Vegetable oil lubricant comprising all-hydroprocessed synthetic oils

Abstract

The present invention discloses vegetable oil based compositions having an effective combination of properties including lubricity, rheology, electrical insulating value and microbial biodegradability making them particularly useful for the proper functioning of mechanical devices.

1 . A lubricant composition comprising: 
 a) at least one vegetable oil selected from the group comprising: natural vegetable oil, synthetic vegetable oil, genetically modified vegetable oil, and mixtures thereof;    b) at least one synthetic base oil having a sulfur content equal to or less than about 0.03 percent and saturates equal to or greater than about 90 percent; and,    c) at least one antioxidant.    
     
     
         2 . The composition in  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable oil is selected from the group comprising: sunflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil, peanut oil, palm oil, castor bean oil, cotton oil, lesquerella oil, crambe oil, safflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, high oleic canola oil, high oleic soybean oil, high oleic corn oil, high oleic peanut oil, high oleic cotton oil, high oleic safflower oil, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable oil is present in an amount greater than about 10%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable oil is present in an amount less than about 90%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         5 . The composition in  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable oil is present in a range from about 10% to about 90%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 5 , wherein the vegetable oil is present in a range from about 30% to about 70%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein the vegetable oil is present in a range from about 40% to about 60%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         8 . The composition as described in  claim 1 , wherein the base oil is an all-hydroprocessed synthetic base oil.  
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the base oil is present in an amount greater than about 10%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the base oil is present in an amount less than about 90%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         11 . The composition in  claim 1 , wherein the base oil is present in a range from about 10% to about 90%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the base oil is present in a range from about 30% to about 70%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein the base oil is present in a range from about 40% to about 60%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         14 . The composition in  claim 1 , wherein the antioxidant is selected from the group comprising: amines, phenols, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         15 . The composition in  claim 1 , wherein the antioxidant is present in a range from about 0.01% to about 5.0%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         16 . The composition in  claim 15 , wherein the antioxidant is present in a range from about 0.25% to about 1.5%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         17 . The composition in  claim 16 , wherein the antioxidant is present in a range from about 0.5% to about 1.0%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one additive, the additive chosen from the group comprising: anti-wear inhibitor, extreme pressure additive, friction modifier, rust inhibitor, corrosion inhibitor, pour point depressant, tackifier, viscosity modifier, metal deactivator, foam inhibitor, emulsifier, and demulsifier.  
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one additive is a phosphorous amine salt of the formula:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 9  and R 10  are independently aliphatic groups containing from about 1 up to about 24 carbon atoms, R 22  and R 23  are independently hydrogen or aliphatic groups containing from about 1 up to about 18 aliphatic carbon atoms, the sum of m and n is 3 and X is oxygen or sulfur.  
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the phosphorous amine salt further comprises: 
 R 9  contains from about 8 up to 18 carbon atoms, R 10  is                          wherein R 11  is an aliphatic group containing from about 6 up to about 12 carbon atoms, R 22  and R 23  are hydrogen, m is 2, n is 1 and X is oxygen.    
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one additive is chosen from the group comprising: phosphorous amine salt having the formula:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 9  and R 10  are independently aliphatic groups containing from about 1 up to about 24 carbon atoms, R 22  and R 23  are independently hydrogen or aliphatic groups containing from about 1 up to about 18 aliphatic carbon atoms, the sum of m and n is 3 and X is oxygen or sulfur; phosphorous amine salt having the formula:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 9  and R 10  are independently aliphatic groups containing from about 1 up to about 24 carbon atoms, R 22  and R 23  are independently hydrogen or aliphatic groups containing from about 1 up to about 18 aliphatic carbon atoms, the sum of m and n is 3 and X is oxygen or sulfur, wherein R 9  contains from about 8 up to 18 carbon atoms, R 10  is  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 11  is an aliphatic group containing from about 6 up to about 12 carbon atoms, R 22  and R 23  are hydrogen, m is 2, n is 1 and X is oxygen; phosphorous compound having the formula:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 19 , R 20 , and R 21  are independent hydrogen, an aliphatic or alkoxy group containing from 1 up to about 12 carbon atoms, or an aryl or aryloxy group wherein the aryl group is phenyl or naphthyl and the aryloxy group is phenoxy or naphthoxy and X is oxygen or sulfur; N-acyl derivative of sarcosine having the formula:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 8  is an aliphatic group containing from 1 up to about 24 carbon atoms; imidazoline; triazole; substituted triazole; tolu-triazole; alkylated polystyrene; polyalkyl methacrylate; ethylene vinyl acetate; polyisobutylenes; polybutenes; polymethacrylates; olefin copolymer; ester of styrene maleic anyhdride copolymer; hydrogenated styrene-diene copolymer; hydrogenated radial polyisoprene; alkylated polystyrene; fumed silica; complex ester; and food grade tackifier.  
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 18 , wherein the anti-wear inhibitor is from about 0.1% to about 4% by total weight, the corrosion inhibitor is from about 0.01% to about 4% by total weight, the metal deactivator is from about 0.05% to about 0.3% by total weight, the pour point depressant is from about 0.2% to about 4% by total weight, and the viscosity modifier is from about 0.5% to about 30% by total weight.  
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 22 , wherein the corrosion inhibitor is from about 0.05% to about 2% by total weight, the metal deactivator is from about 0.05% to about 0.2% by total weight, and the viscosity modifier is from about 1% to about 20% by total weight.  
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the synthetic base oil has a viscosity index equal to or greater than about 120.  
     
     
         25 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition has an oxidation characteristic in a range from about 60 to about 600 minutes.  
     
     
         26 . The composition of  claim 25 , wherein the oxidation characteristic is in a range from about 200 to about 400 minutes.  
     
     
         27 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the base oil is at least one oil chosen from the group comprising: synthetic ester base oil, polyalphaolefin, unrefined oil, refined oil, re-refined oil, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         28 . A method of making a lubricant composition, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing at least one vegetable oil selected from the group comprising: natural vegetable oil, synthetic vegetable oil, genetically modified vegetable oil, and mixtures thereof;    providing at least one synthetic base oil having a sulfur content equal to or less than about 0.03 percent and saturates equal to or greater than about 90 percent;    providing at least one antioxidant; and,    blending together the vegetable oil, the base oil, and the at least one antioxidant.    
     
     
         29 . The method  claim 28 , wherein the vegetable oil is selected from the group comprising: sunflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil, peanut oil, palm oil, castor bean oil, cotton oil, lesquerella oil, crambe oil, safflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, high oleic canola oil, high oleic soybean oil, high oleic corn oil, high oleic peanut oil, high oleic cotton oil, high oleic safflower oil, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the vegetable oil is present in an amount greater than about 10%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the vegetable oil is present in an amount less than about 90%, based on total weight.  
     
     
         32 . A lubricant composition comprising: 
 a) at least one vegetable oil selected from the group comprising: sunflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil, peanut oil, palm oil, castor bean oil, cotton oil, lesquerella oil, crambe oil, safflower oil, high oleic sunflower oil, high oleic canola oil, high oleic soybean oil, high oleic corn oil, high oleic peanut oil, high oleic cotton oil, high oleic safflower oil, and mixtures thereof, wherein the at least one vegetable oil is present in a range from about 40% to about 60%;    b) at least one synthetic base oil having a sulfur content equal to or less than about 0.03 percent, saturates equal to or greater than about 90 percent, and a viscosity index equal to or greater than about 120, wherein the base oil is present in a range from about 40% to about 60%;    c) at least one antioxidant selected from the group comprising amines, phenols, and mixtures thereof, wherein the antioxidant is present in a range from about 0.5% to about 1.0%; and,    d) at least one additive, the additive chosen from the group comprising: anti-wear inhibitor, extreme pressure additive, friction modifier, rust inhibitor, corrosion inhibitor, pour point depressant, tackifier, viscosity modifier, metal deactivator, foam inhibitor, emulsifier, and demulsifier, wherein the corrosion inhibitor is about 0.05% to about 2% by total weight, the metal deactivator is about 0.05% to about 0.2% by total weight, the pour point depressant is about 0.2% to about 4% by total weight, and the viscosity modifier is about 1% to about 20% by total weight.