The present disclosure relates to methods and compositions for making bio-based, biodegradable, and non-bioaccumulating lubricating base oils generated by esterifying alkoxylated polyols (average alkoxylation 3) with long-chain (C14) saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (FA) or fatty acids modified using industry recognized techniques.

A base stock having at least 90 wt. % saturates, an amount and distribution of aromatics, as determined by ultra violet (UV) spectroscopy, including an absorptivity between 280 and 320 nm of less than 0.015 l/gm-cm, a viscosity index (VI) from 80 to 120, and having a cycloparaffin performance ratio greater than 1.05 and a kinematic viscosity at 100 C. between 4 and 6 cSt. A base stock having at least 90 wt. % saturates, an amount and distribution of aromatics, as determined by UV spectroscopy, including an absorptivity between 280 and 320 nm of less than 0.020 l/gm-cm, a viscosity index (VI) from 80 to 120, and having a cycloparaffin performance ratio greater than 1.05 and a kinematic viscosity at 100 C. between 10 and 14 cSt. A lubricating oil having the base stock as a major component, and one or more additives as a minor component. Methods for improving oxidation performance and low temperature performance of formulated lubricant compositions through the compositionally advantaged base stock.

Provided herein are hydrocarbon mixtures with controlled structure characteristics that address the performance requirements for finished lubricants driven by the stricter environmental and fuel economy regulations. The branching characteristics of the hydrocarbon molecules are controlled to provide a composition that has a unique and superior viscosity-temperature relationship and Noack volatility. An important aspect of the present invention relates to a saturated hydrocarbon mixture with at least 80% of the molecules having an even carbon number, with the branching characteristic of BP/BI in the range 0.6037 (Internal alkyl branching)+2.0, where on average at least 0.3 to 1.5 of the internal methyl branches are located more than 4 carbons away from the terminal carbon when analyzed by carbon NMR. The saturated hydrocarbon mixture with such unique branching structure consistently exhibits a stand out performance in the cold crank simulated viscosity (CCS) vs Noack volatility relationship, which allows for the formulation of lower viscosity engine oils with improved fuel economies.

Disclosed are solvency enhancer compositions, for example, as additives to lubricating oils and as formulated in lubricating oil compositions and associated methods of preparation and use thereof. The compositions and methods can dissolve at least one of oxidation products and other organic polar compounds, due to lubricant degradation, formed and suspended in oil compositions including adding an effective amount of a solvency enhancer to the oils, wherein the solvency enhancer includes Guerbet alcohols. Further described are methods for dissolving organic deposits in an oil system including adding an effective amount of a solvency enhancer to the oil system, wherein the solvency enhancer includes Guerbet alcohols. Also provided are methods for preventing sludge and varnish formation in in-service oils including adding an effective amount of a solvency enhancer to the oils, wherein the solvency enhancer includes Guerbet alcohols.

One aspect of the present invention relates to a dinaphthyl ether compound represented by formula (1):

##STR00001##

in the formula (1), R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are the same or different and each represent a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having 6 to 32 carbon atoms; m and n are each a real number of 0 or more and satisfy 1.0?m+n?3.0.

One aspect of the present invention relates to a naphthyl phenyl ether compound represented by formula (1):

##STR00001##

in the formula (1), R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are the same or different and each represent a linear or branched hydrocarbon group having 6 to 28 carbon atoms; m and n are each a real number of 0 or more and satisfy 1.0?m+n?3.0.

Systems and methods are provided for producing lubricant basestocks having a reduced or minimized aromatics content. A first processing stage can perform an initial amount of hydrotreating and/or hydrocracking. A first separation stage can then be used to remove fuels boiling range (and lower boiling range) compounds. The remaining lubricant boiling range fraction can then be exposed under hydrocracking conditions to a USY catalyst including a supported noble metal, such as Pt and/or Pd. The USY catalyst can have a desirable combination of catalyst properties, such as a unit cell size of 24.30 or less (or 24.24 or less), a silica to alumina ratio of at least 50 (or at least 80), and an alpha value of 20 or less (or 10 or less). In some aspects, the effluent from the second (hydrocracking) stage can be dewaxed without further separation. In such aspects, a portion of the dewaxed effluent can be used as a recycle quench stream to cool the hydrocracking effluent prior to entering the dewaxing reactor.

A base stock having at least 90 wt. % saturates, an amount and distribution of aromatics, as determined by ultra violet (UV) spectroscopy, including an absorptivity between 280 and 320 nm of less than 0.015 l/gm-cm, a viscosity index (VI) from 80 to 120, and having a cycloparaffin performance ratio greater than 1.05 and a kinematic viscosity at 100 C. between 4 and 6 cSt. A base stock having at least 90 wt. % saturates, an amount and distribution of aromatics, as determined by UV spectroscopy, including an absorptivity between 280 and 320 nm of less than 0.020 l/gm-cm, a viscosity index (VI) from 80 to 120, and having a cycloparaffin performance ratio greater than 1.05 and a kinematic viscosity at 100 C. between 10 and 14 cSt. A lubricating oil having the base stock as a major component, and one or more additives as a minor component. Methods for improving oxidation performance and low temperature performance of formulated lubricant compositions through the compositionally advantaged base stock.

A fuel composition, a lubricant composition, and methods for reducing friction or wear of moving parts. The fuel composition includes gasoline and from about 10 to about 500 ppm by weight of a dialkylaminoalkanol of the formula R.sup.1(R.sup.2)NCH.sub.2CH(R.sup.3)R.sup.4. The lubricant composition includes base oil of lubricating viscosity and from about 0.05 to about 5.0 weight percent of a dialkylaminoalkanol of the formula R.sup.1(R.sup.2)NCH.sub.2CH(R.sup.3)R.sup.4. In the above formulas wherein R.sup.1 is an alkyl group or a hydroxy alkyl group containing from 8 to 50 carbon atoms; R.sup.2 is an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R.sup.3 is selected from H and OH; and R.sup.4 is selected from H, an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and CH.sub.2OH and wherein at least one of R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 contains a hydroxyl group and provided that when R.sup.1 is a hydroxyalkyl group, R.sup.3 is OH and R.sup.4 is CH.sub.2OH.

A lubricant composition comprising an oil of lubricating viscosity and 0.01 to 5 percent by weight of a substantially sulfur-free alkyl phosphate amine salt, where at least 30 mole percent of the phosphorus atoms are in an alkyl pyrophosphate salt structure, exhibits good antiwear performance. In the phosphate amine salt, at least 80 mole percent of the alkyl groups are typically secondary alkyl groups of 3 to 12 carbon atoms.