Additive package and lubricating oil composition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10640724-B2
Application number	US-201715611842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2017
Priority date	Jun 3, 2016
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

An additive package is disclosed for preparing an automotive crankcase lubricating oil composition for an internal combustion engine. The additive package is made by admixing:
(i) 50 mass % or less of an oil of lubricating viscosity; (ii) 50 mass % or less of at least one overbased metal detergent, preferably at least one overbased metal hydroxybenzoate detergent; (iii) 50 mass % or less of an oil-soluble block or graft co-polymer of at least one polymeric block A which is derived from a hydroxycarboxylic acid and at least one polyalkylene block B which is a residue of a polyalkylene glycol, and (iv) optionally, at least one further additive selected from a dispersant, an antioxidant and/or an antiwear agent.

The additive package includes less than 2.00 mass % preferably less than 1.50 mass %, of a friction modifier which is a monoester of a C 5 to C 30 carboxylic acid and which is free of nitrogen.
Component (ii) is preferably an overbased metal hydroxybenzoate detergent.
Component (iii) acts as a friction modifier and can be used as a replacement for a friction modifier such as glycerol monooleate.
The additive package exhibits improved stability.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of lubricating an automotive internal combustion engine during operation of the engine comprising:
(i) providing to a crankcase of the automotive internal combustion engine an automotive crankcase lubricating oil composition comprising or made by admixing:
(a) in excess of 50 mass % of an oil of lubricating viscosity;
(b) less than 50 mass % of at least one overbased metal detergent;
(c) less than 50 mass % of an oil-soluble block or graft co-polymer of at least one block A which is derived from a hydroxycarboxylic acid and at least one polyalkylene block B which is a residue of a polyalkylene glycol, the oil-soluble block or graft copolymer having a general formula (A-COO) m -B, wherein m is 1 or 2, wherein each polymeric component A has a molecular weight of at least 500 and has the general structural formula

in which: R is hydrogen or a monovalent hydrocarbon or substituted hydrocarbon group;
R 1 is hydrogen or a monovalent C 1 to C 24 hydrocarbon group; R 2 is a divalent C 1 to C 24 hydrocarbon group; n is zero or 1; and p is zero or an integer up to 200; and wherein each polymeric component B has a number average molecular weight of at least 500 and has the general formula

in which: R 3 is hydrogen or a C 1 to C 3 alkyl group; and q is an integer from 10 up to 500; and
(d) optionally, at least one further additive comprising a dispersant, an antioxidant, and/or an antiwear agent,

wherein the automotive crankcase lubricating oil composition includes less than 0.10 mass % of a friction modifier which is a monoester of a C 5 to C 30 carboxylic acid and which is free of nitrogen;
(ii) providing a hydrocarbon fuel in the automotive internal combustion engine; and
(iii) combusting the fuel in the automotive internal combustion engine.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydroxycarboxylic acid is a hydroxystearic acid.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polyalkylene glycol in component (i)(c) is polyethylene glycol.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the following are satisfied:
the molecular weight of the polymeric block A in component (i)(c) is from 1000 to 2800 as measured by Gel Permeation Chromatography;
the number average molecular weight of the polymeric block B in component (i)(c) is from 500 to 4600 as measured by Gel Permeation Chromatography; and
the number average molecular weight of the copolymer in component (i)(c) is from 3000 to 5000, as measured by Gel Permeation Chromatography.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the copolymer in component (i)(c) has the structure AB or ABA, with the proviso that, where the block copolymer in component (i)(c) has the structure ABA, the A blocks may be the same or different.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the friction modifier is glycerol monoester, and wherein the automotive crankcase lubricating oil composition comprising component (c) and less than 0.10 mass % of the glycerol monoester exhibits a lower friction coefficient than an otherwise identical automotive crankcase lubricating oil composition, except comprising substantially none of component (c) and more than 0.10 mass % of the glycerol monoester, when friction coefficients are measured at HFRR testing times greater than 751 seconds.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein R is an alkyl group containing up to 25 carbon atoms, R 1 is a straight-chain alkyl group containing 1 to 24 carbon atoms and R 2 is a straight-chain alkylene group containing 1 to 24 carbon atoms.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein R 3 is hydrogen or a C 1 -C 3 alkyl group.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the or each of the polymeric components A has a molecular weight of at least 1000 as measured by Gel Permeation Chromatography, and/or the polymeric component B has a number average molecular weight of at least 1000 as measured by Gel Permeation Chromatography.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the or each of the polymeric components A are derived from poly(12-hydroxystearic acid) chain-terminated with stearic acid, and the polymeric component B is derived from polyethylene glycol.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the automotive crankcase lubricating oil composition comprises not greater than 1600 ppm by mass of phosphorus, expressed as phosphorus atoms.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the automotive crankcase lubricating oil composition comprises not greater than 800 ppm by mass of phosphorus, expressed as phosphorus atoms.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the automotive crankcase lubricating oil composition comprises not greater than 500 ppm by mass of phosphorus, expressed as phosphorus atoms.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the automotive crankcase lubricating oil composition has a sulfated ash content of up to 1.0 and a sulfur content of up to 0.4 mass %.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said automotive crankcase lubricating oil composition further contains one or more other additive components, different from component (i)(c), selected from the group consisting of ashless dispersants, corrosion inhibitors, antioxidants, zinc dihydrocarbyl dithiophosphates, pour point depressants, antiwear agents, friction modifiers other than a monoester of a C 5 to C 30 carboxylic acid which is nitrogen-free, demulsifiers, and anti-foam agents.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the overbased metal detergent is a metal hydroxybenzoate detergent.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the metal hydroxybenzoate detergent is an alkaline earth alkylsalicylate detergent.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the alkaline earth alkylsalicylate detergent is a calcium salicylate detergent.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the calcium salicylate detergent has a TBN, as defined in ASTM D2896, of 50 to 450 mg KOH/g.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein calcium salicylate detergent has a TBN, as defined in ASTM D2896, of 200 to 300 mg KOH/g.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the copolymer (i)(c) has a hydrophilic/lipophilic balance (HLB) of at least 6.5.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the copolymer (i)(c) has a hydrophilic/lipophilic balance (HLB) from 7 to 9.

23. A method of lubricating an automotive internal combustion engine during operation of the engine comprising:
(i) providing to a crankcase of the automotive internal combustion engine an automotive crankcase lubricating oil composition comprising or made by admixing:
(a) in excess of 50 mass % of an oil of lubricating viscosity;
(b) less than 50 mass % of at least one overbased metal detergent;
(c) less than 50 mass % of an oil-soluble block or graft co-polymer of at least one block A which is derived from a hydroxycarboxylic acid and at least one polyalkylene block B which is a residue of a polyalkylene glycol, the oil-soluble block or graft co-polymer exhibiting at least one of the following:
the molecular weight of the polymeric block A is from 1000 to 2800 as measured by Gel Permeation Chromatography;
the number average molecular weight of the polymeric block B is from 500 to 4600 as measured by Gel Permeation Chromatography; and
the number average molecular weight of the copolymer is from 3000 to 5000, as measured by Gel Permeation Chromatography; and

(d) optionall

Assignees

• Infineum Int Ltd

Inventors

• Strong Anthony J
• Woodward Philip J

Classifications

• C10M2207/144

  containing hydroxy groups · CPC title

• C10N2030/12

  Inhibition of corrosion, e.g. anti-rust agents or anti-corrosives · CPC title

• C10M2207/128

  containing hydroxy groups; Ethers thereof · CPC title

• C10N2030/06

  Oiliness; Film-strength; Anti-wear; Resistance to extreme pressure · CPC title

• C10M2209/109

  esterified · CPC title