Enhanced petroleum-based aliphatic hydrocarbon lubricant using inorganic fullerence-like nano-spheres

Abstract

The present invention provides a new composite lubricant to deliver lubrication effectiveness by reducing friction coefficient and wear rates and increasing the load bearing capacity, said composite lubricant comprising a base of time-proven aliphatic hydrocarbon into and dispersed throughout which are both nested, hollow, fullerene-like nano-spheres and petroleum distillates previously used as antistatic additives to increase conductivity of the composite lubricant.

1 . A new composite lubricant to deliver lubrication effectiveness by reducing friction coefficient and wear rates and for increasing the load bearing capacity, said composite lubricant comprising: 
 an aliphatic hydrocarbon lubricant base;    a quantity of nested, hollow, fullerene-like nano-spheres made from at least one layered inorganic compound from the set of tungsten disulfide and selenium (WS 2 , WSe 2 ), molybdenum disulfide and selenium (MoS 2 , MoSe 2 ), and niobium disulfide and selenium (NbS 2 , NbSe 2 ); and,    a petroleum distillate from the class of those previously used as an antistatic additive;    whereby the aliphatic hydrocarbon lubricant base serves as a matrix support for the hollow, fullerene-like nano-spheres, the nested, hollow, fullerene-like nano-spheres act as nano-ball-bearings and thereby reduce friction to levels comparable with those found in ball bearings, and the petroleum distillate from the class of those previously used as an antistatic additive increases the conductivity of the aliphatic hydrocarbon lubricant base.    
   
   
       2 . A composite lubricant as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the aliphatic hydrocarbon lubricant base is selected from a the set of aliphatic hydrocarbon lubricants having from 15-to-20-carbon straight chain length n-alkanes derived from petroleum by distillation, said set including n-Pentadecane, n-Hexadecane, n-Heptadecane, n-Octadecane, n-Nonadecane and n-Eicosane.  
   
   
       3 . A composite lubricant as set forth in  claim 2  wherein the nested, hollow, fullerene-like nano-spheres made from at least one layered inorganic compound from the set of tungsten disulfide and selenium (WS 2 , WSe 2 ), molybdenum disulfide and selenium (MoS 2 , MoSe 2 ), and niobium disulfide and selenium (NbS 2 , NbSe 2 ): 
 are between 8 nm and 240 nm in diameter; and,    are present in a quantity of between 0.001% and 20% by weight in the composite lubricant.    
   
   
       4 . A composite lubricant as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the nested, hollow, fullerene-like nano-spheres made from at least one layered inorganic compound from the set of tungsten disulfide and selenium (WS 2 , WSe 2 ), molybdenum disulfide and selenium (MoS 2 , MoSe 2 ), and niobium disulfide and selenium (NbS 2 , NbSe 2 ) are between 10 nm and 200 nm in diameter.  
   
   
       5 . A composite lubricant as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the nested, hollow, fullerene-like nano-spheres made from at least one layered inorganic compound from the set of tungsten disulfide and selenium (WS 2 , WSe 2 ), molybdenum disulfide and selenium (MoS 2 , MoSe 2 ), and niobium disulfide and selenium (NbS 2 , NbSe 2 ) are between 10 nm and 70 nm in diameter.  
   
   
       6 . A composite lubricant as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the nested, hollow, fullerene-like nano-spheres made from at least one layered inorganic compound from the set of tungsten disulfide and selenium (WS 2 , WSe 2 ), molybdenum disulfide and selenium (MoS 2 , MoSe 2 ), and niobium disulfide and selenium (NbS 2 , NbSe 2 ) are present in the composite lubricant in a quantity of between 0.1% and 7.5% by weight.  
   
   
       7 . A composite lubricant as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the petroleum distillate from the class of those previously used as an antistatic additive is selected from a population of commercially available antistatic additive materials based on the chemical compatibility of the particular antistatic additive material selected with the aliphatic hydrocarbon lubricant base and the cost effectiveness of raising the conductivity of the composite lubricant to the desired level for the lubrication application, said class specifically including Exxsol™ Antistatic Fluids D 40, D-3135, D 60 and Hexane.  
   
   
       8 . A composite lubricant as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the quantity of petroleum distillate from the class of those previously used as an antistatic additive is determined by measuring the conductivity of the composite lubricant as the petroleum distillate is added and stopping when the attained conductivity of the composite lubricant matches that desired conductivity consistent with the anticipated application, after which the nested, hollow, fullerene-like nano-spheres are added to and blended with the combined aliphatic hydrocarbon base and petroleum distillate mixture to obtain the final composite lubricant.  
   
   
       9 . A composite lubricant as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the quantity of petroleum distillate from the class of those previously used as an antistatic additive mixed in ranges between 0.001 and 10% of the aliphatic hydrocarbon lubricant base by weight.  
   
   
       10 . A composite lubricant as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the conductivity of the aliphatic hydrocarbon lubricant base is increased by adding sufficient quantity of the petroleum distillate from the class of those previously used as an antistatic additive to increase the conductivity of the mixture to that level which will allow the static electricity generated by any high speed rotation of the nested, hollow, fullerene-like nano-spheres, suspended in the composite lubricant, to ground safely under the worst conditions of use anticipated and thereby prevent any reduction in performance associated with local breakdown of the hydrocarbon or safety problems.  
   
   
       11 . A composite lubricant as set forth in  claim 3  wherein the quantity of petroleum distillate from the class of those previously used as an antistatic additive mixed in ranges between 10 and 100,000 parts per million by liquid volume.