INCREASED ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY OF A LUBRICANT WITH AMPHIPHILIC AMINE AND AMPHIPHILIC ACID

Abstract

The invention relates to a use of a blend comprising an amphiphilic amine, and an amphiphilic acid for increasing the electric conductivity of a lubricant based on a hydrocarbon oil. The invention further relates to a method for increasing the electric conductivity of a lubricant based on a hydrocarbon oil comprising the step of contacting the hydrocarbon oil with a blend comprising the amphiphilic amine, and the an amphiphilic acid; and to a lubricant based on a hydrocarbon oil comprising a blend comprising the amphiphilic amine which is a compound of formula (A1) and the amphiphilic acid which is selected from compounds (B1), (B3), (B4), (B5), fatty acids, or alkylbenzene sulfonic acids.

Claims

1.-16. (canceled)

17. A use of a blend comprising A) an amphiphilic amine, and B) an amphiphilic acid for increasing the electric conductivity of a lubricant based on a hydrocarbon oil.

18. The method according to claim 29 where the weight ratio of the amphiphilic amine and the amphiphilic acid is from 5:1 to 1:5.

19. The method according to claim 29 where the lubricant comprises 20 to 1000 ppm of the amphiphilic amine, and 20 to 1000 ppm of the amphiphilic acid.

20. The method according to claim 29 where the amphiphilic amine comprises an imidazolin group and a C.sub.6-32 hydrocarbon group.

21. The method according to claim 29 where the amphiphilic amine is a compound of formula (A1) ##STR00010##

22. The method according to claim 29 where the amphiphilic acid comprises an unpolar group and a polar group, which contains an acid group selected from a carboxylic acid group, a sulfonic acid group, or a phosphonic acid group.

23. The method according to claim 29 where the amphiphilic acid comprises a carboxylic acid group and a C.sub.6-32 hydrocarbon group or at least two isobutyl groups; or a sulfonic acid group and a C.sub.6-32 hydrocarbon group.

24. The method according to claim 29 where the carboxylic acid is selected from compounds (B1), (B2), (B3), (B4), (B5), ##STR00011## where x is from 11 to 13 and n from 2 to 15, ##STR00012## fatty acids, or alkylbenzene sulfonic acids.

25. The method according to claim 29 where lubricant comprises at least 50, 60, 70, 80 or 90 wt % of the hydrocarbon oil.

26. The method according to claim 29 where electric conductivity of the hydrocarbon oil is below 30 pS/m.

27. The method according to claim 29 where electric conductivity of the lubricant is increased to at least 30 pS/m.

28. The method according to claim 29 where the lubricant is a turbine oil or a hydraulic oil.

29. A method for increasing the electric conductivity of a lubricant based on a hydrocarbon oil comprising the step of contacting the hydrocarbon oil with a blend comprising A) an amphiphilic amine, and B) an amphiphilic acid.

30. A lubricant based on a hydrocarbon oil comprising a blend comprising A) an amphiphilic amine which is a compound of formula (A1) ##STR00013## and B) an amphiphilic acid which is selected from compounds (B1), (B3), (B4), (B5) ##STR00014## where x is from 11 to 13 and n from 2 to 15, and ##STR00015## fatty acids, or alkylbenzene sulfonic acids.

31. The lubricant according to claim 30 where the weight ratio of the amphiphilic amine and the amphiphilic acid is from 5:1 to 1:5.

32. The lubricant according to claim 30 comprising 20 to 1000 ppm of the amphiphilic amine, and 20 to 1000 ppm of the amphiphilic acid.

Description

EXAMPLES

[0078] Amine A: Compound of formula (A1) [0079] Acid A: Compound of formula (B1) [0080] Acid B: Compound of formula (B2) [0081] Acid C: Compound of formula (B3) [0082] Acid D: Compound of formula (B4) [0083] Group II Base Oil: Group Il type mineral base oil VG 46, commercially available from Chevron. [0084] Group III Base Oil: Group III type paraffinic base oil, available as Shell XHVI 8. [0085] Group III+Base Oil: Group III type base oil, isoparrafines, prepared from gas-to-liquid technology, available as Shell Risella X 415. [0086] Group IV Base Oil: Group IV type base oil VG46, polyalphaolefin, mixed from SpectraSyn 40 and SpectraSyn 6, both from ExxonMobil.

Example 1

[0087] The additives were mixed at room temperature with the mineral oils as listed in Table 1 and 2. Then the electric conductivity was determined with a Model 1152 Digital Conductivity Meter from EMCEE Electronics Inc., USA. The meter consisted of an electronics assembly and a detachable stainless steel probe. The probe was immersed into the fluid up to the set of holes closet to the electronics assembly. Depressing the M pushbutton caused a direct current to flow through the fluid between the electrodes. The current was amplified in the electronics assembly and was displayed on the liquid crystal display in picosiemens per meter (pS/m).

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Electric conductivity in pS/m Entry Additive Group II Base Oil A .sup.a) No Additives 0 B .sup.a) 100 ppm Amine A 0 C 100 ppm Amine A 33.5 100 ppm Acid B D 200 ppm Amine A 36 100 ppm Acid B E 100 ppm Amine A 49 200 ppm Acid B .sup.a) Comparative examples

Example 2

[0088] A turbine oil was prepared from 0.4 wt % of Additive Package 1, optionally 400 ppm Amine A, and filled up to 100 wt % with the hydrocarbon oils listed in Table 2. The electric conductivity at room temperature was determined as in Example 1.

[0089] The Additive Package 1 is a commercially available ashless additive package containing antioxidants, corrosion inhibitors and metal deactivators. It comprises 0.7 wt % of the Acid B and 4.7 wt % of the Acid D. The resulting concentration in the hydrocarbon oil was 28 ppm Acid B and 188 ppm Acid D. The Additive Package 1 was free of amphiphilic amines or and free of other amphiphilic acids.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Electric conductivity [pS/m] with Additive Package 1 (contains Acid B and Acid D) without 400 ppm Entry Hydrocarbon Oil Amine A .sup.a) Amine A A Group II Base Oil 0 69 B Group III Base Oil 0 52 C Group III + Base Oil 0 222 D Group IV Base Oil 0 66 .sup.a) Comparative examples

Example 3

[0090] A turbine oil was prepared from 0.4 wt % of Additive Package 2, optionally 200 ppm Amine A, and filled up to 100 wt % with the hydrocarbon oils listed in Table 3. The electric conductivity at room temperature was determined as in Example 1.

[0091] The Additive Package 2 is a commercially available ashless additive package containing antioxidants, corrosion inhibitors and metal deactivators. It comprises 0.7 wt % of the Acid B and 4.7 wt % of the Acid D. The resulting concentration in the hydrocarbon oil was 28 ppm Acid B and 188 ppm Acid C. The Additive Package 2 was free of amphiphilic amines or and free of other amphiphilic acids.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Electric conductivity [pS/m] with Additive Package 2 (including Acid B and Acid C) without 200 ppm Entry Hydrocarbon Oil Amine A .sup.a) Amine A A Group II Base Oil 0 106 B Group III Base Oil 0 45 C Group III + Base Oil 0 186 D Group IV Base Oil 0 48 .sup.a) Comparative examples

Example 4

[0092] A turbine oil was prepared from 0.4 wt % of Additive Package 1, optionally Amine A and Acid A or B, and filled up to 100 wt % with Group III+Base Oil. The electric conductivity at room temperature was determined as in Example 1 and summarized in Table 4.

[0093] The addition of the Additive Package 1 resulted in a concentration in the hydrocarbon oil of 28 ppm Acid B and 188 ppm Acid D.

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Electric conductivity [pS/m] with Additive Package 1 (contains Acid B and Acid D) Entry Amounts Electric conductivity [pS/m] A .sup.a) 0 B 200 ppm Amine A 80 200 ppm Acid A C 200 ppm Amine A 121 200 ppm Acid B .sup.a) Comparative example

Example 5

[0094] A turbine oil was prepared from 0.4 wt % of Additive Package 1, optionally Amine A and Acid A or B, and filled up to 100 wt % with Group Ill+Base Oil. The electric conductivity at room temperature was determined as in Example 1 and summarized in Table 5.

[0095] The addition of the Additive Package 1 resulted in a concentration in the hydrocarbon oil of 28 ppm Acid B and 188 ppm Acid D.

TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Electric conductivity [pS/m] with Additive Package 1 (contains Acid B and Acid D) Entry Amounts Electric conductivity [pS/m] A .sup.a) 0 0 B 50 ppm Amine A 72 50 ppm Acid A C 50 ppm Amine A 81 50 ppm Acid B .sup.a) Comparative example

Example 6

[0096] A turbine oil was prepared from 1.2 wt % of Additive Package 3, optionally Amine A and Acid A or B, and filled up to 100 wt % with Group III+Base Oil. The electric conductivity at room temperature was determined as in Example 1 and summarized in Table 6.

[0097] The Additive Package 3 is a commercially available additive package containing antioxidants, corrosion inhibitors and metal deactivators. It comprises 1.77 wt % of the Acid A. The resulting concentration in the hydrocarbon oil was 106 ppm Acid A (not yet including the amount of the separately added Acid A). The Additive Package 3 was free of amphiphilic amines or and free of other amphiphilic acids.

TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 Electric conductivity [pS/m] with Additive Package 3 (including Acid A) Entry Amounts Electric conductivity [pS/m] A .sup.a) 0 0 B 200 ppm Amine A 43 200 ppm Acid A C 200 ppm Amine A 54 200 ppm Acid B .sup.a) Comparative example