Ether Base Stock Lubricant for Engine Oxidative Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lubricant compositions for internal combustion engines face challenges in achieving low volatility with a desirable viscosity profile while maintaining good oxidative stability, often requiring high antioxidant levels that are costly and can have environmental and compatibility issues.
Innovation Solution
A lubricant composition featuring an ether base stock with specific alkyl and cycloalkyl groups, combined with aminic and phenolic antioxidants, which reduces the need for high antioxidant concentrations while enhancing oxidative stability and fuel economy performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional base stocks are used to achieve good oxidative stability, then high antioxidant levels are required, but this increases cost and causes environmental and compatibility issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical structure parameter of the base stock from conventional hydrocarbons to ether compounds with specific molecular structures (formula I). This structural parameter change inherently provides oxidation resistance, reducing the need for high levels of antioxidant additives and their associated environmental and compatibility problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite lubricant system combining ether base stocks with specific antioxidant packages. The ether base stock serves as both the lubricating medium and an inherent oxidation-resistant component, while complementary additives provide synergistic protection, reducing the overall burden on any single additive system.
2Use of energy by moving object
If viscosity is reduced to improve fuel economy, then low-temperature flow improves, but oxidative stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the molecular structure parameter to ether compounds that maintain appropriate viscosity at operating temperatures while ensuring low-temperature fluidity. The ether functional group and specific carbon chain structures provide a balanced viscosity profile that supports both fuel economy and oxidation resistance without requiring extreme viscosity modifications.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention provides a lubricant composition comprising a base oil of lubricating viscosity, wherein the base oil comprises an ether base stock of formula (A), where: Ra and Rb are aliphatic hydrocarbyl groups and may be the same or different; the lubricant composition further comprising at least one aminic anti-oxidant and at least one phenolic anti-oxidant. In some embodiments, the ether base stock has the formula (1), where: R1 R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 are as defined herein. The lubricant composition may be used for lubricating a surface in an internal combustion engine as well as for improving the fuel economy performance and/or piston cleanliness performance of an engine and/or a vehicle, such as an automotive vehicle associated with an internal combustion engine.