Synergistic Neutral and Acidic Lubricity Additives for Fuel

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional fuel additives often require high treat rates to achieve desired effects, leading to compositional constraints and undesirable side effects, such as acid-induced corrosion and deposit formation, while balancing lubricity and other fuel characteristics remains a challenge, especially in modern engines with advanced fuel delivery systems.

Innovation Solution

A synergistic mixture of neutral lubricity additives, prepared by reacting hydrocarbyl-substituted succinic anhydrides with ammonia, and monoacidic lubricity additives, such as linear monocarboxylic acids or their salts, is used to achieve wear and friction reduction in gasoline engines, providing improved lubricity at lower additive levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If high levels of acidic lubricity additives are used to achieve desired wear reduction, then lubricity performance is improved, but acid-induced corrosion and deposit formation increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewear reductionVSAvoidacid-induced corrosion
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines two different lubricity additive types (acidic and neutral) into a composite additive system. The acidic component (carboxylic acid or salt) provides boundary lubrication through chemisorption, while the neutral component (ester or amide) provides lubrication through physisorption and forms a protective film. This composite approach achieves synergistic wear protection while reducing the required dosage of acidic additives, thereby minimizing corrosion and deposit formation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by introducing neutral additives (esters or amides with specific carbon chain lengths) alongside acidic additives. By adjusting the ratio and molecular structure parameters of these components, the system achieves effective lubricity with lower acidic additive concentrations, reducing harmful acid-induced effects while maintaining wear protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If high treat rates of lubricity additives are used to achieve desired wear reduction, then lubricity performance is improved, but compositional constraints and undesirable side effects increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewear reductionVSAvoiddeposit formation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The synergistic combination of acidic and neutral lubricity additives creates a composite system where each component contributes differently to wear protection. The neutral additive (ester or amide) provides lubrication through a protective film that reduces the need for high concentrations of acidic additives, thereby reducing deposit formation while maintaining effective wear reduction at lower treat rates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If conventional single-component lubricity additives are used, then formulation is simple, but high treat rates are required achieving compositional constraints

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelubricity performanceVSAvoidadditive concentration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a composite additive system combining acidic and neutral lubricity components that work synergistically. This composite approach enhances lubricity performance per unit concentration, allowing effective wear protection at lower total additive levels compared to single-component systems, thereby avoiding compositional constraints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

4Reliability

If higher levels of acidic lubricity additives are used to achieve desired wear reduction, then wear protection is improved, but friction coefficients increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewear protectionVSAvoidfriction coefficient
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition by incorporating neutral additives (esters or amides) with specific molecular structures and carbon chain lengths. These neutral components provide lubrication through a protective film that reduces friction, allowing the system to achieve wear protection without the increased friction coefficients associated with high levels of acidic additives alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The additive mixture achieves significant wear reduction and lower friction coefficients compared to individual components, even at lower acidic lubricity additive levels, demonstrating a synergistic benefit that rivals or exceeds the performance of higher acidic additive formulations.

Implementation Method 1

The synergistic mixture of neutral lubricity additives and monoacidic lubricity additives provides wear and friction reduction in fuel by adsorbing onto metal surfaces and forming protective films

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdsorption: Adsorption

Data Source

PatentEP3604484B1Lubricity additives for fuels
Publication Date: 2021.10.06 AFTON CHEMICAL CORPORATION
  • EP3604484B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3604484B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3604484B1 patent drawing

AI summary

Fuel additive compositions that include synergistic mixtures of one or more neutral lubricity additives and one or more monoacidic lubricity additives to provide wear and/or friction reduction in fuels.