Use and method

Abstract

The use of nitrogen-containing compounds as additives in a diesel fuel composition reduce the impact of deposits in the exhaust gas recirculation system of a diesel engine when combusting said diesel fuel composition. The nitrogen-containing compounds include at least 4% by mass of nitrogen atoms and in some embodiments fewer than five N—H bonds.

1 . Use of one or more nitrogen-containing compounds as an additive in a diesel fuel composition to reduce the impact of deposits in the exhaust gas recirculation system of a diesel engine when combusting said diesel fuel composition, wherein the nitrogen-containing compounds comprise at least 4% by mass of nitrogen atoms. 
     
     
         2 . A method of reducing the impact of deposits in the exhaust gas recirculation system of a diesel engine, the method comprising combusting in the engine a diesel fuel composition comprising as an additive one or more nitrogen-containing compounds, wherein the nitrogen-containing compounds comprise at least 4% by mass of nitrogen atoms. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , which reduces the formation of deposits in the exhaust gas recirculation system of said diesel engine. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the exhaust gas recirculation system is a high pressure exhaust gas recirculation system, wherein the high pressure EGR system is either a stand-alone high pressure EGR system or is part of a hybrid or a dedicated EGR system. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the nitrogen-containing compound is the reaction product of a) a hydrocarbyl substituted reagent and b) a nitrogen-containing reagent. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the nitrogen-containing compound has the formula (I):
   A-L-R 1    (I)
   wherein:
 A is a nitrogen-containing group; 
 L is either a bond or a linker group; and 
 R 1  is an optionally substituted alkyl, alkenyl or aminoalkyl group having a molecular weight (Mn) of up to 1,000. 
   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the nitrogen-containing group A is a nitrogen-containing heterocycle and is selected from an optionally substituted piperazine, pyridine, pyrazine, pyridazine, pyrimidine, triazine, quinoline, isoquinoline, quinazoline, a five-membered heterocyclic ring such as pyrazole or imidazole or a benzo-fused five-membered heterocyclic ring such as benzimidazole. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the A group is a non-cyclic nitrogen-containing group having the formula (II): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein n is from 1 to 10. 
       
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein L is a bond, an amide, a succinimide, a succinic acid or an amide of a succinic acid. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the nitrogen-containing compound is the reaction product of:
 a) a hydrocarbyl substituted carboxylic acid acylating agent; and   b) a nitrogen-containing reagent.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein component a) has the formula (aI): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein R 1  is an optionally substituted alkyl, alkenyl or aminoalkyl group having a molecular weight (Mn) of up to 1,000. 
       
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein component b) is either:
 selected from an optionally substituted benzotriazole, amino-benzotriazole, indazole, amino-indazole, triazole, amino-triazole, tetrazole or amino-tetrazole; or   has the formula (bI):   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein n is from 1 to 10. 
       
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the nitrogen-containing compound has the formula (III): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein:
 A is a nitrogen-containing group; 
 R 1  is an optionally substituted alkyl, alkenyl or aminoalkyl group having a molecular weight of up to 1,000; and 
 R 2  is OH, NH 2 , OR 4 , NHR 4  or NR 4 R 5 , wherein R 4  and R 5  are independently selected from optionally substituted C1-6 alkyl or alkenyl groups, or is a bond to A. 
 
       
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the nitrogen-containing compound has the formula (IV), (IVb) or (IVc), or a mixture thereof: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein R 1  and R 2  are as defined in  claim 12 . 
       
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the nitrogen-containing compound has the formula (V): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein n is from 1 to 3, or a mixture thereof; and 
         wherein R 1  is as defined in  claim 12 . 
       
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the nitrogen-containing compound is the reaction product of:
 a) an amine or polyamine comprising a hydrocarbyl group;   b) a nitrogen-containing reagent; and   c) an aldehyde.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 a) is an alkylamine having the formula NHR 7 R 8  wherein R 7  and R 8  are each independently selected from H, optionally substituted C1-20 alkyl groups or optionally substituted C1-20 alkenyl groups;   b) is a nitrogen-containing reagent selected from an optionally substituted triazole, tetrazole, indole, indazole or benzotriazole, and   c) is formaldehyde or a source of formaldehyde.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the nitrogen-containing compound has the formula (VI): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein:
 R 1  is an optionally substituted alkyl, alkenyl or aminoalkyl group having a molecular weight of up to 1,000; 
 W, X, Y and Z are each independently selected from CH, C, N, NH, S and SH; and 
 wherein the compound optionally comprises a cycloalkyl or aryl ring linking Y and Z. 
 
       
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the nitrogen-containing compound has the formula (IX): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein:
 R 1  is an optionally substituted alkyl, alkenyl or aminoalkyl group having a molecular weight of up to 1,000; 
 W and X are each independently selected from C and N; and 
 each R 6  is independently selected from H, C1-6 alkyl or C1-6 alkenyl. 
 
       
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein R 1  is CH 2 NR 7 R 8  and R 7  and R 8  are each independently selected from H, optionally substituted C1-20 alkyl groups or optionally substituted C1-20 alkenyl groups. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the nitrogen-containing compound comprises fewer than five N—H bonds. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the diesel fuel composition comprises from 50 to 2000 ppm of the one or more nitrogen-containing compounds. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the diesel fuel composition comprises from 50 to 350 ppm of the one or more nitrogen-containing compounds. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 2 , which reduces deposits in the exhaust gas recirculation system of a diesel engine having a pressure in excess of 1350 bar. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 2 , which reduces the formation of deposits on the cooler of the EGR system. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 2 , which reduces the formation of deposits in an EGR system by at least 5%. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the diesel fuel composition comprises one or more nitrogen containing detergents. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the one or more nitrogen containing detergents are selected from:
 (i) a quaternary ammonium salt additive; 
 (ii) the product of a Mannich reaction between an aldehyde, an amine and an optionally substituted phenol; and 
 (iii) the reaction product of a carboxylic acid-derived acylating agent and an amine. 
 
     
     
         29 . A fuel additive composition comprising one or more nitrogen-containing compound and a detergent additive, wherein the nitrogen-containing compounds comprise at least 4% by mass of nitrogen atoms. 
     
     
         30 . A diesel fuel composition comprising one or more nitrogen-containing compound and a detergent additive, wherein the nitrogen-containing compounds comprise at least 4% by mass of nitrogen atoms. 
     
     
         31 . The diesel fuel composition according to  claim 30 , comprising one or more further additives selected from antioxidants, dispersants, detergents, metal deactivating compounds, wax anti-settling agents, cold flow improvers, cetane improvers, dehazers, stabilisers, demulsifiers, antifoams, corrosion inhibitors, lubricity improvers, dyes, markers, combustion improvers, metal deactivators, odour masks, drag reducers and conductivity improvers. 
     
     
         32 . The fuel additive composition according to  claim 29  or the diesel fuel composition according to  claim 30 or claim 31 , wherein the detergent additive is:
 a reaction product of tetraethylene pentamine (TEPA) and a PIBSA having a PIB number average molecular weight (Mn) of from 300 to 2800; or 
 a quaternary ammonium salt formed by reacting methyl salicylate or dimethyl oxalate with the reaction product of dimethylaminopropylamine and a polyisobutylene-substituted succinic anhydride having a PIB number average molecular weight (Mn) of 700 to 1300; or a mixture thereof.