Hydraulic Fluid and Lubricant Compositions Using Biodiesel

Abstract

A composition and method of making hydraulic fluids and lubricants using biodiesel as a blending component or base oil. Preferably around 0.1 to 45% of biodiesel is used as a blending component in a hydraulic fluid or as a base oil or additive in a lubricant. The use of biodiesel has environmental and cost advantages over other blending components or base oils. Lubricants and hydraulic fluids having ISO viscosity grades as low as 22 and 32 may be achieved by the use of biodiesel, while still meeting applicable standards for environmental acceptability.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A lubricant or hydraulic fluid comprising biodiesel and at least one other base oil. 
     
     
         2 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 1  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid comprises around 0.1% to 55% by weight biodiesel. 
     
     
         3 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 1  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid comprises around 0.1% to 45% by weight biodiesel and 99.9 to 55% total of one or more vegetable oils as the only other base oil. 
     
     
         4 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 3  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid comprises around 1% to 40% by weight biodiesel and around 99% to 60% total of one or more vegetable oils. 
     
     
         5 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 3  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid comprises around 5% to 35% by weight biodiesel and around 95% to 65% total of one or more vegetable oils. 
     
     
         6 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 1  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid comprises around 0.1% to 55% by weight biodiesel and around 99.9% to 45% total of one or more higher viscosity base oils as the only other base oil. 
     
     
         7 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 6  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid comprises around 5% to 55% by weight biodiesel and around 95% to 45% total of one or more higher viscosity base oils. 
     
     
         8 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 6  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid comprises around 1% to 45% by weight biodiesel and around 99% to 55% total of one or more higher viscosity base oils. 
     
     
         9 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 6  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid comprises around 5% to 40% by weight biodiesel and around 95% to 60% total of one or more higher viscosity base oils. 
     
     
         10 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 1  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid comprises around 0.1% to 45% by weight biodiesel, around 89% to 53% total of one or more vegetable oils, and around 10% to 0.1 total of one or more higher viscosity base oils. 
     
     
         11 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 1  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid comprises around 1% to 30% by weight biodiesel, around 90% to 69% total of one or more vegetable oils, and around 8% to 0.5% total of one or more higher viscosity base oils. 
     
     
         12 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 1  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid comprises around 5% to 26% by weight biodiesel, around 95% to 73% total of one or more vegetable oils, and around 6% to 1 total of one or more higher viscosity base oils 
     
     
         13 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 1  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid has an ISO grade of 22 or 32. 
     
     
         14 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 13  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid has a Viscosity Index greater than 200. 
     
     
         15 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 1  wherein the other base oil comprises a vegetable oil, synthetic base oil, blown vegetable oil, a polymer, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 1  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid has an ISO grade of 46 or greater. 
     
     
         17 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 1  wherein the other base oil comprises one or more vegetable oils and no synthetic base oils. 
     
     
         18 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 1  wherein the other base oil comprises one or more synthetic base oils and no vegetable base oils. 
     
     
         19 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 18  wherein the synthetic base oils are synthetic esters, oil-soluble polyalkylene glycols, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The lubricant or hydraulic fluid according to  claim 1  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid meets one or more standards or specifications as environmentally acceptable. 
     
     
         21 . A method of efficiently transferring hydraulic power using a hydraulic fluid comprising biodiesel and at least one other base oil. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21  wherein the hydraulic fluid comprises around 0.1 to 55% biodiesel. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 21  wherein the hydraulic fluid comprises around 1 to 30% by weight biodiesel. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 21  wherein the hydraulic fluid comprises around 5 to 26% by weight biodiesel. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 21  wherein the hydraulic fluid has an ISO grade of 22 or 32. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25  wherein the hydraulic fluid has a Viscosity Index greater than 200. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 21  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid meets one or more standards or specifications as environmentally acceptable. 
     
     
         28 . A method of making a lubricant or hydraulic fluid comprising mixing around 0.1 to 45% biodiesel with another base oil, wherein the percentage is by weight of the final lubricant or hydraulic fluid. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid has an ISO grade of 22 or 32. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid has a Viscosity Index greater than 200. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 28  wherein the other base oil comprises one or more vegetable oils and no synthetic base oils. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 28  wherein the other base oil comprises one or more synthetic base oils and no vegetable base oils. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 32  wherein the synthetic base oils are synthetic esters, oil-soluble polyalkylene glycols, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 28  wherein the lubricant or hydraulic fluid meets one or more standards or specifications as environmentally acceptable. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 28  further comprising mixing one or more performance additives with the biodiesel and base oil. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 35  wherein the total amount of performance additive or additives is around 0.1 to 15% by total weight of the lubricant or hydraulic fluid.