The invention relates to polymeric-inorganic nanoparticle compositions and preparation processes thereof. The invention also relates to an additive and lubricant compositions comprising these polymeric-inorganic nanoparticle compositions, as well as to the use of these polymeric-inorganic nanoparticle compositions in an oil lubricant formulation to improve tribological performance, in particular to improve extreme pressure performance and friction reduction on metal parts.

A lubricating oil additive composition that is suitable as a load bearing additive, and is excellent in wear resistance, extreme pressure property, and thermal stability, and a lubricating oil composition containing the lubricating oil additive composition. A lubricating oil additive composition containing a poly(meth)acrylate-based copolymer (X) containing a structural unit (a) derived from a particular alkyl (meth)acrylate (A), a structural unit (b) derived from a particular hydroxy group containing (meth)acrylate (B), and a structural unit (c) derived from a particular phosphorus-containing (meth)acrylate (C).

A viscosity index improver containing a copolymer (A) whose essential constituent monomer is a monomer (a) having a number average molecular weight of 800 to 4,000 represented by the following formula (1), the copolymer (A) having a solubility parameter in the range of 9.00 to 9.40:

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; X.sup.1 is a group represented by O, O(AO).sub.m, or NH, AO is a C2-C4 alkyleneoxy group, m is an integer of 1 to 10, each AO may be the same or different when m is 2 or more, and the (AO).sub.m moieties may be randomly bonded or block-bonded; R.sup.2 is a residue after removal of one hydrogen atom from a hydrocarbon polymer whose essential constituent monomer is butadiene in which the butadiene is present in a proportion of 50% by weight or more based on the weight of R.sup.2, or after removal of one hydrogen atom from a polymer formed by partial hydrogenation of the hydrocarbon polymer; and p represents a number of 0 or 1.

An aqueous acidic composition for treating metal surfaces, the composition including the following components: a) at least one water soluble or water dispersable anionic polyelectrolyte; b) at least one organofunctional silane including one or more reactive functional groups selected from the group including amino, mercapto, methacryloxy, epoxy and vinyl; c) at least one water dispersible solid wax wherein the weight ratio between components a:b is in the range of 1:2-4:1, based on dry matter; the weight ratio between components (a+b):c is in the range of 1:3-3:1, based on dry matter, and wherein components a and b may be presentat least partiallyas their graft reaction product. Another aspect is a treating method using this composition and use of the thus treated metal surface.

The present invention provides a viscosity index improver having an excellent viscosity index improving effect, a lubricant composition having excellent low-temperature viscosity in which the viscosity reduction due to long-term use is small, and a method for producing the lubricant composition. A viscosity index improver of the present invention contains a copolymer (A) containing, as monomer units, an alkyl (meth)acrylate (a) whose alkyl group contains 5 or more carbon atoms, and an alkyl (meth)acrylate (b) whose alkyl group contains 1 to 4 carbon atoms, wherein the alkyl group of the alkyl (meth)acrylate (a) whose alkyl group contains 5 or more carbon atoms has a molar-average carbon number (Q) of 29 or more, and the alkyl (meth)acrylate (b) whose alkyl group contains 1 to 4 carbon atoms is contained as a monomer unit in an amount of 38 to 75% by weight based on the weight of the copolymer (A).

The present invention provides a viscosity index improver having an excellent viscosity index improving effect, a lubricant composition having excellent low-temperature viscosity in which the viscosity reduction due to long-term use is small, and a method for producing the lubricant composition. A viscosity index improver of the present invention contains a copolymer (A) containing, as monomer units, an alkyl (meth)acrylate (a) whose alkyl group contains 5 or more carbon atoms, and an alkyl (meth)acrylate (b) whose alkyl group contains 1 to 4 carbon atoms, wherein the alkyl group of the alkyl (meth)acrylate (a) whose alkyl group contains 5 or more carbon atoms has a molar-average carbon number (Q) of 29 or more, and the alkyl (meth)acrylate (b) whose alkyl group contains 1 to 4 carbon atoms is contained as a monomer unit in an amount of 38 to 75% by weight based on the weight of the copolymer (A).

The present invention relates to a lubricant composition comprising at least one polyalkyl(meth)acrylate including repeating units derived from (meth)acrylates having 6 to 22 carbon atoms in the alcohol radical, wherein the polyalkyl(meth)acrylate includes repeating units derived from ethylenically unsaturated monomers having at least one covalently bonded phosphorus atom. The present invention further relates to a polyalkyl(meth)acrylate suitable for such a lubricant composition and to the use of a polyalkyl(meth)acrylate having repeating units derived from ethylenically unsaturated monomers having at least one covalently bonded phosphorus atom for reducing friction.

A lubricating oil additive composition that is suitable as a load bearing additive, and is excellent in wear resistance, extreme pressure property, and thermal stability, and a lubricating oil composition containing the lubricating oil additive composition. A lubricating oil additive composition containing a poly(meth)acrylate-based copolymer (X) containing a structural unit (a) derived from a particular alkyl (meth)acrylate (A), a structural unit (b) derived from a particular hydroxy group containing (meth)acrylate (B), and a structural unit (c) derived from a particular phosphorus-containing (meth)acrylate (C).

The present invention aims to provide a viscosity index improver excellent in shear stability and having a low HTHS viscosity and a high viscosity index. The viscosity index improver of the present invention contains a (co)polymer (A) containing a polyolefin-based monomer as an essential monomer unit, and a base oil, wherein the absolute value of difference in solubility parameter between the (co)polymer (A) and the base oil is 0.8 to 2.0 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2.

The present invention aims to provide a viscosity index improver excellent in shear stability and having a low HTHS viscosity and a high viscosity index. The viscosity index improver of the present invention contains a (co)polymer (A) containing a polyolefin-based monomer as an essential monomer unit, and a base oil, wherein the absolute value of difference in solubility parameter between the (co)polymer (A) and the base oil is 0.8 to 2.0 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.1/2.