US1925732A - Method and means for removing carbon deposits - Google Patents

Description

atented Sept. 5, 1933 UNITED ii? METHOD IHEANS FOR REMOVING CARBON DEPOSITS Wheeler G. Lovell and Thomas A. Boyd, Detroit, Mich., assignors to General Motors Research Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation oi Delaware No Drawing. Application August 28, 1929 Serial No. 389,092

Claims.

This application relates to the removal of carbon deposits from the combustion chambers of internal combustion engines, and its princi- 5 pal objects are to employ compounds particularly suitable for this purpose and a process adapted to employ these compounds at their highest efi'iciency.

We have found that unsaturated aliphatic ethers which are varnish removers such as diallyl ether, propargyl ethyl ether and allyl ethyl ether are particularly useful in removing carbon deposits, and that the best method of using them is to apply them to carbon coated parts which have been heated preferably to a temperature above 150 F, the optimum conditions for water cooled engines being at approximately the boiling point of water. We may also use with allyl ethyl ether a mixture of benzol and alcohol,

0 or other low boiling varnish remover, which apparently increases the solvent action of these ethers not only by reducing the viscosity, but also because they are lower boiling and tend to keep the liquid in contact with the carbon in a mild state of agitation.

As a specific example we may use in each cylinder of an ordinary six cylinder engine c. c. of a mixture comprising by volume 40 parts a1- lyl ethyl ether, 30 parts of benzol, and 30 parts 39 of ethyl alcohol. The engine is operated until the temperature of the metal parts of the combustion chamber is at least 150 F. when the mixture is injected or otherwise introduced into the cylinders and the engine stopped. The mixture is permitted to remain in the cylinders for about two hours, more or less, depending upon the nature of the carbon deposit, during which time the gummy binder is softened or dissolved. Then the engine is started and the loosened 40 deposit is gradually blown out the exhaust.

When cleaning the parts by hand they may be heated, the solvent applied, and'when the binder is softened the deposit may .be wiped ofi.

It is within the scope of the present invention 60 to employ any unsaturated aliphatic ether which is a varnish remover and to vary the proportions according to the compound used and the specific conditions, and the unsaturated ether may be used alone.

We claim:-

1. The process of removing carbon deposits from the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine which comprises applying to the carbon deposit unsaturated aliphatic ethers which are varnish removers, and removing the carbon deposit.

2. The process of removing carbon deposits from the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine which comprises heating the 7 coated parts, applying to the carbon deposit unsaturated ahphatic ethers which are varnish removers, and a low boiling varnish remover, and removing the carbon deposit.

3. The process of removing carbon deposits 0 from the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine which comprises heating the coated parts to above 150 F., applying to the carbon deposit allyl ethyl ether, benzol and alcohol, and removing the carbon deposit.

4. A composition of matter for removing carbon deposits from internal combustion engines comprising an unsaturated aliphatic ether which removes varnish, and a low boiling varnish remover.

5. A composition of matter for removing carbon deposits from internal combustion engines comprising allyl ethyl ether, benzol and alcohol.

WHEELER G. LOVELL. THOMAS A. BOYD.