but not necessarily all, examples of the disclosure there is provided a composition for cleaning a combustion engine system, wherein the composition comprises: xylene; kerosene; acetone; at least one of propan-2-ol or propan-1 -ol; and a biocide.

The composition may comprise 30 to 65 % by volume xylene, 5 to 20 % by volume kerosene, 10 to 30 % by volume of the at least one of propan-2-ol or propan-

1 -ol, 10 to 30 % by volume acetone, and 0.015 to 6 % by volume biocide.

The composition may preferably comprise 35 to 60 % by volume xylene, 7 to 15 % by volume kerosene, 15 to 25 % by volume of the at least one of propan-2-ol or propan-1 -ol, 15 to 25 % by volume acetone, and 0.05 to 2 % by volume biocide.

The composition may most preferably comprise 45 to 50 % by volume xylene, 8 to 11 % by volume kerosene, 18 to 22 % by volume of the at least one of propan-2- ol or propan-1 -ol, 18 to 22 % by volume acetone, and 0.05 to 1 % by volume biocide.

The biocide may comprise Methylisothiazolinone. The biocide may comprise a mixture of Methylisothiazolinone and Chloromethylisothiazolinone. The composition may comprise 0.015 to 6 % by volume biocide, or may comprise 0.05 to

2 % by volume biocide, or may comprise 0.05 to 1 % by volume biocide.

According to various, but not necessarily all, examples of the disclosure there is provided a method of a cleaning combustion engine system, wherein the method comprises: passing a composition into an engine of the combustion engine system, wherein the composition comprises: xylene; kerosene; acetone; at least one of propan-2-ol or propan-1-ol; and a biocide.

In some examples, the composition may be passed directly into the engine. In other examples, the composition may be introduced into the fuel tank and be passed into the engine from the fuel tank. According to various, but not necessarily all, examples of the disclosure there may be provided examples as claimed in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

For a better understanding of various examples that are useful for understanding the detailed description, reference will now be made by way of example only. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A composition for cleaning a combustion engine system is described, wherein the composition comprises: xylene, kerosene, acetone, at least one of propan-2-ol or propan-1 -ol, and a biocide.

Example compositions are provided below.

Example 1 Example 2

The components of examples 1 and 2 above are blended cold using a slow speed stirrer. The resulting compositions are colourless, clear, non-viscous liquids.

In examples 1 and 2 above, odourless kerosene could be substituted for paraffin (i.e. kerosene). Propan-2-ol (i.e. isopropyl alcohol) could be substituted for propan-1-ol, or the respective compositions could comprise a mixture of propan-2-ol and propan-1 -ol.

In examples of the disclosure, the biocide may comprise methylisothiazolinone (2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one). In example 1 above, the biocide comprises a mixture of methylisothiazolinone and chloromethylisothiazolinone (5-chloro-2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one). The biocide of example 1 may be Acticide® CMG, available from THOR. In example 1 above, a mixture of 5-chloro-2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one and 2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one 1.5% in 98.5% MonoPropylene Glycol is provided. Accordingly, the composition of example 1 comprises 0.06 % by volume of 5-chloro-2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one and 2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one. Accordingly, the composition of example 2 comprises 0.15 % by volume of 5-chloro-2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one and 2-methyl- 2H-isothiazol-3-one. In other examples, the biocide may comprise an oxazolidine biocide.

The biocide may be stable over a pH range of 2 to 9, and stable up to 60°C. The biocide may have a density at 20°C of 10040 to 1.060 g/ml.

The biocide has a very broad activity spectrum against bacteria (e.g. E.coli, Flavobacterium sp, Klebsiella sp, Pseudomonas p and pseudomonas aeruginosa) yeasts (e.g. Candida sp) and moulds (e.g. Aspergillus sp, Hormoconis resinae and Penicillium sp).

In some examples, kerosene may be dearomatized. In other examples, kerosene may comprise aromatic structures. Odourless kerosene may be desulphurised. The flash point of kerosene is estimated to be over 62°C with no definitive upper limit, but generally likely to be no more than about 80°C. Kerosene may be a mixture of saturated hydrocarbons varying in carbon chain length from C7 to C18 (or in some examples from C12 to Cie). In some examples, the carbon chain is branched, or straight chained (aliphatic), or cyclic (cycloalkanes). In other examples, the carbon chain comprises aromatic structures, for example, benzene and derivatives thereof.

Odourless kerosene may be replaced with kerosene in example compositions. The terms kerosene and paraffin may be used interchangeably.

Xylene may comprise a mixture of at least xylene, ethylbenzene (up to 20%) and toluene (up to 2%). Xylene may also comprise a mixture of xylene isomers, namely: 1,2-Dimethylbenzene (O-Xylene), 1,3-Dimethylbenzene (m-Xylene) and 1,4- Dimethylbenzene (p-Xylene). Alternatives to xylene comprise, for example, toluene or mesitylene. Mesitylene may comprise a mixture of isomers, namely: 1,3,5- Trimethylbenzene (Mesitylene), 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene (Pseudocumene), and 1,2,3- T rimethylbenzene (Hemimellitene).

To clean a combustion engine system, a composition according to examples of the disclosure is passed into an engine of the combustion engine system. The combustion engine system may comprise a two or four stroke engine, and may be used, for example, to power vehicles such as cars or boats or other machines such as lawnmowers.

In some examples, the composition is passed directly into the engine. In such examples, the fuel line to the engine is disconnected and the engine is connected to a means for passing the composition directly into the engine.

In other examples, the composition is introduced into the fuel tank and is passed into the engine from the fuel tank. In such examples, the fuel tank may already contain a quantity of fuel. The amount of composition added is predetermined by the quantity of fuel contained in the tank, and wherein the amount of composition added is in the range of 0.5 to 0.75 litres per 15 litres of fuel. The composition passes into the engine through the fuel injection system during normal operation of the combustion engine system.

From the engine, the combustion products of the composition pass through the catalytic converter and out through the exhaust system. It is understood that the composition generates an organic acid vapour on combustion in the engine, for example, which comprises a carboxylic acid vapour.

It has been found that compositions according to the disclosure used as described above improve performance of, and decrease emissions from, combustion engine systems.

Combustion engine systems are commonly used to power vehicles and other machines. In some examples, a combustion engine system comprises a fuel storage system, an internal combustion engine, a fuel injection system for introduction of fuel into the engine, a catalytic converter, and an exhaust system.

It is understood that compositions according to the disclosure improve performance of, and decrease emissions from, combustion engine systems by reducing or removing deposits from, for example, the fuel storage system, the internal combustion engine, the fuel injection system for introduction of fuel into the engine, the catalytic converter, and the exhaust system. It is understood that a contributing factor in the removal or reduction of deposits from the catalytic converter and exhaust system is the action of the organic acid vapour which results from the combustion of the composition in the engine.

In examples of the disclosure, microbial growth (for instance, fungal and/or bacterial growth) in a combustion engine system is prevented or limited by the biocide in compositions according to examples of the disclosure.

There is thus described a composition and method with a number of advantages as detailed above.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.

Features described in the preceding description may be used in combinations other than the combinations explicitly described.

Although functions have been described with reference to certain features, those functions may be performable by other features whether described or not.

Although features have been described with reference to certain embodiments, those features may also be present in other embodiments whether described or not.

The term “comprise” is used in this document with an inclusive not an exclusive meaning. That is any reference to X comprising Y indicates that X may comprise only one Y or may comprise more than one Y. If it is intended to use “comprise” with an exclusive meaning then it will be made clear in the context by referring to “comprising only one...” or by using “consisting”.

In this brief description, reference has been made to various examples. The description of features or functions in relation to an example indicates that those features or functions are present in that example. The use of the term “example” or “for example” or “may” in the text denotes, whether explicitly stated or not, that such features or functions are present in at least the described example, whether described as an example or not, and that they can be, but are not necessarily, present in some of or all other examples. Thus “example”, “for example” or “may” refers to a particular instance in a class of examples. A property of the instance can be a property of only that instance or a property of the class or a property of a sub class of the class that includes some but not all of the instances in the class. It is therefore implicitly disclosed that features described with reference to one example but not with reference to another example, can where possible be used in that other example but does not necessarily have to be used in that other example.

Whilst endeavoring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon. l/we claim: