Polyalphaolefin based synthetic gear lubricants

Abstract

The present disclosure provides polyalphaolefin based lubricants blended with additives which demonstrate significant performance improvements in heat transfer, film integrity, oxidative stability, and energy efficiency.

Description

074008-000787 (BASF Reference 230100WO01) POLYALPHAOLEFIN BASED SYNTHETIC GEAR LUBRICANTS FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0001] The present disclosure is related to a series of polyalphaolefin (PAO) based synthetic gear lubricants, their methods of making, and their uses in high-speed electric vehicle applications, such as in electric drivetrains. BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] Automobile manufactures continually strive to produce more durable and efficient vehicles. As hybrid and electric vehicles gain popularity, original equipment manufacturers have an increasing need for improved lubricants which are specifically tailored to these applications.

[0003] In electric vehicles, electric drivetrain fluids (EDFs) can often be in contact with electrical parts and affected by electrical current and electromagnetic fields. Moreover, the drive system fluids, which often double as motor coolants, must be compatible with wiring, special plastics, and insulation materials. Electric motors generate large quantities of heat and run at higher speeds to increase efficiency, which requires a gear oils that can lubricate gearboxes and axles, while removing the heat effectively from motors and gears.

[0004] EDFs need to be specifically tailored to better manage the high-speed and high-torque requirements of electric drivetrains. EDFs with low traction coefficient are desired for better energy efficiency. EDFs subjected to high-speed conditions can experience foaming and aeration which impacts the heat conductivity, bearing wear protection, and lubricant oxidative stability. Accordingly, there is a demand for EDFs which meet the conductivity, wear protection, thermal stability, and friction requirements of electric vehicle applications. The present disclosure addresses these needs. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0005] Disclosed herein are a series of polyalphaolefin based synthetic gear lubricants suitable for EDF applications which demonstrate low traction coefficient, low aeration, low foaming, and high component compatibility and protection.

[0006] In one form thereof, the present disclosure provides a lubricant composition comprising a mixture of: a base oil comprising a polyalphaolefin lubricant fluid with a first viscosity; a polymer thickener with a second viscosity higher than the first viscosity; and an additive package. DMS_US.363915825.1074008-000787 (BASF Reference 230100WO01) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0008] Fig.1 is a bar graph showing the aeration of Example 1 vs benchmark Dexron ULV by Fast FZG under various high speed conditions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION I. Definitions

[0009] Before the present compositions and methods are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that the compositions and methods are not limited to specific synthetic methods, specific components, or to particular compositions. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0010] As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and / or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and / or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint. When ranges are listed in the specification and in the claims, it is understood that all the numbers including decimals within the range are included whether specifically disclosed. For example, if the range is from 1 to 10, the range would include every number within the range, such as 1; 1.1; 1.2; 1.3; 1.4; 1.5; 1.6; 1.7; 1.8; 1.9; 2; 2.1; 2.2; 2.3; 2.4; 2.5; 2.6; 2.7; 2.8; 2.9; 3; 3.1; 3.2; 3.3; 3.4; 3.5; 3.6; 3.7; 3.8; 3.9; 4; 4.1; 4.2; 4.3; 4.4; 4.5; 4.6; 4.7; 4.8; 4.9; 5; 5.1; 5.2; 5.3; 5.4; 5.5; 5.6; 5.7; 5.8; 5.9; 6; 6.1; 6.2; 6.3; 6.4; 6.5; 6.6; 6.7; 6.8; 6.9; 7; 7.1; 7.2; 7.3; 7.4; 7.5; 7.6; 7.7; 7.8; 7.9; 8; 8.1; 8.2; 8.3; 8.4; 8.5; 8.6; 8.7; 8.8; 8.9; 9; 9.1; 9.2; 9.3; 9.4; 9.5; 9.6; 9.7; 9.8; 9.9, and 10.

[0011] “Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not. DMS_US.363915825.1074008-000787 (BASF Reference 230100WO01)

[0012] The term “comprising”, and variations thereof as used herein is used synonymously with the term “including” and variations thereof and are open, non-limiting terms. Although the terms “comprising” and “including” have been used herein to describe various embodiments, the terms “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of” can be used in place of “comprising” and “including” to provide for more specific embodiments and are also disclosed. As used in this disclosure and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, “the”, include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The disclosure of percentage ranges and other ranges herein includes the disclosure of the endpoints of the range and any integers provided in the range. II. Lubricant Formulations

[0013] The present disclosure contemplates a lubricant formulation for use in electric drivetrain fluid (EDF) applications which comprises a base oil, a polymer thickener, and an additive package. It has been surprisingly found that the present EDF formulations exhibit low traction coefficient, low aeration, low foaming, better component compatibility and protection, which makes them particularly suitable for electric drivetrain fluid applications.

[0014] The base oil in the lubricant formulation may be any oil classified by the American Petroleum Institute as a group I oil, a group II oil, a group III oil, a group IV oil, a group V oil, or combinations thereof.

[0015] A particularly suitable class of base oils for the lubricant compositions is low viscosity polyalphaolefins (PAO’s). Polyalphaolefins are oligomeric or polymeric molecules produced from polymerization of alpha-olefin monomers in the presence of a catalyst. This catalyst, for example, may be a metallocene catalyst. PAOs have a number of desirable properties that make them attractive as lubricants and functional fluids, including high thermal stability, excellent low-temperature fluidity, low volatility, and good compatibility with seals, gaskets, and elastomers. PAOs generally have a high viscosity index, making them suitable for applications with significant temperature fluctuation.

[0016] Of particular interest are low viscosity polyalphaolefins (PAO's) which may be oligomers of terminally unsaturated alkenes. The preferred polyalphaolefins are made from 1-octene, 1-decene, 1-dodecene, 1-tetradecene, 1-hexadecene, or mixtures thereof. They can be saturated or unsaturated. For the purposes of the present disclosure, suitable polyalphaolefins may be derived from any C8to C16alphaolefin. The alphaolefins are DMS_US.363915825.1074008-000787 (BASF Reference 230100WO01) preferably oligomerized with a metallocene catalyst. Suitable PAOs can include mixtures of different oligomers such as a mixture of 1-decene tetramers and trimers.

[0017] The low viscosity polyalphaolefin base oils can be obtained commercially for instance under the tradename SPECTRASYNTM, SPECTRASYN PLUSTM, and SPECTRASYN ELITETMfrom Exxon Mobil. Suitable base oils include SPECTRASYN 2, SPECTRASYN MAX 3.5, SPECTRASYN 4, and SPECTRASYN 6. The polyalphaolefins sold under the tradename SYNFLUID® from Chevron Phillips, such as SYNFLUID PAO 2, SYNFLUID PAO 2.5, SYNFLUID PAO 5, SYNFLUID PAO 6, and SYNFLUID PAO 7 may also be used. The polyalphaolefins sold under the tradename DURASYN® from INEOS, such as DURASYN 162, DURASYN 133, DURASYN 136, and DURASYN 164 are also suitable.

[0018] The low viscosity PAO base oil may have a kinematic viscosity of from as low as 1.7 cSt, 2 cSt, 2.5 cSt, 3 cSt, 3.5 cSt, or as high as 4 cSt, 4.5 cSt, 5 cSt, 5.5 cSt, 6 cSt, 6.5 cSt, 7 cSt, 7.5 cSt, 8 cSt, 8.5 cSt, 9 cSt, 9.5 cSt, 10 cSt, or within any range encompassed by any two of the foregoing values as endpoints at 100°C. For example the low viscosity PAO base oil may have a kinematic viscosity of from 1.7 cSt to 10 cSt or 1.7 cSt to 7.5 cSt at 100°C. Preferably, the low viscosity PAO has kinematic viscosity at 100°C of from 1.7 cSt to 5 cSt, more preferably, the low viscosity PAO has kinematic viscosity at 100°C of from 2.0 cSt to 4.0 cSt. The number average number of carbon in the low viscosity PAO may be from 20 to 50.

[0019] Any of the base oils described above may be present in the lubricant formulation in an amount as low as 50 wt.%, 55 wt.%, 60 wt.%, 65 wt.%, 70 wt.%, 75 wt.%, 80 wt.%, 90 wt.%, 95 wt.%, or as high as 96 wt.%, 97 wt.%, 98 wt.%, 98.1 wt.%, 98.2 wt.%, 98.3 wt.%, 98.4 wt.%, 98.5 wt.%, 98.6 wt.%, 98.7 wt.%, 98.8 wt.%, 98.9 wt.%, 99 wt.%, 99.1 wt.%, 99.2 wt.%, 99.3 wt.%, 99.4 wt.%, 99.5 wt.%, 99.6 wt.%, wt.%, 99.7 wt.%, 99.8 wt.%, 99.9 wt.%, or within any range encompassed by any two of the foregoing values as endpoints, based on the total weight of the lubricant composition. For example, base oil may be present in an amount of from 60 wt.%, to 98.9 wt.%.

[0020] The lubricant formulations in accordance with the present disclosure may also comprise a polymer thickener to improve the overall characteristics and performance of the formulations. The polymer thickener is preferably a high viscosity polyalphaolefin (PAO) material with a kinematic viscosity at 100°C of as low as 40 cSt, 50 cSt, 60 cSt, 70 cSt, 80 cSt, 90 cSt, 100 cSt, 110 cSt, 120 cSt, 130 cSt, 140 cSt, 150 cSt, 160 cSt, or as high DMS_US.363915825.1074008-000787 (BASF Reference 230100WO01) as 170 cSt, 180 cSt, 190 cSt, 200 cSt, 250 cSt, 300 cSt, 350 cSt, 400 cSt, or within any range encompassed by any two of the foregoing values as endpoints. For example he kinematic viscosity at 100 °C of the PAO thickener may be between 40 cSt to 400 cSt, preferably between 100 cSt to 180 cSt, more preferably between 130 cSt to 170 cSt. Preferably, the number average carbon number in the molecule is greater than 150. The high viscosity PAO polymer thickener is preferably produced with a metallocene catalyst. The high viscosity PAOs are available commercially under the tradename SPECTRASYN ELITETMfrom Exxon Mobil. Suitable PAOs include SPECTRASYN ELITE65, SPECTRASYN ELITE 150, and SPECTRASYN ELITE 300. The high viscosity polyalphaolefins sold under the tradename SYNFLUID® from Chevron Phillips are also suitable, such as SYNFLUID mPAO 65, SYNFLUID mPAO 100, SYNFLUID mPAO150. The high viscosity polyalphaolefins sold under the tradename DURASYN® from INEOS, such as DURASYN 174I, DURASYN 180R, DURASYN 180I may also be used.

[0021] The high viscosity PAO polymer thickener may be present in the lubricant formulation in an amount as low as 0.1 wt.%, 0.5 wt.%, 1 wt.%, 5 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 15 wt.%, 20 wt.%, 25 wt.%, or as high as 30 wt.%, 35 wt.%, 40 wt.%, 45 wt.%, 50 wt.%, or within any range encompassed by any two of the foregoing values as endpoints, based on the total weight of the lubricant composition. For example, the polymer thickener may be present in an amount of from 0.1 wt.% to 30 wt.%.

[0022] The lubricant formulations may further comprise other optional additives. The additives suitable for use in the formulation may include viscosity modifiers, antifoaming agents, additive packages, antioxidant agents, antiwear agents, extreme pressure agents, detergents, dispersants, anti-rust agents, friction modifiers, corrosion inhibitors, gear oil additives, and combinations thereof.

[0023] Suitable additives which may be present in the lubricant formulations include gear oil additives such as Afton Hitec 3421, Hitec 35701, Hitec 3491LV, Hitec 3491A, Hitec 363, Hitec 3080, Hitec 3460, Hitec 355 or Lubrizol A2140A, Lubrizol A2042, Lubrizol LZ 9001N, Lubrizol A6043, Lubrizol A2000, and combinations thereof. Particularly suitable additives have a balanced phosphorus and low sulphur chemistry and provide adequate scuffing and wear protection, copper corrosion protection, and oxidative stability.

[0024] The lubricant formulations may also comprise a mixture of further additives which may be in the form of additive packages. Lubricant fluid additive packages are well DMS_US.363915825.1074008-000787 (BASF Reference 230100WO01) known in the art. They confer to a base oil composition the required characteristics to make that base oil function acceptably in various applications. These characteristics would include, but not be limited to, oxidation stability, wear protection, friction control, dispersancy, low temperature fluidity, seal swell, and foam suppression.

[0025] Examples of suitable commercially available performance additive packages are: PARANOX® 440, PARANOX® 442, PARANOX® 445, and PARATORQ® 4520 sold by Exxon Chemical Company; Hitec® E-400, Hitec® E-403, Hitec® E-410, and Hitec® E-420 sold by Ethyl Additive Company; and Lubrizol® 6268, Lubrizol® 7900, and Lubrizol® 9600 sold by the Lubrizol Corporation.

[0026] The additive package may be present in the lubricant formulation in an amount as low as 0.1 wt.%, 0.2 wt.%, 0.3 wt.%, 0.4 wt.%, 0.5 wt.%, 0.6 wt.%, 0.7 wt.%, 0.8 wt.%, 0.9 wt.%, 1 wt.%, 2 wt.%, 3 wt.%, 4 wt.%, 5 wt.%, 6 wt.%, 7 wt.%, 8 wt.%, 9 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 11 wt.%, or as high as 12 wt.%, 13 wt.%, 14 wt.%, 15 wt.%, 16 wt.%, 17 wt.%, 18 wt.%, 19 wt.%, 20 wt.%, or within any range encompassed by any two of the foregoing values as endpoints, based on the total weight of the coating composition. For example, the additive package may be present in an amount of from 1 wt.% to 10 wt.%. III. Lubricant Properties

[0027] The gear lubricants contemplated by the present disclosure may have improved properties which make them particularly suitable for high-speed electric drivetrain fluid applications. Since electric drivetrain fluid applications involve high RPMs and high heat surges, lubricants with better heat management, better energy efficiency, and low foaming / aeration are desired. Low traction coefficient, good shear stability, and high viscosity index are also advantageous since lubricants in electric mobility applications can face significant shear forces.

[0028] For example, the gear lubricant may have a pourpoint temperature of -30°C or lower, -35°C or lower, -40°C or lower, -45°C or lower, -50°C or lower, 55°C or lower,- 60°C or lower, -65°C or lower, -70°C or lower, -75°C or lower, -80°C or lower, -85°C or lower, -90°C or lower, -95°C or lower, or -100°C or lower according to ASTM D97.

[0029] The gear lubricants may have a BF viscosity at -40°C of 8000 cP or lower, 7500 cP or lower, 7000 cP or lower, 6500 cP or lower, 6000 cP or lower, 5500 cP or lower, 5000 cP or lower, 4500 cP or lower, 4000 cP or lower, 3500 cP or lower, 3000 cP or lower, 2500 cP or lower, 2000 cP or lower, 1500 cP or lower, 1000 cP or lower, or 500 cP or DMS_US.363915825.1074008-000787 (BASF Reference 230100WO01) lower, according to ASTM D2983.

[0030] The gear lubricants may have an air release at 50°C of less than 100 seconds, less than 95 seconds, less than 90 seconds, less than 85 seconds, less than 80 seconds, less than 75 seconds, less than 70 seconds, less than 65 seconds, less than 60 seconds, less than 55 seconds, less than 50 seconds, less than 45 seconds, less than 40 seconds, less than 35 seconds, less than 30 seconds, less than 25 seconds, less than 20 seconds, less than 15 seconds, less than 10 seconds, or less than 5 seconds according to ASTM D3427.

[0031] The gear lubricants may have an air release at 75°C of less than 100 seconds, less than 95 seconds, less than 90 seconds, less than 85 seconds, less than 80 seconds, less than 75 seconds, less than 70 seconds, less than 65 seconds, less than 60 seconds, less than 55 seconds, less than 50 seconds, less than 45 seconds, less than 40 seconds, less than 35 seconds, less than 30 seconds, less than 25 seconds, less than 20 seconds, less than 15 seconds, less than 10 seconds, or less than 5 seconds according to ASTM D3427.

[0032] The gear lubricants may have a slide to roll (SRR) ratio of less than 0.15, less than 0.14, less than 0.13, less than 0.12, less than 0.11, less than 0.10, less than 0.09, less than 0.08, less than 0.07, less than 0.06, less than 0.05, less than 0.045, less than 0.04, less than 0.035, less than 0.03, less than 0.025 less than 0.02, less than 0.015 less than 0.01, less than 0.005, or less than 0.001 as measured by a mini traction machine (MTM) at 40% slide to roll (SRR) ratio, 50N and 40°C.

[0033] The gear lubricants may also have a slide to roll (SRR) ratio of less than 0.03, less than 0.029, less than 0.028, less than 0.027, less than 0.026, less than 0.025, less than 0.024, less than 0.023, less than 0.022, less than 0.021, less than 0.02, less than 0.019, less than 0.018 , less than 0.017, less than 0.016, less than 0.015, less than 0.014, less than 0.013, less than0.012, less than 0.011, less than 0.01, less than0.009, less than 0.008, less than 0.007, less than 0.006, less than 0.005, less than 0.004, less than 0.003, less than 0.002, or less than 0.001 as measured by a mini traction machine (MTM) at 40%, 50N and 100°C.

[0034] The gear lubricants may also have a scuffing protection failure load stage of 1 or greater, 2 or greater, 3 or greater, 4 or greater, 5 or greater, 6 or greater, 7 or greater, 8 or greater, 9 or greater, 10 or greater, 11 or greater, or 12 according to the FZG Gear Test A10 / 16.6R / 90. IV. Lubricant Applications

[0035] The lubricants of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of DMS_US.363915825.1074008-000787 (BASF Reference 230100WO01) applications relating to vehicles, particularly electric vehicles and e-mobility applications.

[0036] Preferably, the lubricants may be used in electric vehicles and their drivetrains. Specifically, the lubricants may be used in electric motors to help lubricate and reduce friction between moving parts and to dissipate heat. The lubricants may also be used in gearboxes, battery cooling systems, suspension systems, power electronics, axles, and bearings, among others.

[0037] In one embodiment, the lubricants of the present disclosure may be used in the drivetrain of an electric vehicle.

[0038] In one embodiment, the lubricants of the present disclosure may be used in the motor of an electric vehicle.

[0039] In one embodiment, the lubricants of the present disclosure may be used in the axle of an electric vehicle.

[0040] In one embodiment, the lubricants of the present disclosure may be used in the gearbox of an electric vehicle. EXAMPLES

[0041] The following examples are put forth so as to provide those of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how the compositions and / or methods claimed herein are made and evaluated and are intended to be purely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Unless indicated otherwise, parts are parts by weight, temperature is in °C or is at ambient temperature, and pressure is at or near atmospheric. Example 1: Screening of PAO-Based Fluids

[0042] In Table 1, Example 1, PAO-based candidates were chosen with an optimized base oils / thickener combination. The benchmark was chosen as Dexron ULV Kv1004.5 cSt. Table 1 Screening of PAO-Based Fluids Formulation Dexron Component 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ULV074008-000787 (BASF Reference 230100WO01) 00 4 0 5 07 0 58 36

[0043] Air release testing was completed according to ASTM D3427 at 50 C and 75 °C for a variety of PAO-based candidates. The traction coefficient of the same panel of PAO-based fluids was conducted on Mini Traction Machine (MTM) manufactured by PCS Instruments Ltd at 40 °C, 100 °C, at various load, such as 30 N, 50 N, and slide to roll ratio varies from 0% to 50%. Traction coefficient is measured at 40% SRR%.

[0044] The results show that PAO-based candidates based on SpectraSyn Max 3.5 based candidates have excellent combined efficiency and low aeration. Of these, composition Formulation 1 demonstrated an 85% improvement on aeration and a 45% improvement on energy efficiency. Example 2: Comparison of Properties of Formulation 1 vs. Benchmark

[0045] A series of properties were measured between Formulation 1 from Example 1 and Dexron ULV. The results are summarized in Table 2 below. Table 2 Properties of Formulation 1 vs. Benchmark DMS_US.363915825.1074008-000787 (BASF Reference 230100WO01) nnp . g p

[0046] The aeration of Formulation11 at a variety of RPMs was measured against the Dexron ULV benchmark according to Fast FZG. Referring to Fig.1, the results show that Formulation 1 has a superior low aeration across a wide speed range. Example 4: Spectrasyn Max3.5 in EDF Applications

[0047] SpectraSyn Max3.5 was formulated into series of EDFs with Spectrasyn elite150 and an additive system. The compositions were tested for a variety of properties shown in Table 3 below. Table 3 EDFs with Varying Viscosities Formulation DMS_US.363915825.1074008-000787 (BASF Reference 230100WO01) 2 6 3

[0048] By varying the ratio of Spectrasyn Max 3.5 and Spectrasyn elite150, a homo series of EDFs with various viscosity is generated, and their properties is listed in Table 3. The unique combination of ingredients in Formulation 1 provided the best performance and properties compared to the other formulations.

[0049] The compositions and methods of the appended claims are not limited in scope by the specific compositions and methods described herein, which are intended as illustrations of a few aspects of the claims and any compositions and methods that are functionally equivalent are intended to fall within the scope of the claims. Various modifications of the compositions and methods in addition to those shown and described herein are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. Further, while only certain representative compositions and method steps disclosed herein are specifically described, other combinations of the compositions and method steps also are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims, even if not specifically recited. Thus, a combination of steps, elements, components, or constituents may be explicitly mentioned herein or less, however, other combinations of steps, elements, components, and constituents are included, even though not explicitly stated. DMS_US.363915825.1

Claims

074008-000787 (BASF Reference 230100WO01) WHAT IS CLAIMED IS 1. A lubricant composition comprising a mixture of: a base oil comprising a polyalphaolefin lubricant fluid with a first viscosity; a polymer thickener with a second viscosity higher than the first viscosity; and an additive package.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the lubricant composition has at least one of the following characteristics: (i) an air release time of less than 30 seconds at 50°C as measured by ASTM D3427, (ii) a traction coefficient of less than 0.018 at 50 N at 40% slide to roll ratio at 100°C.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polyalphaolefin lubricant fluid is derived from C8 to C16 linear alphaolefins by oligomerization with a metallocene catalyst.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polyalphaolefin lubricant fluid is derived from 1-decene.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polyalphaolefin lubricant fluid is derived from 1-dodecene.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polyalphaolefin lubricant fluid is derived from 1-tetradecene.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polyalphaolefin lubricant fluid is derived from 1-hexadecene.

8. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyalphaolefin lubricant fluid has a kinematic viscosity from 1.7 cSt to 7.5 cSt at 100°C.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polyalphaolefin lubricant fluid comprises a mixture of 1-decene tetramers and trimers. DMS_US.363915825.1074008-000787 (BASF Reference 230100WO01) 10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polymer thickener comprises a polyalphaolefin made with a metallocene catalyst with a kinematic viscosity of from 130.0 cSt to 170.0 cSt at 100°C 11. The composition of claim 1, wherein the additive package comprises one or more additives selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, antiwear additives, metal deactivators, corrosion inhibitors, defoamers, metal passivators, dispersants, and antioxidants.

12. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polyalphaolefin lubricant fluid comprises from 60 wt.% to 98.9 wt.% of the lubricant composition, based on the total weight of the lubricant composition.

13. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polymer thickener comprises from 0.1 wt.% to 30 wt.% of the lubricant composition, based on the total weight of the lubricant composition.

14. The composition of claim 1, wherein the additive package comprises from 1 wt.% to 10 wt.% of the lubricant composition, based on the total weight of the lubricant composition.

15. The composition of claim 1, wherein the pour point temperature is -60°C or lower according to ASTM D97.

16. The composition of claim 1, wherein the BF viscosity at -40°C is 6000 cP or lower according to ASTM D2983.

17. The composition of claim 1, wherein the air release at 50°C is less than 30 seconds according to ASTM D3427.

18. The composition of claim 1, wherein the air release at 75°C is less than 30 seconds according to ASTM D3427. DMS_US.363915825.1074008-000787 (BASF Reference 230100WO01) 19. The composition of claim 1, wherein the traction coefficient as measured by a mini traction machine (MTM) at 40% slide to roll ratio (SRR%), at 50 N and 40°C is less than 0.

035.

20. The composition of claim 1, wherein the traction coefficient as measured by a mini traction machine (MTM) at 40% slide to roll ratio (SRR%), at 50 N and 100°C is less than 0.

018.

21. The composition of claim 1, wherein the scuffing protection failure load stage is 6 or greater according to the FZG Gear Test A10 / 16.6R / 90.

22. The composition of claim 1, used in an electric drivetrain.

23. The composition of claim 1, used a motor of an electric vehicle.

24. The composition of claim 1, used in an axle of an electric vehicle.

25. The composition of claim 1, used in the gearbox of an electric vehicle. DMS_US.363915825.1

Images