BIOLUBRICANTS FOR REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS AND OTHER APPLICATIONS

Abstract

The invention is based on the development of biolubricants from vegetable oils, more specifically refers to capric, caprylic, lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, ricinoleic, isooleic, isostearic, undecylenic fatty acids whose applications are for compressors in refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, industrial compressors and as lubricants for the automotive line is provided. Such products are used in refrigeration compressors, more specifically in refrigerators and air conditioners, industrial compressors and lubricants for the small and large automotive sector. Due to the use of 90% renewable raw materials, the products are biodegradable, non-toxic and safe to be handled. These products, after use as lubricants, can be discarded due to their biodegradability or recovered to be used in other less rigid applications, such as for the production of polyester resins, polyols for the production of polyurethanes, or production of plasticizers for PVC, paints and varnishes.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A formulation produced from neopentyl glycol and isooleic acid, wherein the molar ratios are 1.0 mole of neopentyl glycol and 2.1 to 3.0 moles of isooleic acid.

12. The formulation of claim 11 having ISO VG 7.

13-17. (canceled)

18. A blended formulation comprising: (i) 70% to 75% of a first formulation produced from neopentyl glycol and fatty acids, wherein the fatty acids comprise capric acid, caprylic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, isooleic acid, isostearic acid, or undecylenic acid, or a combination thereof; and (ii) 25% to 30% of a second formulation comprising trimethylolpropane fatty acid triesters, wherein the trimethylolpropane fatty acid triesters are produced from trimethylolpropane and capric acid, caprylic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, isooleic acid, isostearic acid, or undecylenic acid, or a combination thereof, wherein the blended formulation has ISO VG 22.

19. The blended formulation of claim 18, wherein the first formulation is produced from 1.0 mole of neopentyl glycol and 2.1 to 3.0 moles of fatty acids, and the fatty acids comprise lauric acid, myristic acid, and oleic acid.

20. The blended formulation of claim 18, wherein the first formulation is produced from 1.0 mole of neopentyl glycol and 2.1 to 3.0 moles of isooleic acid.

21. The blended formulation of claim 18, wherein the first formulation is produced from 1.0 mole of neopentyl glycol and 1.9 to 2.3 moles of fatty acids comprise palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid.

22. A blended formulation comprising: (i) 60% to 70% of a first formulation produced from neopentyl glycol and fatty acids, wherein the fatty acids comprise capric acid, caprylic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, isooleic acid, isostearic acid, or undecylenic acid, or a combination thereof; and (ii) 30% to 40% of a second formulation comprising trimethylolpropane fatty acid triesters, wherein the trimethylolpropane fatty acid triesters are produced from trimethylolpropane and capric acid, caprylic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, isooleic acid, isostearic acid, or undecylenic acid, or a combination thereof, wherein the blended formulation has ISO VG 32.

23. The blended formulation of claim 22, wherein the first formulation is produced from 1.0 mole of neopentyl glycol and 2.1 to 3.0 moles of fatty acids, and the fatty acids comprise lauric acid, myristic acid, and oleic acid.

24. The blended formulation of claim 22, wherein the first formulation is produced from 1.0 mole of neopentyl glycol and 2.1 to 3.0 moles of isooleic acid.

25. The blended formulation of claim 2, wherein the first formulation is produced from 1.0 mole of neopentyl glycol and 1.9 to 2.3 moles of fatty acids comprise palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid.

26. A blended formulation comprising: (i) 80% to 90% of a first formulation produced from neopentyl glycol and fatty acids, wherein the fatty acids comprise capric acid, caprylic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, isooleic acid, isostearic acid, or undecylenic acid, or a combination thereof; and (ii) 10% to 20% of a second formulation comprising trimethylolpropane fatty acid triesters, wherein the trimethylolpropane fatty acid triesters are produced from trimethylolpropane and capric acid, caprylic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, isooleic acid, isostearic acid, or undecylenic acid, or a combination thereof, wherein the blended formulation has ISO VG 10.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] Mainly aiming to reduce the environmental impacts of lubricants, several types of biolubricants were developed with viscosity ranging from 7 centistokes to 68 centistokes for use in refrigeration compressors.

[0041] All formulations developed have a content of 90% to 100% material of plant origin.

[0042] The precursor materials of plant origin for the products were palm kernel oil, palm oil, soybean oil, castor oil, corn oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil and their respective fatty acids.

[0043] The remainder of the composition, whose participation is less than 10%, are polyols such as pentaerythritol, neopentyl glycol, trimethylolpropane, propylene glycol, glycerin, polyglycerin, isoamyl alcohol from fusel oil.

[0044] The synthesized molecules were designed to obtain products that provide wetting, friction reduction, spreadability, homogeneous film formation, coating, anticorrosive power, and chemical stability. Starting from the fundamentals that long chains provide adhesion to physical surfaces as such metals, polymers, wood, unsaturations are polar sites that reduce freezing point and affinity on polar surfaces as well as ester bonds.

[0045] All of these products were produced in multipurpose reactors using classical esterification and transesterification techniques. [0046] Details Of Formulations According to Viscosities [0047] 1BIOLUBRICANT ISO 7 cst:

[0048] This group of lubricants was produced with neopentyl glycol and fatty acids from palm kernel oil, isooleic fatty acid obtained through the isomerization of soy fatty acid or TOFA, with molar ratios of 1.0 of neopentyl glycol and 2.1 to 3.0 moles of palm kernel fatty acid or isooleic fatty acid.

[0049] Formulations containing 1.0 moles of neopentyl glycol and 1.9 to 2.3 moles of soy fatty acid were also used to obtain the same viscosity and freezing point results. [0050] 2BIOLUBRICANT ISO 10 cst:

[0051] This group of lubricants were produced with neopentyl glycol and lauric fatty acids from palm kernel oil, with molar ratios of 1.0 of neopentyl glycol and 2.0 to 2.2 moles of lauric fatty acid.

[0052] To obtain the same characteristics, formulations containing 80 to 90% of ISO 7 and 10 to 20% of ISO 46 products were produced and successfully tested. [0053] 3BIOLUBRICANT ISO 22 cst:

[0054] This family of products was formulated with 70% to 75% of ISO 7 and 25% to 30% of ISO 46 products. With this strategy we obtain products within specifications with excellent lubricity properties. [0055] 4BIOLUBRICANT ISO 32 cst:

[0056] This family was developed specifically for use in air conditioner compressors. This group of products was formulated with 60% to 70% ISO 7 and 30% to 40% ISO 46 products. With these blends we obtain products within the specifications and quality standards required by this market segment. [0057] 5BIOLUBRICANT ISO 46 cst:

[0058] This product group was developed for use in medium and large industrial compressors and to be formulated with other lower viscosity products. This group was fundamental in the formulation strategy due to its characteristics.

[0059] It was produced by the reaction of trimethylolpropane and palm oil fatty acid, palm olein oleic acid, animal oleic acid, tall oil fatty acid (TOFA), corn fatty acid, sunflower fatty acid, canola fatty acid, peanut fatty acid, soy fatty acid, using 1 mol of trimethylolpropane and 2.95 mol to 3.2 mol of the previously mentioned fatty acids.

[0060] In this sense, the following are described: [0061] 1. Biolubricants that can be: ISO 7 cst biolubricant, ISO 10 cst biolubricant, ISO 22 cst biolubricant, ISO 32 cst biolubricant and ISO 46 cst biolubricant. [0062] 2. Biolubricants, in accordance with item 1, in which 90% of raw materials of renewable origin are manufactured, biodegradable, non-toxic and safe to be handled. [0063] 3. Biolubricants, in accordance with item 1 or 2, in which after use as lubricants they can be discarded due to their biodegradability or recovered to be used in other less rigid applications, for the production of polyester resins, polyols for the production of polyurethanes, or production of plasticizers for PVC, paints and varnishes. [0064] 4. Use of fatty materials of natural origin in the preparation of biolubricants as defined in items 1 to 3. [0065] 5. Use, according to item 4, in which the fatty acids are capric, caprylic, lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, ricinoleic, isooleic, isostearic, undecylenic, epoxidized ricinoleic and having the epoxy rings open with methanol, ethanol, glycols and glycerin. [0066] 6. Use of biolubricants from items 1 to 3 in refrigeration compressors, more specifically in refrigerators and air conditioners, industrial compressors and lubricants for the small and large automotive sector.