NANOPARTICLE ADDITIVES AND LUBRICANT FORMULATIONS CONTAINING THE NANOPARTICLE ADDITIVES

• US 20120214717A1
• Filed: 02/17/2011
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afton Chemical Corporation
• Original Assignee: Afton Chemical Corporation
• Inventors: MCLAUGHLIN, Michael Jeffrey, MATHUR, Naresh
• Granted Patent: US 8,333,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 508/165
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 17/235 Cerium oxides or hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/04 obtained by TEM, STEM, STM or AFM
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/16 Nanowires or nanorods, i.e. solid nanofibres with two nearly equal dimensions between 1-100 nanometer
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/20 extending in two dimensions, e.g. plate-like
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/32 Spheres
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/64 Nanometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 nanometer
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 159/18 Complexes with metals
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2207/126 monocarboxylic
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2215/04 having amino groups bound to acyclic or cycloaliphatic carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2223/045 Metal containing thio derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 2227/09 Complexes with metals
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2010/06 Groups 3 or 13
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2010/08 Groups 4 or 14
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2030/06 Oiliness; Film-strength; Anti-wear; Resistance to extreme pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C10N 2070/00 Specific manufacturing methods for lubricant compositions

Abstract

A method for making a self-dispersing cerium oxide nanoparticles additive for lubricants, a lubricant composition containing the nanoparticles and a method for reducing boundary friction using the nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are made by an improved process of reacting a mixture of organo-cerium salt, fatty acid, and amine in the substantial absence of water and organic solvent at a temperature ranging from about 150° to about 250° C., the improvement comprising reacting the organo-cerium salt, fatty acid and amine in a molar ratio ranging from about 1:1:1 to about 1:2:2 in the reaction mixture to provide the reaction product comprising from about 20 to about 40% by weight of the nanoparticles in a substantially organic medium.

Claims

1. A method for reducing a friction coefficient adjacent a lubricated surface, comprising providing an amount of reaction product comprising metal-containing nanoparticles dispersed in a fully formulated lubricant composition containing a base oil of lubricating viscosity, and applying the lubricant composition containing the reaction product to a surface to be lubricated, wherein the nanoparticles in the reaction product are self-dispersing and comprise a reaction product made by an improved process of reacting an organo-cerium salt, a fatty acid, and an amine in a reaction mixture in the absence of solvent at a temperature ranging from about 150°

to about 250°

C., the improvement comprising reacting the organo-cerium salt, fatty acid and amine in a molar ratio ranging from about 1;

1;

1 to about 1;

2;

2 in the reaction mixture to provide the reaction product comprising from about 20 to about 40% by weight of the nanoparticles in a substantially organic medium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of rod-shaped nanoparticles, spherical nanoparticles, and plate shaped nanoparticles.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein reaction mixture is reacted under an atmosphere selected from the group consisting of air, oxygen, nitrogen, and argon.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the atmosphere comprises air and the air is delivered subsurface to the reaction mixture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the organo-cerium salt comprises cerium (III) acetate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the substantially organic medium is substantially devoid of water and comprises reaction products of the acid and amine components.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction mixture is substantially devoid of water.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of metal-containing nanoparticles in the fully formulated lubricant composition ranges up to about 5 percent by weight.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of metal-containing nanoparticles in the fully formulated lubricant composition ranges from about 0.1 to about 2 percent by weight.

10. A method for making a self-dispersing cerium oxide nanoparticles additive for lubricants by an improved process of reacting a mixture of organo-cerium salt, fatty acid, and amine in the substantial absence of water and organic solvent at a temperature ranging from about 150°

to about 250°

C., the improvement comprising providing a reaction mixture having a molar ratio of organo-cerium salt to amine to fatty acid ranging from about 1;

1;

1 to about 1;

2;

2 in the reaction mixture to provide a reaction product containing the nanoparticles comprising from about 20 to about 40% by weight of the nanoparticles in a substantially organic medium.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the nanoparticles as made in the reaction product are self-dispersing in a lubricant composition.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of rod-shaped nanoparticles, spherical nanoparticles, and plate shaped nanoparticles having a size ranging from about 1 to about 50 nanometers.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the organo-cerium salt comprises cerium (III) acetate.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the substantially organic medium is substantially devoid of water and comprises reaction products of the acid and amine components.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the reaction mixture is substantially devoid of water.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the improvement further comprises injecting air into the mixture during a portion of the reaction period.

17. A lubricant composition comprising up to about 5 weight percent of metal-containing nanoparticles made by the method of claim 10.

19. The lubricant composition of claim 17, wherein the organo-cerium salt comprises cerium (III) acetate.

20. The lubricant composition of claim 17, wherein the substantially organic medium is substantially devoid of water and comprises reaction products of the acid and amine components.

21. The lubricant composition of claim 17, wherein the reaction mixture is substantially devoid of water.

22. The lubricant composition of claim 17, wherein the amount of metal-containing nanoparticles dispersed in the base oil ranges up to about 5 percent by weight.

23. The lubricant composition of claim 17, wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of rod-shaped nanoparticles, spherical nanoparticles, and plate shaped nanoparticles having a size ranging from about 1 to about 50 nanometers.

24. The lubricant composition of claim 17, wherein the fatty acid comprises an unsaturated fatty acid containing from about 10 to about 26 carbon atoms.

25. The lubricant composition of claim 17, wherein the amine comprises an unsaturated hydrocarbyl amine containing from about 3 to about 24 carbon atoms.

18. A lubricant composition comprising:

a base oil of lubricating viscosity; and

a boundary friction reducing amount of a reaction product comprising self-dispersing metal-containing nanoparticles dispersed in the base oil, wherein the nanoparticles are made by an improved process of reacting a mixture of organo-cerium salt, a fatty acid, and an amine reacted in the absence of solvent at a temperature ranging from about 150°

to about 250°

C., the improvement comprising reacting the organo-cerium salt, fatty acid and amine in a molar ratio ranging from about 1;

1;

1 to about 1;

2;

2 in the reaction mixture to provide the reaction product comprising from about 20 to about 40% by weight of the nanoparticles in a substantially organic medium.