Polyalkyl (meth)acrylates are useful in compressor oils. A method of increasing the energy efficiency of a compressor involves operating the compressor with a compressor oil containing a polyalkyl (meth)acrylate-based viscosity index improver.

A refrigerant composition of R-1234yf and R-744 is disclosed. In some embodiments, the R-744 is 5% or less by weight of the composition. In instances where PVE is utilized as a lubricant with the refrigerant, R-744 may be 50% or less of the composition. Systems utilizing the refrigerant and methods of using such are also disclosed.

The refrigerator lubricating oil of the present invention contains: a base oil containing, as a major component, a polyol ester (A) of a fatty acid (a1) that is a fatty acid having a number of carbon atoms of from 3 to 18 and a polyol (a2) that is selected from neopentyl glycol, trimethylolethane, trimethylolpropane, trimethylolbutane, pentaerythritol, and dipentaerythritol; and a disulfide and/or trisulfide compound (B), and the disulfide and/or trisulfide compound (B) is blended in an amount of from 30 to 10,000 ppm by mass in terms of sulfur equivalent based on the total amount of the refrigerator lubricating oil.

The present invention provides methods for selecting refrigerant and lubricant combinations for use in heat transfer cycle systems and provides methods for operating said heat transfer systems. More particularly, the invention provides methods to select lubricant and refrigerant combinations for a heat transfer cycle system wherein at the lower temperatures of the heat transfer cycle the refrigerant and lubricant are miscible and at the upper temperatures of the heat transfer cycle the refrigerant and lubricant are phase separated and such that the density phase inversion temperature of the combination is below the upper operating temperature of the heat transfer cycle.

A carbon dioxide/co-fluid mixture is provided for use in a refrigeration cycle in which the carbon dioxide is alternately absorbed and desorbed from the co-fluid. Suitable co-fluids are selected from the class of alkoxylated carboxylic amides, wherein the amides are cyclic or non-cyclic. It has been discovered that N-2,5,8,11-tetraoxadodecyl-2-pyrrolidinone and its homologs exhibit an advantageous property of a high rate of desorption at lower temperatures.

Provided herein are compositions comprising at least one estolide compound of formula: ##STR00001##
in which n is an integer equal to or greater than 0; m is an integer equal to or greater than 1; R.sub.1, independently for each occurrence, is selected from optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched; R.sub.2 is selected from hydrogen and optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched; and R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, independently for each occurrence, are selected from optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched. Also provided are uses of the compositions described herein.

A lubricating oil composition for refrigerating machines contains a base oil and an additive in a form of a naphthalimide compound. A refrigerant used in a refrigerating machine in which the composition is used is unsaturated hydrofluorocarbon (unsaturated HFC) having a GWP of 1000 or less. When the present lubricating oil composition for refrigerating machines is used in refrigerating equipment such as an open-type automobile air-conditioner, an electric automobile air-conditioner, a gas heat pump, other air-conditioning equipment, a refrigerating machine, a vending machine, a showcase, a water-heating system and a refrigerating/heating system, it is possible to detect the leakage of a refrigerant with a long-lasting stability. Therefore, when an unsaturated fron refrigerant with a poor stability is used in the above-listed equipment, the present lubricating oil composition for refrigerating machines is significantly advantageous.

A carbon dioxide/co-fluid mixture is provided for use in a refrigeration cycle in which the carbon dioxide is alternately absorbed and desorbed from the co-fluid. Suitable co-fluids are selected from the class of alkoxylated carboxylic amides, wherein the amides are cyclic or non-cyclic. It has been discovered that N-2,5,8,11-tetraoxadodecyl-2-pyrrolidinone and its homologs exhibit an advantageous property of a high rate of desorption at lower temperatures.

Provided herein are compositions comprising at least one estolide compound of formula:

##STR00001##

in which n is an integer equal to or greater than 0; m is an integer equal to or greater than 1; R.sub.1, independently for each occurrence, is selected from optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched; R.sub.2 is selected from hydrogen and optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched; and R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, independently for each occurrence, are selected from optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched. Also provided are uses of the compositions described herein.

The present invention provides a working fluid composition for a refrigerating machine containing: a refrigerating machine oil containing, as a base oil, a mixed ester of (A) a complex ester synthesized from a polyhydric alcohol such as neopentyl glycol, a polybasic acid having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, a monohydric alcohol having 4 to 18 carbon atoms and the like, and (B) a polyol ester synthesized from a polyhydric alcohol such as neopentyl glycol and a monocarboxylic fatty acid having 4 to 18 carbon atoms, in a mass ratio of (A) the complex ester/(B) the polyol ester of 5/95 to 95/5; and a refrigerant such as carbon dioxide.