Metal nanoparticles as lubricant additives

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11370988-B2
Application number	US-201916412548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2019
Priority date	May 15, 2018
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

A lubricant composition comprising: (i) silver or gold nanoparticles, each of which is encapsulated by a layer of alkylthiol or alkylamine molecules; (ii) palladium or platinum nanoparticles, each of which is encapsulated by a layer of alkylthiol or alkylamine molecules; and (iii) a fluid in which components (i) and (ii) are present. Further described are methods for applying the lubricant composition onto a mechanical device for which lubrication is beneficial, with resulting improvement in friction and wear reduction and/or corrosion inhibition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lubricant composition comprising:
(i) silver or gold nanoparticles, each of which is encapsulated by a layer of alkylthiol or alkylamine molecules;
(ii) palladium or platinum nanoparticles, each of which is encapsulated by a layer of alkylthiol or alkylamine molecules; and
(iii) a fluid in which components (i) and (ii) are present;

wherein said alkylthiol has the formula HS—(CH 2 ) n CH 3 and said alkylamine has the formula H 2 N—(CH 2 ) n CH 3 , wherein n is at least 3 and up to 22.

2. The lubricant composition of claim 1 , wherein said fluid is a base oil.

3. The lubricant composition of claim 2 , wherein said base oil is a mechanical lubricating oil.

4. The lubricant composition of claim 1 , wherein components (i) and (ii) are present in said fluid in a total amount of 0.1- 2 wt %.

5. The lubricant composition of claim 1 , wherein components (i) and (ii) are present in said fluid in a total amount of 0.1-1 wt %.

6. The lubricant composition of claim 1 , wherein component (ii) comprises palladium nanoparticles encapsulated by a layer of said alkylthiol or alkylamine molecules.

7. The lubricant composition of claim 1 , wherein nanoparticles in components (i) and (ii) are encapsulated by a layer of said alkylthiol molecules.

8. The lubricant composition of claim 1 , wherein nanoparticles in components (i) and (ii) independently have a size within a range of 1-50 nm.

9. The lubricant composition of claim 1 , wherein nanoparticles in components (i) and (ii) independently have a size within a range of 1-20 nm.

10. The lubricant composition of claim 1 , wherein nanoparticles in components (i) and (ii) independently have a size within a range of 1-10 nm.

11. The lubricant composition of claim 1 , wherein components (i) and (ii) are present in a weight ratio of 5:1 to 1:5.

12. The lubricant composition of claim 1 , wherein components (i) and (ii) are present in a weight ratio of 2:1 to 1:2.

13. The lubricant composition of claim 1 , wherein components (i) and (ii) are present in a weight ratio of about 1:1.

14. A method for reducing friction and wear in metal-containing mechanical components designed for movable contacting interaction with each other, the method comprising coating a lubricant composition on the mechanical components to result in reduced friction and wear when said mechanical components are in movable contacting operation, wherein said lubricant composition comprises:
(i) silver or gold nanoparticles, each of which is encapsulated by a layer of alkylthiol or alkylamine molecules;
(ii) palladium or platinum nanoparticles, each of which is encapsulated by a layer of alkylthiol or alkylamine molecules; and
(iii) a fluid in which components (i) and (ii) are present;

wherein said alkylthiol has the formula HS—(CH 2 ) n CH 3 and said alkylamine has the formula H 2 N—(CH 2 ) n CH 3 , wherein n is at least 3 and up to 22.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said fluid is a base oil.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said base oil is a mechanical lubricating oil.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein components (i) and (ii) are present in said fluid in a total amount of 0.1- 2 wt %.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein components (i) and (ii) are present in said fluid in a total amount of 0.1- 1 wt %.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein component (ii) comprises palladium nanoparticles encapsulated by a layer of said alkylthiol or alkylamine molecules.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein nanoparticles in components (i) and (ii) are encapsulated by a layer of said alkylthiol molecules.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein nanoparticles in components (i) and (ii) independently have a size within a range of 1-50 nm.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein nanoparticles in components (i) and (ii) independently have a size within a range of 1-20 nm.

23. The method of claim 14 , wherein nanoparticles in components (i) and (ii) independently have a size within a range of 1-10 nm.

24. The method of claim 14 , wherein components (i) and (ii) are present in a weight ratio of 5:1 to 1:5.

25. The method of claim 14 , wherein components (i) and (ii) are present in a weight ratio of 2:1 to 1:2.

26. The method of claim 14 , wherein components (i) and (ii) are present in a weight ratio of about 1:1.

27. The lubricant composition of claim 1 , wherein component (i) comprises silver nanoparticles encapsulated by a layer of said alkylthiol or alkylamine molecules.

28. The method of claim 14 , wherein component (i) comprises silver nanoparticles encapsulated by a layer of said alkylthiol or alkylamine molecules.

Assignees

• Ut Battelle Llc
• Univ Tennessee Res Found

Inventors

• Ihala Gamaralalage Chanaka Kapila Kumara
• Qu Jun

Classifications

• C10N2040/02

  Bearings · CPC title

• C10M177/00

  Special methods of preparation of lubricating compositions; Chemical modification by after-treatment of components or of the whole of a lubricating composition, not covered by other classes · CPC title

• C10N2010/16

  Groups 8, 9, or 10 · CPC title

• C10M125/04 Primary

  Metals; Alloys · CPC title

• C10M2215/04

  having amino groups bound to acyclic or cycloaliphatic carbon atoms · CPC title