Emulsifiers for Metal Working Fluids

Abstract

Disclosed is the use of an alkoxylated fatty alcohol of formula (I), RO—(CH 2 —CHR′—O) n —(CH 2 CH 2 —O) m —H, wherein R stands for a saturated and/or unsaturated alkyl moiety containing 12 to 22 carbon atoms, R′ is methyl, ethyl or propyl, m represents a number of 1 to 12, preferably 4 to 10, and n represents a number of 1 to 10, preferably 2 to 8, as an emulsifier in metalworking fluids which also contain at least water and one oil component, non-miscible with water, and, optionally, further ingredients, and where the fatty alcohol which forms the R moiety has a iodine value of 15 to 75 g I 2 /100 g.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method of metalworking comprising the step of treating metal with a metalworking fluid, comprising:
 (a) one or more oil components which are non-miscible with water,   (b) water,   (c) one or more emulsifiers selected from the group consisting of alkoxylated fatty alcohols of formula (I)
   RO—(CH 2 —CHR′—O) n (CH 2 CH 2 —O) m —H  (I)
 
 wherein R stands for a saturated and/or unsaturated alkyl group containing 12 to 22 carbon atoms, and is derived from a fatty alcohol; R′ is methyl, ethyl or propyl; m represents a number of 1 to 12; and n represents a number of 1 to 10, and 
   (d) optionally, further ingredients,   
       wherein said fatty alcohol which forms the R moiety has an iodine value of 15 to 75 g I 2 /100 g. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein m is 4 to 10. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein n is 2 to 8. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein R comprises oleyl, and R′ comprises methyl. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein component (c) comprises a mixture of at least two different compounds of formula (I), and wherein one compound contains an unsaturated R group, and the other compound contains a saturated R group. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein one R group comprises oleyl, and the other R group comprises cetyl. 
     
     
         20 . The method of claim  1 , wherein said one or more emulsifiers of formula (I) are present in the metalworking fluid in an amount of 0.1 to 25% by weight. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said emulsifiers are present in 1 to 20% by weight. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said emulsifiers are present in 1.5 to 10% by weight. 
     
     
         23 . The method of claim  1 , wherein said iodine value is in the range of 20 to 55 g I 2 /100 g. 
     
     
         24 . The method of claim  1 , wherein said metalworking fluid is an emulsion. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said emulsion is an oil-in-water emulsion. 
     
     
         26 . The method of claim  1 , wherein R′ is methyl, and the ethylene oxide and propylene oxide moieties of formula (I) are distributed randomly. 
     
     
         27 . The method of claim  1 , wherein R′ is methyl, and the oxides are distributed block-wise, with the propylene oxide block adjacent to the fatty alcohol group, followed by the ethylene oxide block. 
     
     
         28 . The method of claim  1 , wherein n is a number in the range of 1 to 5. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein n is a number in the range of 1 to 3. 
     
     
         30 . The method of claim  1 , excluding the co-use of diesters of dicarboxylic acids. 
     
     
         31 . An emulsion concentrate, comprising:
 (a) one or more oil components,   (b) water,   (c1) 2-30% by weight, based on the concentrate, of one or more emulsifiers of formula (I)
   RO—(CH 2 —CHR′—O) n (CH 2 CH 2 —O) m —H  (I)
 
   wherein R stands for a saturated and/or unsaturated alkyl group containing 12 to 22 carbon atoms, and is derived from a fatty alcohol; R′ is methyl, ethyl or propyl; m represents a number of 1 to 12; and n represents a number of 1 to 10,   (c2) at least one additional emulsifier,   (d1) a corrosion inhibitor system, and   (d2) optionally, other ingredients.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the amount of said one or more emulsifiers of formula (I) is 3-25% by weight, based on the concentrate. 
     
     
         33 . A metalworking fluid, comprising:
 (a) an oil phase which is not miscible with water,   (b) a water phase,   (c) 0.1-20% by weight, based on the fluid, of one or more emulsifiers of formula (I)
   RO—(CH 2 —CHR′—O) n (CH 2 CH 2 —O) m —H  (I)
 
   wherein R stands for a saturated and/or unsaturated alkyl group containing 12 to 22 carbon atoms, and is derived from a fatty alcohol; R′ is methyl, ethyl or propyl; m represents a number of 1 to 12; and n represents a number of 1 to 10, and   (d) one or more additional compounds selected from the group consisting of corrosion inhibitors, yellow metal deactivators, defoamers, and biocides.