Lubricants synthetic

Lubricants which are not based on petroleum are classed as synthetic and include silicones, poly glycols, polyphenyl ethers, fluoro compounds, chlorofluorocarbon polymers, and phosphate esters. The major advantage of these fluids is that they are tailor-made for a specific function and usually require few additives. 

Huorolube consists of fluorinated hydrocarbons and polyethers. They can function effectively from —90°C to over 250°C, have a high density, are thermally stable, have low volatility, and are nonexplosive. They are usually used in highly corrosive environments such as in the preparation of hypochlorite (C10 ). The costs of such specialized lubricants are very high (about 2,000/kg), but since they do not degrade, they almost last forever. 

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Synthetic lubricants Synthetic marble Synthetic membranes Synthetic methanol Synthetic musk Synthetic natural gas... 

Lubricants, Fuels, and Petroleum. The adipate and azelate diesters of through alcohols, as weU as those of tridecyl alcohol, are used as synthetic lubricants, hydrauHc fluids, and brake fluids. Phosphate esters are utilized as industrial and aviation functional fluids and to a smaH extent as additives in other lubricants. A number of alcohols, particularly the Cg materials, are employed to produce zinc dialkyldithiophosphates as lubricant antiwear additives. A smaH amount is used to make viscosity index improvers for lubricating oils. 2-Ethylhexyl nitrate [24247-96-7] serves as a cetane improver for diesel fuels and hexanol is used as an additive to fuel oil or other fuels (57). Various enhanced oil recovery processes utilize formulations containing hexanol or heptanol to displace oil from underground reservoirs (58) the alcohols and derivatives are also used as defoamers in oil production. 

Polyols. Several important polyhydric alcohols or polyols are made from formaldehyde. The principal ones include pentaerythritol, made from acetaldehyde and formaldehyde trimethylolpropane, made from -butyraldehyde and formaldehyde and neopentyl glycol, made from isobutyraldehyde and formaldehyde. These polyols find use in the alkyd resin (qv) and synthetic lubricants markets. Pentaerythritol [115-77-5] is also used to produce rosin/tall oil esters and explosives (pentaerythritol tetranitrate). Trimethylolpropane [77-99-6] is also used in urethane coatings, polyurethane foams, and multiftmctional monomers. Neopentyl glycol [126-30-7] finds use in plastics produced from unsaturated polyester resins and in coatings based on saturated polyesters. 

Uses. Neopentyl glycol is used extensively as a chemical intermediate in the manufacture of polyester resins (see Alkyd resins), polyurethane polyols (see Urethane polymers), synthetic lubricants, polymeric plasticizers (qv), and other polymers. It imparts a combination of desirable properties to properly formulated esterification products, including low color, good weathering and chemical resistance, and improved thermal and hydrolytic stabiUty. 

Synthetic lubricants are made with neopentyl glycol in the base-stock polyester (24). Excellent thermal stabiHty and viscosity control are imparted to special high performance aviation lubricants by the inclusion of polyester thickening agents made from neopentyl glycol (25,26) (see LUBRICATION AND lubricants). Neopentyl glycol is also used to manufacture polymeric plasticizers that exhibit the improved thermal, hydrolytic, and uv stabiHty necessary for use in some exterior appHcations (27). 

Organophosphorus Derivatives. Neopentyl glycol treated with pyridine and phosphorus trichloride in anhydrous dioxane yields the cycHc hydrogen phosphite, 5,5-dimethyl-l,3-dioxaphosphorinane 2-oxide (2) (32,33). Compounds of this type maybe useful as flameproofing plasticizers, stabilizers, synthetic lubricants, oil additives, pesticides, or intermediates for the preparation of other organophosphoms compounds (see Flame retardants Phosphorus compounds). 

Trimethyl-l,3-pentanediol (7) is a white, crystalline soHd. It is used in surface coating and unsaturated polyester resins. It also appears promising as an intermediate for synthetic lubricants and polyurethane elastomers and foams. 

Fig. 2. Comparative temperature limits of mineral od and synthetic lubricant, where D represents continuous service U service dependent on starting...

Except for fire-resistant fluids, synthetic lubricants have not captured a significant portion of the general lubricant or hydrauhc markets, primarily because the cost is two to four times that of other premium lubricants. However, development of satisfactorily formulated products continues. 

Synthetic Fubricants. Some of the primary apphcations for synthetic lubricants include the following (6) ... 

Synthetic lubricants are tailored molecules which have a higher viscosity index and a lower volatiUty for a given viscosity than lube oils from... 

Petroleum (qv) products dominate lubricant production with a 98% share of the market for lubricating oils and greases. While lower cost leads to first consideration of these petroleum lubricants, production of various synthetic lubricants covered later has been expanding to take advantage of special properties such as stability at extreme temperatures, chemical inertness, fire resistance, low toxicity, and environmental compatibility. 

Phosphate Esters. A variety of phosphate esters are used as synthetic lubricants, particularly because of their good fire resistance. They have the general formula OP(OR)2, where R may represent a variety of aryl or alkyl hydrocarbon groups containing four or more carbon atoms to give three broad classes triaryl, trialkyl, and aryl alkyl phosphates (37,38). 

Although synthetic lubrication oil production amounts to only about 2% of the total market, volume has been increasing rapidly (67). Growth rates of the order of 20% per year for poly( a-olefin)s, 10% for polybutenes, and 8% for esters (28) reflect increasing automotive use and these increases would accelerate if synthetics were adopted for factory fill of engines by automotive manufacturers. The estimated production of poly( a-olefin)s for lubricants appears to be approximately 100,000 m /yr, esters 75,000, poly(alkylene glycol)s 42,000, polybutenes 38,000, phosphates 20,000, and dialkyl benzene 18,000 (28,67). The higher costs reflected in Table 18 (18,28) have restricted the volume of siUcones, chlorotrifluoroethylene, perfluoroalkylpolyethers, and polyphenyl ethers. 

The even-numbered carbon alpha olefins (a-olefins) from through C q are especially useful. For example, the C, C, and Cg olefins impart tear resistance and other desirable properties to linear low and high density polyethylene the C, Cg, and C q compounds offer special properties to plasticizers used in flexible poly(vinyl chloride). Linear C q olefins and others provide premium value synthetic lubricants linear 145 olefins are used in... 

A few companies, eg, Enichem in Italy, Mitsubishi in Japan, and a plant under constmction at Eushun in China, separate the olefins from the paraffins to recover high purity (95—96%) linear internal olefins (LIO) for use in the production of oxo-alcohols and, in one case, in the production of polylinear internal olefins (PIO) for use in synthetic lubricants (syn lubes). In contrast, the UOP Olex process is used for the separation of olefins from paraffins in the Hquid phase over a wide carbon range. 

Commodity Phthalate Esters. The family of phthalate esters are by far the most abundandy produced woddwide. Both orthophthaUc and terephthahc acid and anhydrides are manufactured. The plasticizer esters are produced from these materials by reaction with an appropriate alcohol (eq. 1) terephthalate esterification for plasticizers is performed more abundandy in the United States. Phthalate esters are manufactured from methanol (C ) up to Qyj alcohols, although phthalate use as PVC plasticizers is generally in the range to The lower molecular weight phthalates find use in nitrocellulose the higher phthalates as synthetic lubricants for the automotive industries. 

All lation. CPD can be multiply alkylated in high yields using alkyl haUdes, oxo alcohols, and Guerbet alcohols (35—36). After hydrogenation of the diene products, these so-called multiply alkylated cyclopentanes (6), where R = C Hg -C20 and m = 2-6, have been demonstrated to be useful as synthetic lubricants. 

Diesters. Many of the diester derivatives are commercially important. The diesters are important plasticizers, polymer intermediates, and synthetic lubricants. The diesters of azelaic and sebacic acids are useflil as monomeric plasticizing agents these perform weU at low temperatures and are less water-soluble and less volatile than are diesters of adipic acid. Azelate diesters, eg, di- -hexyl, di(2-ethylhexyl), and dibutyl, are useflil plasticizing agents for poly(vinyl chloride), synthetic mbbers, nitroceUulose, and other derivatized ceUuloses (104). The di-hexyl azelates and dibutyl sebacate are sanctioned by the U.S. Food and Dmg Administration for use in poly(vinyl chloride) films and in other plastics with direct contact to food. The di(2-ethylhexyl) and dibenzyl sebacates are also valuable plasticizers. Monomeric plasticizers have also been prepared from other diacids, notably dodecanedioic, brassyflc, and 8-eth5lhexadecanedioic (88), but these have not enjoyed the commercialization of the sebacic and azelaic diesters. 

Acrylates and methacrylates, which are critical to the production of polyesters, plastics, latexes, and synthetic lubricants, can also be produced from these oxygenated intermediates. 

Synthetic lubricants (diester) Hydraulic fluids Fair to good Excellent Poor to fair Poor Fair to good... 

Lubrication of compressor cylinders can be tailored to the application. The cylinders may be designed for normal hydrocarbon lubricants or can be modified for synthetic lubricants. The cylinder may also be designed for self lubrication, generally referred to as nonlubed. A compromise lubrication method that uses the nonlubed design but requires a small amount of lubricant is referred to as the mini-lube system. 

Metalworking fluids contain mineral oils (refer to p. 80) or synthetic lubricants they are used neat or in admixture with water. They may contain small amounts of biocides, stabilizers, emulsifiers, coiTosion inhibitors, fragrances and extreme pressure additives. The formulations render them suitable for application to metal being worked, generally from a recirculatory system, to provide lubrication, corrosion protection, swarf removal and cooling of the tool and machined surface. 

Synthetic Lubricants and High-Performance Functional Fluids, edited by Ronald L. Shubkin... 

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