Aluminum complex grease

Abstract

This invention relates to a thickener component based on an aluminium carboxylate compound and to an aluminium complex grease made therefrom with addition of a base liquid.

1 - 8 . (canceled)  
     
     
         9 . An aluminum complex grease comprising 
 a compound or compound mixture obtainable by reacting an ester thickener component with at least one aromatic and/or cyclic monocarboxylic acid, of the type R 1 —COOH, wherein R 1  is a C 6  to C 16  organic moiety, and/or their derivatives and    a base liquid selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbon compounds, synthetic oils and mixtures thereof, said base liquid being present in the grease in an amount of from 30 to 98 weight percent    wherein the thickener component comprises    (A) from 99.99 to 94 weight percent of an aluminum compound obtainable by an approximately equimolar reaction of a hydrolysable aluminum compound with at least one aliphatic monocarboxylic acid or derivatives thereof, in the presence of water and a C 1 - to C 40 -alcohol to form one or more aluminum compound(s) having on average one aluminum carboxylate bond per aluminum atom and, in addition, one or more aluminum-hydroxy, aluminum-alcoholate, or aluminum-oxygen-aluminum bond(s) and    (B) from 0.01 to 6 weight percent of an ester compound having from 6 to 60 carbon atoms, 
 the weight percentage referring to the total of components (A) and (B).  
   
     
     
         10 . An aluminum complex grease of  claim 9 , characterized in that the hydrolysable aluminum compound is an aluminum-alcoholate or aluminum-oxo-alcoholate compound.  
     
     
         11 . An aluminum complex grease according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the base liquid has a viscosity of from 20 to 200 mm 2 /s at 40° C. measured in accordance with DIN 51562.  
     
     
         12 . An aluminum complex grease according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the base liquid is a mineral oil with a boiling point of greater than 250° C.  
     
     
         13 . An aluminum complex grease according to  claim 9 , wherein the base liquid is present in an amount of from 60 to 95 weight percent.  
     
     
         14 . An aluminum complex grease according to  claim 9 , characterized in that said aliphatic monocarboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of branched or unbranched aliphatic monocarboxylic acids of the type R 2 —COOH, wherein R 2  is a C 10 - to C 40 -radical, or a derivative thereof.  
     
     
         15 . An aluminum complex grease according to  claim 14 , wherein said R 2  is a C 14 - to C 24 -radical.  
     
     
         16 . An aluminum complex grease according to  claim 9 , characterized in that a temperature of 145° C. is not exceeded during the preparation of the aluminum thickener compound by reacting said hydrolysable aluminum compound with said carboxylic acid or said carboxylic acid derivative.  
     
     
         17 . An aluminum complex grease of  claim 16 , wherein the temperature does not exceeded 135° C.  
     
     
         18 . An aluminum complex grease according to any one of claims  16  and  17 , characterized in that an increasing temperature profile presenting a temperature difference of at least 20° C. is maintained at a time interval of at least 90 min during the reaction.  
     
     
         19 . An aluminum complex grease according to  claim 9 , wherein the aluminium compound/compound mixture of the aluminum complex grease obtained has more than 40 mol % of aliphatic monocarboxylic acid radicals, referring to the amount of carboxylate groups, the reminder being aromatic and/or cyclic monocarboxylic acid radicals.