Castrol Limited

Exxon Research and Engineering Company

Michael E. Mchenry

Irwin L. Goldblatt

Richard P. Sauer

Frederick J. Boden

Irwin L Goldblatt

Richard P Sauer

Michael E McHenry

Frederick J Boden

Shean-Jer Chen

Richard Tittel

Harold Shaub

Stephen T McKenna

Manish R Patel

Leah T Mendelson

Niall Ainscough

Danny Carlisle

Kenneth Henderson

Myron Brown

A grafted polymer, either polyolefin or polyester, containing monomers associated with sludge and varnish control as well as monomers associated with soot handling to provide a graft polymer exhibiting multiple performance attributes. Also described are methods for manufacturing these novel multiple-function graft polymers via solution and melt processes. Lubricating oil compositions containing these novel multiple-function polymers as an additive that display performance characteristics directed to good soot handling and sludge and varnish control as well as control of viscosity increase are described.

Multiple-function dispersant graft polymer

A polyalkene dispersant comprised of low MW polyalkene having an average molecular weight range of about 300 to about 10,000 and an ethylenically-unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic, nitrogen- and oxygen-containing graftable monomer and methods of making the same are disclosed. The monomers are formed by reacting an acylating agent with amines having one or more primary or secondary amine to form a reaction product. Graft polyalkene dispersants comprising such monomers are formed by grafting the reaction product to the polyalkene backbone. Also described is lubricating oil comprising base oil and the dispersant polyalkene as described above.

Preparation of functional monomers for grafting to low molecular weight polyalkenes and their use in the preparation of dispersants and lubricating oil compositions containing dispersant polyalkenes

A graft copolymer containing one or more ethylenically-unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic, nitrogen- and oxygen-containing graftable monomers grafted to a polyolefin is disclosed. Novel monomers, methods of making such monomers, and graft copolymers comprising such monomers are based on reacting an acylating agent with an amine to form a reaction product. The reaction product may include more than one chemical compound formed from the combination of the acylating agent and the amine. The monomer is the graftable, ethylenically unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic, nitrogen- and oxygen-containing compound(s) of the reaction product. The monomer may, but need not, be recovered from the product mixture. The preferred monomer is the reaction product of maleic anhydride and 4-aminodiphenylamine. Also described is a method of making a dispersant viscosity index improver. The monomer of the present invention may be grafted to a polyolefin in solutions or melts. Also described is a lubricating oil comprising a base oil and a grafted polyolefin as described above.

Preparation of monomers for grafting to polyolefins, and lubricating oil compositions containing graft copolymer

Preparation of monomers for grafting to polyolefins, and lubricating oil compositions containing grafted copolymer

An emergency fuel for an internal combustion engine comprises a hydrocarbon solvent having a flash point of at least 100&deg; F. (such as about 65-75% paraffins and about 25-35% naphthenes, or about 75-85% paraffins and about 15-25% of C7 or higher alcohols, or an aromatic solvent, or an naphthalene-depleted aromatic solvent) and a cold starting additive. The cold starting additive may be provided in an amount of less than 5,000 ppm, preferably between about 1 ppm and 150 ppm. The cold starting additive is preferably selected from peroxides, azo compounds, cyano compounds, cetane improvers, or combinations of these compounds. When the emergency fuel is added to a cold engine, including one substantially at room temperature, the engine may be easily started.

Emergency fuel

Methods are disclosed for making graft copolymers. The methods comprise the steps of: (a) providing (i) an ethylene/propylene (EP) copolymer or other graftable polymer, (ii) an ethylenically unsaturated sulfur-, nitrogen- and/or oxygen-containing monomer, and (iii) an amount of an initiator sufficient to graft said monomer and EP copolymer or other graftable polymer, (b) introducing said EP copolymer or other graftable polymer into an extruder; (c) introducing said monomer into the extruder; (d) introducing said initiator into the extruder, wherein at least one of the above-identified reactants in (a) is introduced in the presence of a polar solvent; and (e) reacting said EP copolymer or other graftable polymer, monomer and initiator by operating said extruder, thereby forming the graft copolymer. This invention also relates to methods of making a dispersant viscosity index improver and methods for making a lubricating oil. This invention further relates to graft copolymer products made by the aforementioned methods.

Processes for preparing grafted copolymers

A grafted polyolefin containing one or more of N-vinylimidazole, 4-vinylpyridine, or other ethylenically-unsaturated nitrogen-containing or oxygen-containing graftable monomers grafted to a polyolefin copolymer is disclosed. The grafted polyolefin preferably has a weight average molecular weight of from about 20,000 to about 500,000, a polydispersity of less than about 10, and an ADT value of at least about 8. The grafted polyolefin can be defined as containing more than about 1.2% by weight of grafted monomer on a polyolefin, or as containing at least about 13 moles of graftable monomers per mole of polyolefin, or as having an asphaltene dispersancy test (ADT) value of at least about 8. Also described is a lubricating oil comprising a lubricant base oil and a grafted polyolefin as described above. Also described is a method of making a dispersant viscosity index improver. N-vinyl-imidazole or other ethylenically unsaturated nitrogen-containing and/or oxygen-containing graftable monomers and a graftable polyolefin are reacted with enough of an initiator to graft the monomer to the polyolefin. The initiator and/or graftable monomer is added to the other ingredients, maintained at the reaction temperature, over a period of time. The reaction temperature is maintained at a level high enough to give acceptable reaction times. The N-vinylimidazole and the initiator each can be added at a uniform, relatively slow rate during the reaction.

Polar grafted polyolefins, methods for their manufacture, and lubricating oil compositions containing them

Methods for making graft copolymers include (a) providing (i) an ethylene/propylene 9EP) copolymer or other graftable polymer, (ii) an ethylenically unsaturated sulfur-, nitrogen- and/or oxygen-containing monomer, and (iii) an amount of an initiator sufficient to graft said monomer and EP copolymer or other graftable polymer, (b) introducing the EP copolymer or other graftable polymer into an extruder, (c) introducing the monomer into the extruder, (d) introducing the initiator into the extruder, wherein at least one of the reactants employed in step (a) is introduced in the presence of a polar solvent, and (e) reacting the EP copolymer or other graftable polymer, monomer and initiator by operating the extruder, thereby forming the graft copolymer. Methods of making dispersant viscosity index improver and methods for making a lubricating oil, as well as graft copolymers, viscosity index improvers and lubricating oils made by such methods are also contemplated.

Soot in a lubricated diesel engine is effectively dispersed without adversely affecting the viscosity of the lubricant by using a particular lubricant. The lubricant utilized comprises a lubricant base stock (e.g. more than 75% by weight), a dispersant (e.g. from 0.2-less than 4% from a detergent inhibitor (D1) package), and a functionalized viscosity index improver (e.g. from 0.1-2.5% by solids weight). The functionalized viscosity index improver is a highly functionalized graft copolymer reaction product of an oxygen, a nitrogen, or an oxygen and nitrogen containing, ethylenically unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic monomer having from 2 to about 50 carbon atoms grafted onto a polyolefin copolymer. Also, 0-2.5% by solids weight of another viscosity index improver besides the highly functionalized graft copolymer reaction product may be added, as well as other conventional additives.

Lubricant for use in diesel engines

A grafted polyolefin containing one or more of N-vinylimidazole, 4-vinylpyridine, or other ethylenically-unsaturated nitrogen-containing or oxygen-containing graftable monomers grafted to a polyolefin copolymer is disclosed. The grafted polyolefin preferably has a weight average molecular weight of from about 20,000 to about 500,000, a polydispersity of less than about 10, and an ADT value of at least about 8. The grafted polyolefin can be defined as containing more than about 1.2% by weight of grafted monomer on a polyolefin, or as containing at least about 13 moles of graftable monomers per mole of polyolefin, or as having an asphaltene dispersancy test (ADT) value of at least about 8. Also described is a lubricating oil comprising a lubricant base oil and a grafted polyolefin as described above. Also described is a method of making a dispersant viscosity index improver. N-vinylimidazole or other ethylenically unsaturated nitrogen-containing and/or oxygen-containing graftable monomers and a graftable polyolefin are reacted with enough of an initiator to graft the monomer to the polyolefin. The initiator and/or graftable monomer is added to the other ingredients, maintained at the reaction temperature, over a period of time. The reaction temperature is maintained at a level high enough to give acceptable reaction times. The N-vinylimidazole and the initiator each can be added at a uniform, relatively slow rate during the reaction.

Polar grafted polyolefins, methods for their manufacture, and

A grafted polyolefin containing at least about 13 moles of N-vinylimidazole or other ethylenically-unsaturated nitrogen-containing and/or oxygen-containing monomers per mole of a grafted polyolefin backbone is disclosed. The graft polyolefin has a weight average molecular weight of from about 20,000 to about 500,000 and a polydispersity of less than about 10. The grafted polyolefin can alternatively be defined as containing more than about 1.2% by weight of grafted monomer on a polyolefin. Also described is a lubricating oil comprising a lubricant base oil and a grafted polyolefin as described above. Also described is a method of making a dispersant-viscosity index improver. N-vinylimidazole or other ethylenically unsaturated nitrogen-containing and/or oxygen-containingmonomers and a graftable polyolefin are reacted with enough of an initiator to graft at least about 13 moles of the monomer to each mole of the polyolefin. The initiator and/or monomer is added to the other ingredients, maintained at the reaction temperature, over a period of time. The reaction temperature is maintained at a level high enough to give acceptable reaction times. In one embodiment, the N-vinylimidazole and the initiator are each added at a uniform, relatively slow rate during the reaction.

A grafted polyolefin containing N-vinylimidazole, 4-vinylpyridine, or other ethylenically-unsaturated nitrogen- or oxygen-containing graftable monomers grafted to a polyolefin copolymer. The grafted polyolefin preferably has a weight average molecular weight of from about 20,000 to about 500,000 and a polydispersity of less than about 10. The grafted polyolefin can contain more than about 1.2% by weight of grafted monomer or 13 or more moles of graftable monomers per mole of polyolefin and have an asphaltene dispersancy test (ADT) value of at least about 8. Also described is a lubricating oil comprising such a grafted polyolefin. Also described is a method of making a grafted polyolefin dispersant viscosity index improver by adding the graft monomer or the initiator slowly during the reaction. The present reaction can optionally be carried out by providing a melted reactant composition in an extruder or other polymeric mixer.

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Edison, NJ, United States of America

Irwin L Goldblatt