Composition for heat cycle system, and heat cycle system

• US 10,196,552 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AGC, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AGC, Inc.
• Inventors: Fujii, Katsuya, Yamamoto, Hiroshi, Ueno, Katsuya, Okamoto, Hidekazu, Fukushima, Masato, Mitsuoka, Hiroaki, Tasaka, Mai
• Primary Examiner(s): Hardee, John R
• Application Number:
  US15/223,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20160333245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2205/122 Halogenated hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2205/126 Unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2205/22 All components of a mixture being fluoro compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/04 the change of state being from liquid to vapour or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/045 containing only fluorine as halogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 105/04 aliphatic
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 105/18 Ethers, e.g. epoxides
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 105/32 Esters
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 105/36 of polycarboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 105/38 of polyhydroxy compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 105/50 containing halogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 105/52 containing carbon, hydrogen and halogen only
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 107/32 Condensation polymers of aldehydes or ketones; Polyesters; Polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 107/34 Polyoxyalkylenes
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 107/38 containing halogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 171/00 Lubricating compositions characterised by purely physical criteria, e.g. containing as base-material, thickener or additive, ingredients which are characterised exclusively by their numerically specified physical properties, i.e. containing ingredients which are physically well-defined but for which the chemical nature is either unspecified or only very vaguely indicated chemically defined ingredients C10M101/00 - C10M169/00; petroleum fractions C10M101/02, C10M121/02, C10M159/04
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 171/008 Lubricant compositions compatible with refrigerants
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2203/024 unsaturated
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2205/0285 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2207/0406 used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2207/2825 : used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2207/2835 : used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2209/105 : of alkylene oxides containing three carbon atoms only
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2209/1075 : used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2209/1085 : used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2211/0225 : used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2213/043 : used as base material
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2020/101 : Containing Hydrofluorocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2040/30 : Refrigerators lubricants or compressors lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/222 : Detecting refrigerant leaks
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 31/002 : Lubrication
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 43/00 : Arrangements for separating or purifying gases or liquids in analysers or rectifiers F25B33/00; Arrangements for vaporising the residuum of liquid refrigerant, e.g. by heat F25B40/00 takes precedence

Abstract

To provide a composition for a heat cycle system having less influence over the ozone layer, having a low global warming potential and having excellent durability, and a heat cycle system.

A composition for a heat cycle system comprising a working fluid containing trifluoroethylene and difluoromethane, and a lubricating oil, wherein the interaction distance (Ra₁₁₂₃) between trifluoroethylene and the lubricating oil as determined from the Hansen solubility parameters is shorter than the interaction distance (Ra₃₂) between difluoromethane and the lubricating oil.

Claims

1. A composition for a heat cycle system, comprising:

a working fluid comprising trifluoroethylene and difluoromethane; and

a lubricating oil, wherein the lubricating oil is selected from the group consisting of;

a dibasic acid ester oil;

a polychlorotrifluoroethylene having a degree of polymerization of from 3 to 10;

a hydrocarbon synthetic oil which is a poly-α

-olefin represented by H(CH(R)CH₂)_nH, where R is an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and n is an integer of from 3 to 10; and

a combination thereof, such that the interaction distance (Ra₁₁₂₃) between trifluoroethylene and the lubricating oil as determined from the Hansen solubility parameters is shorter than the interaction distance (Ra₃₂) between difluoromethane and the lubricating oil, and

wherein the total amount of trifluoroethylene and difluoromethane in the working fluid is at least 90 mass % per 100 mass % of the working fluid.

2. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the difference (Ra₃₂-Ra₁₁₂₃) between the interaction distance (Ra₁₁₂₃) and the interaction distance (Ra₃₂) is at least 1.

3. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the mass ratio of the working fluid to the lubricating oil is from 1/10 to 10/1.

4. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the mass ratio (trifluoroethylene/difluoromethane) of trifluoroethylene to difluoromethane in the working fluid is from 1/99 to 99/1.

5. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of the content of trifluoroethylene in the working fluid is at least 10 mass % based on the entire amount of the working fluid.

6. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the working fluid further comprises at least one hydrofluoroolefin selected from 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, trans-1 ,3 ,3 ,3-tetrafluoropropene and cis-1 ,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene.

7. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 6, wherein the interaction distance between the hydrofluoroolefin and the lubricating oil is equal to or longer than the interaction distance (Ra₁₁₂₃) between trifluoroethylene and the lubricating oil.

8. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the working fluid further comprises 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene.

9. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 8, wherein the difference (Ra_1234yf-Ra₁₁₂₃) between the interaction distance (Ra_1234yf) between 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and the lubricating oil and the interaction distance (Ra₁₁₂₃) is at least 0.

10. A heat cycle system, comprising the composition for a heat cycle system as defined in claim 1.

11. The heat cycle system according to claim 10, wherein the heat cycle system is a refrigerating apparatus, an air-conditioning apparatus, a power generation system, a heat transport apparatus or a secondary cooling machine.

12. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the interaction distance (Ra₁₁₂₃) between trifluoroethylene and the lubricating oil is from 0 to 9.

13. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the interaction distance (Ra₁₁₂₃) between trifluoroethylene and the lubricating oil is from 0 to 3.

14. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the interaction distance (Ra₃₂) between difluoromethane and the lubricating oil is at least 6.

15. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the interaction distance (Ra₃₂) between difluoromethane and the lubricating oil is at least 12.

16. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the difference (Ra₃₂-Ra₁₁₂₃) between the interaction distance (Ra₁₁₂₃) and the interaction distance (Ra₃₂) is at least 3.

17. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the difference (Ra₃₂-Ra₁₁₂₃) between the interaction distance (Ra₁₁₂₃) and the interaction distance (Ra₃₂) is at least 6.

18. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the dibasic acid ester oil is an ester of a C_5-10 dibasic acid with a C_2-15 monohydric alcohol.

19. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the mass ratio of trifluoroethylene to difluoromethane (trifluoroethylene/difluoromethane) is from 20/80 to 80/20, and the mass ratio of the working fluid to the lubricating oil (the working fluid/the lubricating oil) is from 1/3 to 3/1.

20. The composition for a heat cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the lubricating oil is selected from the group consisting of:

a dibasic acid ester oil;

a polychlorotrifluoroethylene having a degree of polymerization of from 3 to 10; and

a combination thereof.