Lubricating formulations for dispersancy and temperature, friction, and wear reduction

Abstract

The present invention provides a working fluid additive for use in conjunction with a working fluid within an operating system having contact surfaces. The working fluid additive may consist solely of a highly polar material, but preferably includes both a highly polar material and a material that is synergistic to the highly polar material. The highly polar materials have a great affinity for the contact surfaces within the operating system and, therefore, produce film layers on the contact surfaces sufficient to significantly eliminate the frictional losses experience in the boundary regime of lubrication. By including a synergistic polar material, the efficacy as well as the thickness of this film layer is increased to further increase friction reduction. Organo-metallics may be utilized to further decrease wear and friction. An enhancing accelerator may be used to increase the compatibility between the host working fluid and the additive. A dispersion agent may also be employed within to disperse the working fluid additive within the working fluid.

1 . A lubricant additive comprising:
 at least a first polar material; and,   at least a second, synergistic polar material, wherein the ratio of the first polar material to the second polar material is from about 10:1 to about 1:10 by weight.   
   
   
       2 . The lubricant additive of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the first polar material to the second polar material is from about 5:1 to about 1:5 by weight. 
   
   
       3 . The lubricant additive of  claim 2 , wherein the first polar material is a highly polar material. 
   
   
       4 . The lubricant additive of  claim 3 , wherein the second polar material is a highly polar material. 
   
   
       5 . The lubricant additive of  claim 4 , wherein one of the polar materials is an organic acid. 
   
   
       6 . The lubricant additive of  claim 5 , wherein the first polar material is an ester and the second polar material is a dimer acid. 
   
   
       7 . The lubricant additive of  claim 2 , wherein the ratio of the first polar material to the second polar material is from about 4:3 to about 3:4 by weight. 
   
   
       8 . The lubricant additive of  claim 1 , wherein the combination of polar materials increases a boundary layer without increasing the viscosity of an associated oil or working fluid. 
   
   
       9 . The lubricant additive of  claim 4 , wherein the lubricant further comprises:
 approximately 0.1 to 99 percent by weight of an organometallic compound;   approximately 0 to 95% by weight of at least one enhancing accelerators; and,   approximately 0 to 95% by weight of at least one dispersion agent.   
   
   
       10 . The lubricant additive of  claim 9 , wherein
 the highly polar material is chosen from the group comprising: fatty esters, halogenated fatty esters, carboxylic acids, halogenated carboxylic acids, alcohols, amines, amides, anhydrides, lactams, lactones, phenols, urethanes polyurethanes, carbamates, sulfonamides, sulfones, sulfoxides, polysulfones, thiazoles, oxazoles, polyesters, polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polycarbonates, mono and poly functional carboxylic acids, polyhydroxylated aliphatic and unsaturated compounds, mono and polyhydroxylated esters, mono and polyhydroxylated ketones, mono and polyhydroxylated baldheads, sulfonic acids, polymerized carboxylic acids, aromatic carboxylic acids, alkyl and alkenyl carboxylic acids, alkyl and alkenyl dicarboxylic acids, fatty acids, unsaturated carboxylic acids, dimer, trimer, and oligomeric carboxylic acids and mixtures thereof;   the organometallic compound is chosen from the group comprising: organomolybdenum carboxylates, organomolybdenum dithiocarbamate, organomolybdenum xanthate, molybdic acid, molybdenum ditridecyldithiocarbamate, sulfurized organomolybdenum carboxylates, sulfurized organomolybdenum dithiocarbamate, sulfurized organomolybdenum xanthate, sulfurized molybdic acid, sulfurized molybdenum ditridecyldithiocarbamate, boric acid, boric acid monoethanolamine esters, boron nitride powders, and amidized boron complexes, and mixtures thereof;   the enhancing accelerator is a carbodiimide; and,   the dispersion agent is chosen from the group comprising: polyamides, thiadiazoles, polyisobutenylsuccinimide, esters, diesters, polyol esters, polyols, ethoxy-propoxy-ethanol, ethoxy-propoxy-propanol, 22-(2-aminoethoxy)-ethanol, and oleyl/cetyl alcohols.   
   
   
       11 . The lubricant additive of  claim 10 , wherein the additive further comprises at least one of the following: anti-wear/extreme pressure additive, antioxidant, metal deactivator, detergent, corrosion inhibitor, defoamer, and dye. 
   
   
       12 . The lubricant additive of  claim 11 , wherein the additive further comprises:
 an anti-wear/extreme pressure additive;   an antioxidant;   a metal deactivators;   a detergent;   a corrosion inhibitors;   a defoamer; and,   a dye.   
   
   
       13 . The lubricant additive of  claim 4 , wherein the first highly polar material comprises:
 at least one hydrophilic functional group; and,   at least one hydrophobic structure.   
   
   
       14 . The lubricant additive of  claim 13 , wherein the first highly polar material is chosen from the group comprising: aliphatic esters, aliphatic di, tri, tetra, and polyesters, methyl palmitate, hydroxy substituted esters, dimer acid, trimer acid, valeric acid, isopentanoic acid, hexanoic acid, heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, isooctanoic acid, 2-ethylhexanoic acid, pelargonic acid, isononanoic acid, decanaoic acid, stearic acid, trimellitic acid, isostearic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, maleic acid, fumeric acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, glutaric acid, oleic acid, hydrogenated dimer acid, salicyclic acid, acetosalicylic acid, toluic acid, cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, alkyl malonic acids, alkenyl malonic acids, cyclopentane carboxylic acid, cycloheptanoic acid, cyclopentenoic acid, cyclohexenoic acid, cycloheptenoic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, enanthic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, glutaric acid, pimelic acid, benzoic acid, ortho-phthalic acid, meta-phthalic acid, para-phthalic acid, pyromellitic acid, ethylmalonic acid, methylmalonic acid, fatty acids such as coconut oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, linseed oil, castor oil, sunflower seed oil, olive oil, neat's foot oil, peanut oil, herring oil, cod liver oil, shark liver oil, whale oil, tallow fat, lard, dioleic dioic acid, dilinoleic dioic acid, didodecadiendioic acid, dicyclopentadiene dioic acid, the mixed dimer of oleic and linoleic acids, and combinations of these mixed dimer acids. 
   
   
       15 . The lubricant additive of  claim 1 , wherein the lubricant consists essentially of:
 a first polar material; and,   a second, synergistic polar material, wherein the ratio of the first polar material to the second polar material is from about 10:1 to about 1:10 by weight.   
   
   
       16 . A method for improving lubrication, the method comprising the steps of:
 increasing a boundary layer without increasing the viscosity, the increase being accomplished by adding a composition to oil or a working fluid, the composition comprising:
 at least a first polar material; and, 
 at least a second, synergistic polar material, wherein the ratio of the first polar material to the second polar material is from about 10:1 to about 1:10 by weight. 
   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the ratio of the first polar material to the second polar material is from about 5:1 to about 1:5 by weight. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first polar material is a highly polar material. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second polar material is a highly polar material. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein one of the polar materials is an organic acid. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first polar material is an ester and the second polar material is a dimer acid. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the ratio of the first polar material to the second polar material is from about 4:3 to about 3:4 by weight. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the composition is added at about 0.5% by weight to the oil or working fluid. 
   
   
       24 . A lubricant compound comprising:
 approximately 95% to approximately 99.9% by weight working fluid; and,   approximately 0.1% to approximately 5% by weight of an additive, the additive comprising:
 approximately 1% to 100% by weight of a highly polar material; 
 approximately 0.4% to approximately 95% by weight of a second, synergistic highly polar material; and, 
 approximately 0.02% to approximately 20% by weight organometallic material.