Heat-transfer compositions exhibiting improved miscibility with the lubricating oil

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9315708-B2
Application number	US-201214115542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2012
Priority date	May 4, 2011
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane for increasing the miscibility of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene with a lubricating oil, and in particular with a polyalkylene glycol oil. In this regard, the invention provides heat-transfer compositions and also equipment and processes using these compositions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A composition comprising 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane and polyalkylene glycol, wherein the composition comprises from 5% to 50% of polyalkylene glycol.

2. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , in which 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane and the polyalkylene glycol represent at least 95% of the composition.

3. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , in which the mass ratio between 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane is from 1/99 to 99/1.

4. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , in which the polyalkylene glycol has a viscosity from 1 to 1000 centistokes at 40° C.

5. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , also comprising: one or more additives chosen from heat-transfer compounds, lubricants, stabilizers, surfactants, tracers, fluorescers, odorant agents, solubilizers, and mixtures thereof.

6. A method of lubricating a vapor compression circuit, the method comprising lubricating the circuit with a lubricant oil, the lubricant oil comprising polyalkylene glycol in combination with a heat-transfer fluid comprising a mixture of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, wherein the polyalkylene glycol is used in a proportion of from 5% to 50% relative to the sum of the polyalkylene glycol and of the heat-transfer fluid.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , in which the mass ratio between 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane in the heat-transfer fluid is from 1/99 to 99/1.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , in which the polyalkylene glycol has a viscosity from 1 to 1000 centistokes at 40° C.

9. A heat-transfer installation comprising a vapor compression circuit containing a heat-transfer composition which is a composition as claimed in claim 1 .

10. The installation as claimed in claim 9 , chosen from mobile or stationary heat-pump heating, air-conditioning, refrigeration, freezing and Rankine-cycle installations.

11. A process for heating or cooling a fluid or a body by means of a vapor compression circuit containing a heat-transfer fluid, said process successively comprising at least partial evaporation of the heat-transfer fluid, compression of the heat-transfer transfer fluid, at least partial condensation of the heat-transfer fluid and depressurization of the heat-transfer fluid, in which the heat-transfer fluid is combined with a lubricant oil to form a heat-transfer composition, said heat-transfer composition being a composition as claimed in claim 1 .

12. A process for reducing the environmental impact of a heat-transfer installation comprising a vapor compression circuit containing an initial heat-transfer fluid, said process comprising a step of replacing the initial heat-transfer fluid in the vapor compression circuit with a final heat-transfer fluid, the final heat-transfer fluid having a lower GWP than the initial heat-transfer fluid, in which the final heat-transfer fluid is combined with a lubricant oil to form a heat-transfer composition, said heat-transfer composition being a composition as claimed in claim 1 .

13. A method for increasing the miscibility of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene with a lubricant oil, the method comprising the addition of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane to 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and the lubricant oil, wherein the lubricant oil comprises polyalkylene glycol, and wherein the polyalkylene glycol is used in a proportion of from 5% to 50% relative to the sum of the polyalkylene glycol, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , in which the polyalkylene glycol has a viscosity from 1 to 1000 centistokes at 40° C.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 , in which the 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane is used in a proportion of from 1% to 99% relative to the sum of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene.

16. A kit comprising:
a heat-transfer fluid comprising 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane;
a lubricant oil comprising a polyalkylene glycol;
the kit adapted for use in a heat-transfer installation comprising a vapor compression circuit, wherein the polyalkylene glycol is used in a proportion of from 5% to 50% relative to the sum of the polyalkylene glycol and of the heat-transfer fluid.

17. The composition as claimed in claim 1 , in which the mass ratio between 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane is from 25/75 to 95/5.

Assignees

• Guerin Sophie
• Abbas Laurent
• Rached Wissam
• Arkema France

Inventors

• Guerin Sophie
• Abbas Laurent
• Rached Wissam

Classifications

• C10M171/008

  Lubricant compositions compatible with refrigerants · CPC title

• C10N2020/02

  Viscosity; Viscosity index · CPC title

• C10N2040/30

  Refrigerators lubricants {or compressors lubricants} · CPC title

• C09K5/045 Primary

  containing only fluorine as halogen · CPC title

• C10M2209/1033

  used as base material · CPC title