Senior Fitness - Exercise and Nutrition for Aging Men and Women
FREE Article Feed for your website.
Home Ownership Magazine
Party Planning Information
Article Marketing Resources
Bio-Medical Research Article Database
Informative Articles on Life, Love and Happiness
Tutorials on Business to Writing
Famous Quotes from Famous People
Song Lyric Information
New US Patent Information
Comprehensive List of Content by Category
Online Auctions and Shopping Related Articles
Article Search
Most Recent Articles
Title: Datacast distribution system
Patent Number: 7,437,549 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Lindqvist,   et al.

Title: Network level protocol negotiation and operation
Patent Number: 7,437,548 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Alfieri

Title: Method and computer program product for offloading processing tasks from software to hardware
Patent Number: 7,437,547 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Hyder,   et al.

Title: Multiple, cooperating operating systems (OS) platform system and method
Patent Number: 7,437,546 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Shamia,   et al.

Title: Apparatus and system for the autonomic configuration of a storage device
Patent Number: 7,437,545 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Haustein,   et al.

Title: Data processing apparatus and method for executing a sequence of instructions including a multiple iteration instruction
Patent Number: 7,437,544 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Chin,   et al.

Title: Reducing the fetch time of target instructions of a predicted taken branch instruction
Patent Number: 7,437,543 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Doing,   et al.

Title: Identifying and processing essential and non-essential code separately
Patent Number: 7,437,542 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Wang,   et al.

Title: Atomically updating 64 bit fields in the 32 bit AIX kernel
Patent Number: 7,437,541 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Brenner

Title: Complex domain floating point VLIW DSP with data/program bus multiplexer and microprocessor interface
Patent Number: 7,437,540 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Paolucci,   et al.

Title: Issue unit for placing a processor into a gradual slow mode of operation in response to a detected livelock condition within a processor pipeline
Patent Number: 7,437,539 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Abernathy,   et al.

Title: Apparatus and method for reducing execution latency of floating point operations having special case operands
Patent Number: 7,437,538 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Brooks,   et al.

Title: Methods and apparatus for predicting unaligned memory access
Patent Number: 7,437,537 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Bridges,   et al.

Title: Systems and methods for task migration
Patent Number: 7,437,536 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Iwamoto

Title: Method and apparatus for issuing a command to store an instruction and load resultant data in a microcontroller
Patent Number: 7,437,535 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Joffe,   et al.

Title: Local and global register partitioning technique
Patent Number: 7,437,534 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Tremblay,   et al.

Title: Quantum information processing device and method
Patent Number: 7,437,533 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Ichimura,   et al.

Title: Memory mapped register file
Patent Number: 7,437,532 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Chen,   et al.

Title: Testing memories
Patent Number: 7,437,531 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Spica,   et al.

Title: System and method for mapping file block numbers to logical block addresses
Patent Number: 7,437,530 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Rajan

Title: Method and mechanism for efficiently creating large virtual memory pages in a multiple page size environment
Patent Number: 7,437,529 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Burugula,   et al.

Title: Gang blocks
Patent Number: 7,437,528 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Moore,   et al.

Title: Memory device with delayed issuance of internal write command
Patent Number: 7,437,527 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Davis,   et al.

Title: Information processing method and apparatus having data locations accessible by different devices in accordance with different permissions
Patent Number: 7,437,526 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Kusakabe,   et al.

Title: Guaranteed undo retention
Patent Number: 7,437,525 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Yang,   et al.

Title: Method and apparatus for dumping memory
Patent Number: 7,437,524 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Narayan,   et al.

Title: System and method for on-the-fly file folding in a replicated storage system
Patent Number: 7,437,523 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Ting,   et al.

Title: Memory module indicator device
Patent Number: 7,437,522 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Bungo

Title: Multistream processing memory-and barrier-synchronization method and apparatus
Patent Number: 7,437,521 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Scott,   et al.

Title: Adaptive snoop-and-forward mechanisms for multiprocessor systems
Patent Number: 7,437,520 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Shen,   et al.

Title: Multithread controller and control method
Patent Number: 7,437,519 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Kiyota,   et al.

Title: Hiding conflict, coherence completion and transaction ID elements of a coherence protocol
Patent Number: 7,437,518 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Tsien

Title: Methods and arrangements to manage on-chip memory to reduce memory latency
Patent Number: 7,437,517 Issued on 10/14/2008 to da Silva,   et al.

Title: Programming models for eviction policies
Patent Number: 7,437,516 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Wintergerst,   et al.

Title: Data structure for write pending
Patent Number: 7,437,515 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Naamad,   et al.

Title: Instruction-assisted cache management for efficient use of cache and memory
Patent Number: 7,437,510 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Rosenbluth,   et al.

Title: Method and system for virtual storage element placement within a storage area network
Patent Number: 7,437,506 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Kumar,   et al.

Title: Reading a storage medium
Patent Number: 7,437,504 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Waldvogel

Title: Dividing a flash memory operation into phases
Patent Number: 7,437,499 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Durante,   et al.

Title: Hot swap adapter
Patent Number: 7,437,496 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Oster

Title: Method and apparatus for assigning bus grant requests
Patent Number: 7,437,495 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Ripy,   et al.

Title: Modular architecture for a network storage controller
Patent Number: 7,437,493 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Pecone

Title: Clock and data recovery wherein an FB-DIMM is connected to signal path and null and sync frames control the FB-DIMM
Patent Number: 7,437,491 Issued on 10/14/2008 to Risk,   et al.

Title: Dynamic power equalizer
Patent Number: 7,003,195 Issued on 02/21/2006 to Huang,   et al.

Title: Facsimile communication system
Patent Number: 7,002,972 Issued on 02/21/2006 to Endo

Title: Emission control apparatus of internal combustion engine, and method for retarding deterioration of emission control catalyst
Patent Number: 6,829,886 Issued on 12/14/2004 to Nakata

Title: Process for splicing a continuous strip of packets
Patent Number: 6,829,876 Issued on 12/14/2004 to Young,   et al.

Title: Three-part wire return for bailing machine
Patent Number: 6,829,877 Issued on 12/14/2004 to Daniel,   et al.

Title: Ornamental jewelry rope chain link element
Patent Number: 6,829,882 Issued on 12/14/2004 to Chia,   et al.

Title: Wooden beams with sections that are subjected to transversal tension
Patent Number: 6,829,866 Issued on 12/14/2004 to Mattle

Title: Miter angle indicating tool
Patent Number: 6,829,837 Issued on 12/14/2004 to Williams

Title: Self-cleaning fuel oil strainer
Patent Number: 6,821,444 Issued on 11/23/2004 to Benenson, Jr.,   et al.

Title: Substrate and method of forming substrate for fluid ejection device
Patent Number: 6,821,450 Issued on 11/23/2004 to Truninger,   et al.

Title: Method of fabricating a microstructure
Patent Number: 6,821,475 Issued on 11/23/2004 to Beebe,   et al.

Title: Motorcycle with a rear-mounted radiator
Patent Number: 7,143,854 Issued on 12/05/2006 to Arnold

Title: Stopper for bottling wines
Patent Number: 7,143,903 Issued on 12/05/2006 to Musaragno

Title: Tube coupling device
Patent Number: 6,769,722 Issued on 08/03/2004 to Krauleidis

Title: Separation device and method of making the same
Patent Number: 7,143,900 Issued on 12/05/2006 to Hernandez

Title: Fuel cell system and method for operating the same
Patent Number: 6,767,661 Issued on 07/27/2004 to Okamoto,   et al.

Title: Mask pattern correction apparatus and mask pattern correction method and mask preparation method and method of production of a semiconductor device
Patent Number: 7,139,996 Issued on 11/21/2006 to Ohnuma,   et al.

Title: Overall control algorithm for interactive vehicle control system
Patent Number: 6,795,761 Issued on 09/21/2004 to Lee,   et al.

Title: Plastic glazing sheet with added overmoulded plastic material
Patent Number: 6,811,857 Issued on 11/02/2004 to Bravet,   et al.

Title: Porous resin film
Patent Number: 6,811,837 Issued on 11/02/2004 to Iwasa,   et al.

Title: Method for forming chenille yarns and the chenille yarns produced thereby
Patent Number: 6,811,870 Issued on 11/02/2004 to Zafiroglu

Title: Float supported fishing apparatus with automatic hook set
Patent Number: 6,796,076 Issued on 09/28/2004 to Bennett

Title: Metasearch technique that ranks documents obtained from multiple collections
Patent Number: 6,795,820 Issued on 09/21/2004 to Barnett

Title: System and method a risk based purchase of goods
Patent Number: 6,785,661 Issued on 08/31/2004 to Mandler,   et al.

Title: Method for optimizing home location register queries in a wireless communication system
Patent Number: 7,120,451 Issued on 10/10/2006 to Agarwal,   et al.

Title: System and method for low area self-timing in memory devices
Patent Number: 6,788,615 Issued on 09/07/2004 to Becker

Title: Stem clip for high intensity discharge lamp
Patent Number: 6,771,008 Issued on 08/03/2004 to Williamson

Title: Fault notes user interface for a printing system
Patent Number: 6,970,266 Issued on 11/29/2005 to Matthews,   et al.

Title: Simultaneously simulate multiple stimuli and verification using symbolic encoding
Patent Number: 6,938,228 Issued on 08/30/2005 to Zhong

Title: Cooling fan system for a vehicle with fuel cell propulsion
Patent Number: 6,805,984 Issued on 10/19/2004 to Harth

Title: Power consumption management method
Patent Number: 7,123,994 Issued on 10/17/2006 to Weik,   et al.

Title: Method and structure for repairing or modifying surface connections on circuit boards
Patent Number: 6,784,377 Issued on 08/31/2004 to Chamberlin,   et al.

High throughput screening methods for lubricating oil compositions Number:7,137,289 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent

Home    Author Login    Submit Article    Article Search    Add Your Link    Edit Your Link    Contact Us    Advertising    Disclaimer

   

 
Web LinkGrinder.com

Top Breaking News
     Greek, Cypriot Leaders Resume Unification Talks in Nicosia by Nathan Morley
     Indonesia Tobacco Sales Grow, Raising Health Fears
     South Korea Allows Top Defector to Travel Overseas by VOA News

Title: High throughput screening methods for lubricating oil compositions

Abstract: Method for determining dispersancy performance for a plurality of fluid samples of different compositions is provided. Each sample includes one or more base oils of lubricating viscosity and one or more lubricating oil additives and a predetermined amount of an oil-insoluble material. The methods can advantageously be optimized using combinatorial chemistry, in which a database of combinations of lubricating oil compositions are generated. As market conditions vary and/or product requirements or customer specifications change, conditions suitable for forming desired products can be identified with little or no downtime.

Patent Number: 7,137,289 Issued on 11/21/2006 to Wollenberg

Inventors: Wollenberg; Robert H. (Orinda, CA)
Assignee: Chevron Oronite Company, LLC (San Ramon, CA)
Appl. No.: 10/779,424
Filed: February 13, 2004

Current U.S. Class: 73/53.01 ; 73/53.05; 73/61.41
Current International Class: G01N 11/00 (20060101); G01N 33/30 (20060101)
Field of Search: 73/53.01,53.05,61.41

References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
4219432 August 1980 Girgenti et al.
4255589 March 1981 Wisotsky
4384138 May 1983 Karll et al.
4402844 September 1983 Trepka
4427834 January 1984 Martin
5849047 December 1998 Yu et al.
5959297 September 1999 Weinberg et al.
5985356 November 1999 Schultz et al.
6004617 December 1999 Schultz et al.
6030917 February 2000 Weinberg et al.
6034775 March 2000 McFarland et al.
6045671 April 2000 Wu et al.
6087181 July 2000 Cong
6149882 November 2000 Guan et al.
6157449 December 2000 Hajduk
6175409 January 2001 Nielsen et al.
6182499 February 2001 McFarland et al.
6187164 February 2001 Warren et al.
6248540 June 2001 Weinberg et al.
6260407 July 2001 Petro et al.
6265226 July 2001 Petro et al.
6296771 October 2001 Miroslav
6326090 December 2001 Schultz et al.
6336353 January 2002 Matsiev et al.
6345528 February 2002 Petro et al.
6346290 February 2002 Schultz et al.
6371640 April 2002 Hajduk et al.
6373570 April 2002 McFarland et al.
6393895 May 2002 Matsiev et al.
6393898 May 2002 Hajduk et al.
6395552 May 2002 Borade et al.
6401519 June 2002 McFarland et al.
6406632 June 2002 Safir et al.
6410331 June 2002 Schultz et al.
6419881 July 2002 Weinberg et al.
6420179 July 2002 Schultz et al.
6436292 August 2002 Petro
6438497 August 2002 Mansky et al.
6440745 August 2002 Weinberg et al.
6441901 August 2002 McFarland et al.
6451259 September 2002 Cohen et al.
6461515 October 2002 Safir et al.
6468806 October 2002 McFarland et al.
6475391 November 2002 Safir et al.
6484567 November 2002 Hajduk et al.
6491816 December 2002 Petro
6508984 January 2003 Turner et al.
6519032 February 2003 Kuebler et al.
6528026 March 2003 Hajduk et al.
6535284 March 2003 Hajduk et al.
6535824 March 2003 Mansky et al.
6536944 March 2003 Archibald et al.
6541271 April 2003 McFarland et al.
6553318 April 2003 Mansky
6576906 June 2003 Archibald et al.
6577392 June 2003 Nielsen et al.
6582116 June 2003 Nielsen
6605473 August 2003 Hajduk et al.
6644101 November 2003 Hajduk et al.
6649413 November 2003 Schultz et al.
6650102 November 2003 Hajduk et al.
6653138 November 2003 Turner et al.
6655194 December 2003 Hajduk et al.
6658429 December 2003 Dorsett, Jr.
6664067 December 2003 Hajduk et al.
6668622 December 2003 Hajduk et al.
6670298 December 2003 Weinberg et al.
6679130 January 2004 Hajduk et al.
6681618 January 2004 Hajduk et al.
6686205 February 2004 Schultz et al.
6690179 February 2004 Hajduk et al.
2002/0023507 February 2002 Hajduk et al.
2002/0028456 March 2002 Manksy et al.
2002/0029621 March 2002 Hajduk et al.
2002/0032531 March 2002 Mansky et al.
2002/0098332 July 2002 Warren et al.
2002/0148282 October 2002 Hajduk et al.
2002/0155036 October 2002 Hajduk et al.
2002/0164275 November 2002 Wheeler et al.
2003/0007152 January 2003 McFarland et al.
2003/0032198 February 2003 Lugmair et al.
2003/0032205 February 2003 McFarland et al.
2003/0037601 February 2003 Manksy et al.
2003/0037620 February 2003 Mansky
2003/0041653 March 2003 Matsiev et al.
2003/0041671 March 2003 Hajduk et al.
2003/0041672 March 2003 Hajduk et al.
2003/0041676 March 2003 Hajduk et al.
2003/0054740 March 2003 Mansky
2003/0055587 March 2003 Wang et al.
2003/0056576 March 2003 Mansky
2003/0068829 April 2003 Giaquinta et al.
2003/0097871 May 2003 Mansky
2003/0100119 May 2003 Weinberg et al.
2003/0127776 July 2003 Carlson et al.
2003/0133113 July 2003 Hajduk et al.
2003/0138025 July 2003 Archibald et al.
2003/0141613 July 2003 Hajduk et al.
2003/0142309 July 2003 Kuebler et al.
2003/0157721 August 2003 Turner et al.
2003/0161763 August 2003 Erden et al.
2003/0169638 September 2003 Nielsen
2003/0190260 October 2003 Wheeler et al.
2003/0203500 October 2003 Carlson et al.
2003/0211016 November 2003 Dales et al.
2003/0218467 November 2003 Carlson et al.
2003/0219906 November 2003 Giaquinta et al.
2004/0123650 July 2004 Kolosov et al.
Foreign Patent Documents
WO 02/07870 Jan., 2002 WO
Primary Examiner: Larkin; Daniel S.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Caroli; Claude J. M. Carmen & Associates, PLLC
Claims


What is claimed is:

1. A method for screening lubricating oil composition samples for dispersancy performance, under program control, comprising: (a) providing a plurality of different lubricating oil composition samples, each sample comprising: (i) a major amount of at least one base oil of lubricating viscosity, (ii) a minor amount of at least one lubricating oil additive, and (iii) a predetermined amount of sludge; (b) measuring the dispersancy performance of each test sample comprising measuring the kinematic viscosity of each sample at a predetermined temperature to provide corresponding dispersancy performance data results; and (c) automatically outputting the results of step (b).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the base oil is a natural or synthetic oil.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one lubricating oil additive is selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, anti-wear agents, detergents, rust inhibitors, dehazing agents, demulsifying agents, metal deactivating agents, friction modifiers, pour point depressants, antifoaming agents, co-solvents, package compatibilisers, corrosion-inhibitors, ashless dispersants, dyes, extreme pressure agents, and mixtures thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one lubricating oil additive is an ashless dispersant.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the ashless dispersant is selected from the group consisting of polyalkylene succinic anhydrides, non-nitrogen containing derivatives of a polyalkylene succinic anhydride, a basic nitrogen compound selected from the group consisting of succinimides, carboxylic acid amides, hydrocarbyl monoamines, hydrocarbyl polyamines, Mannich bases, phosphonamides, thiophosphonamides and phosphoramides, thiazoles, triazoles, copolymers which contain a carboxylate ester with one or more additional polar function, borate post-treated succinimides, ethylene carbonate post-treated succinimides, and mixtures thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sludge is recovered, used engine oil.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing corresponding lubricating oil composition reference samples containing no sludge; measuring the kinematic viscosity of the corresponding reference samples; and determining the percentage difference between the kinematic viscosity of the lubricating oil composition sample and the corresponding lubricating oil composition reference sample.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the lubricating oil composition samples have a volume of no more than about 50 ml.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the lubricating oil composition samples have a volume of no more than about 20 ml.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the lubricating oil composition samples have a volume of no more than about 15 ml.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the lubricating oil composition samples have a volume of no more than about 10 ml.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of homogenizing the samples prior to measuring the dispersancy performance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of homogenizing the samples is performed by mechanical stirring.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (c) of automatically outputting the results of step (b) comprises converting the dispersancy performance data of step (b) into a digital signal and sending the digital signal to a microprocessor.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of compiling the dispersancy performance data sent to the microprocessor in an electronically stored database and constructing therefrom a combinatorial lubricating oil composition library.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one lubricating oil additive further comprises a diluent oil.

17. A high throughput system for screening lubricant performance, under program control, comprising: a) a plurality of test receptacles, each receptacle containing a different lubricating oil composition sample comprising: (i) a major amount of at least one base oil of lubricating viscosity, (ii) a minor amount of at least one lubricating oil additive, and (iii) a predetermined amount of a sludge; b) receptacle moving means for individually positioning the test receptacles in a testing station for measurement of dispersancy performance of the respective sample; and c) means for measuring the dispersancy performance of the sample in the testing station comprising measuring the kinematic viscosity of each sample at a predetermined temperature to obtain dispersancy performance data associated with the sample and for transferring the dispersancy performance data to a computer controller.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the receptacle moving means comprises a movable carriage.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the receptacle moving means comprises a robotic assembly having a movable arm for grasping and moving a selected individual receptacle.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the receptacle moving means comprises means for agitating the test receptacles.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein each test receptacle has a bar code affixed to an outer surface thereof.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a bar code reader.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the base oil of lubricating viscosity is a natural or synthetic oil.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one lubricating oil additive is selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, anti-wear agents, detergents, rust inhibitors, dehazing agents, demulsifying agents, metal deactivating agents, friction modifiers, pour point depressants, antifoaming agents, co-solvents, package compatibilisers, corrosion-inhibitors, ashless dispersants, dyes, extreme pressure agents, and mixtures thereof.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one lubricating oil additive is an ashless dispersant.
Description


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to high throughput screening of lubricating oil compositions for lubricant performance.

2. Description of the Related Art

The use of a combinatorial approach for materials synthesis is a relatively new area of research aimed at using rapid synthesis and screening methods to build libraries of polymeric, inorganic or solid state materials. For example, advances in reactor technology have empowered chemists and engineers to rapidly produce large libraries of discrete organic molecules in the pursuit of new drug discovery, which have led to the development of a growing branch of research called combinatorial chemistry. Combinatorial chemistry generally refers to methods and materials for creating collections of diverse materials or compounds--commonly known as libraries--and to techniques and instruments for evaluating or screening libraries for desirable properties.

Presently, research in the lubricant industry involves individually forming candidate lubricating oil compositions and then performing a macro-scale analysis of the candidate compositions by employing a large amount of the candidate to be tested. Additionally, the methods employed for testing each candidate composition require manual operation. This, in turn, significantly reduces the number of compositions that can be tested and identified as leading lubricating oil compositions.

Drawbacks associated with conventional screening procedures can be seen as follows. For example, governmental and automotive industry pressure towards reducing the phosphorous and sulfur content of lubricating oil compositions used as, for example, passenger car and heavy duty diesel engine oils, is leading to new research to identify oil compositions which can satisfy certain tests such as, for example, oxidation, wear and compatibility tests, while containing low levels of phosphorous and sulfur. In this context, United States Military Standards MIL-L-46152E and the ILSAC Standards defined by the Japanese and United States Automobile Industry Association at present require the phosphorous content of engine oils to be at or below 0.10 wt. % with future phosphorous content being proposed to even lower levels, e.g., 0.08 wt. % by June, 2004 and below 0.05 wt. % by January, 2006. Also, at present, there is no industry standard requirement for sulfur content in engine oils, but it has been proposed that the sulfur content be below 0.3 wt. % to meet June, 2007 requirements for emissions. Thus, it would be desirable to decrease the amount of phosphorous and sulfur in lubricating oils still further, thereby meeting future industry standard proposed phosphorous and sulfur contents in the engine oil while still retaining the oxidation or corrosion inhibiting properties and antiwear properties of the higher phosphorous and sulfur content engine oils. In order to accomplish this, a large number of proposed lubricating oil compositions must be tested to determine which compositions may be useful.

Additionally, similar changes in specifications and changing customer needs also drive reformulation efforts in other lubricant applications such as, for example, transmission fluids, hydraulic fluids, gear oils, marine cylinder oils, compressor oils, refrigeration lubricants and the like.

However, as stated above, present research in the lubricant industry does not allow for reformulation to occur in an expeditious manner. As such, there exists a need in the art for a more efficient, economical and systematic approach for the preparation of lubricating oil compositions and screening of such compositions for information correlating to the actual useful properties of the compositions.

For example, it would be desirable to evaluate multiple lubricating oil compositions for dispersancy. Dispersants are added to lubricating oil compositions to keep engines clean by dispersing sludge, soot and varnish-forming deposits in the oil. Sludge can form in an internal combustion engine when, for example, combustion products such as, for example, water, metal particles produced by engine wear, and various partially oxidized hydrocarbon molecules, enter the lubricating oil by blowing past the piston rings. The sludge is a highly viscous composition which inhibits proper flow of the lubricating oil, thereby impairing its effectiveness. The problem can be partially alleviated by running an engine hot over an extended period of time by, for example, extended highway driving, to evaporate the water component of the sludge and loosen up the oil. This allows the filter to work more effectively to remove abrasive particulates which contribute to engine wear. However, with stop-and-go traffic or short trips in city driving, sludge has a tendency to build up. Hence, the importance of identifying and selecting the most effective additives to prevent such a build up. Dispersants also keep soot particles small by preventing agglomeration.

Another consideration is how the various additives in the lubricating oil interact. The presence of one additive may affect the performance of another. Accordingly, testing for any particular performance property is complicated by the fact that an additive cannot be tested in isolation. Rather, many different lubricating oil formulations with various additives and percentage compositions must be tested.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to rapidly prepare and test for dispersancy a plurality of sample candidate lubricating oil compositions automatically, preferably utilizing small amounts of each sample.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A high throughput screening method for determining lubricant performance is provided herein. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a high throughput method for screening lubricating oil composition samples for dispersancy performance, under program control, is provided comprising the steps of (a) providing a plurality of different lubricating oil composition samples, each sample comprising (i) a major amount of at least one base oil of lubricating viscosity, (ii) aminor amount of at least one lubricating oil additive and (iii) a predetermined amount of a base oil-insoluble material; (b) measuring the dispersancy performance of each sample to provide corresponding dispersancy performance data results; and, (c) outputting the results of step (b).

In a second embodiment of the present invention, a system for screening lubricant performance, under program control, is provided comprising (a) a plurality of test receptacles, each receptacle containing a different lubricating oil composition sample comprising (i) a major amount of at least one base oil of lubricating viscosity, (ii) a minor amount of at least one lubricating oil additive and (iii) a predetermined amount of a base oil-insoluble material; (b) receptacle moving means for individually positioning the test receptacles in a testing station for measurement of dispersancy performance of the respective sample; and (c) means for measuring the dispersancy performance of the sample in the testing station to obtain dispersancy performance data associated with the sample and for transferring the dispersancy performance data to a computer controller.

The methods and systems of the present invention advantageously permit the screening of many different composition samples in an efficient manner to determine optimal dispersancy characteristics of the samples.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments are described below with reference to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for preparing a plurality of different lubricating oil compositions; and,

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a dispensing system of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

The present invention is directed to a method for the high throughput screening of a plurality of different lubricating oil compositions containing lubricating oil compositions for lubricant performance properties, e.g., dispersancy performance. The expression "high throughput" as used herein shall be understood to mean that a relatively large number of different lubricating oil compositions can be rapidly prepared and analyzed. In a first step of one embodiment of the screening method of the present invention, at least one lubricating oil composition is introduced in a plurality of respective test receptacles so that each receptacle contains a different lubricating oil composition having a different composition depending upon the percentage amounts and/or types of the at least one base oil and/or at least one additive combined in each receptacle.

Data regarding the composition of each sample are stored in a data library. Adding the information related to the dispersancy data of each of the stored compositions substantially facilitates the selection of candidate compositions capable of successfully carrying out the dispersancy tests under the desired operating conditions or statutory requirements. Accordingly, storing this information in the combinatorial library not only allows for a rapid selection of multiple lubricating oil compositions in response to new requirements for a given test, but also becomes another piece of information in addition to, for example, storage stability, oxidation stability, wear stability, deposit formation data, elastomer compatibility, etc., of the cataloged compositions. This information may also allow for calculating necessary changes of the additives at the least cost. The procedure is advantageously accomplished under program control and automatically controlled by, for example, a microprocessor or other computer control device. The expression "program control" as used herein shall be understood to mean the equipment used herein in providing the plurality of lubricating oil compositions is automated and controlled by a microprocessor or other computer control device.

The lubricating oil compositions for use in the high throughput screening method of this invention include at least one base oil of lubricating viscosity and at least one lubricating oil additive. Generally, the lubricating oil compositions for use in the high throughput screening method of this invention include aminor amount of at least one lubricating oil additive together with a major amount of at least one base oil of lubricating viscosity, e.g., an amount of greater than 50 wt. %, preferably greater than about 70 wt. %, more preferably from about 80 to about 99.5 wt. % and most preferably from about 85 to about 98 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition.

The expression "base oil" as used herein shall be understood to mean a base stock or blend of base stocks which is a lubricant component that is produced by a single manufacturer to the same specifications (independent of feed source or manufacturer's location): that meets the same manufacturer's specification; and that is identified by a unique formula, product identification number, or both. The base oil for use herein can be any presently known or later-discovered base oil of lubricating viscosity used in formulating lubricating oil compositions for any and all such applications, e.g., engine oils, marine cylinder oils, natural gas engine oils, railroad oils, two-cycle engine oils, tractor oils, heavy duty diesel engine oils, truck oils and functional fluids such as hydraulic oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, etc. Additionally, the base oils for use herein can optionally contain viscosity index improvers, e.g., polymeric alkylmethacrylates; olefinic copolymers, e.g., an ethylene-propylene copolymer or a styrene-butadiene copolymer; and the like and mixtures thereof.

As one skilled in the art would readily appreciate, the viscosity of the base oil is dependent upon the application. Accordingly, the viscosity of a base oil for use herein will ordinarily range from about 2 to about 2000 centistokes (cSt) at 100.degree. Centigrade (C.). Generally, individually the base oils used as engine oils will have a kinematic viscosity range at 100.degree. C. of about 2 cSt to about 30 cSt, preferably about 3 cSt to about 16 cSt, and most preferably about 4 cSt to about 12 cSt and will be selected or blended depending on the desired end use and the additives in the finished oil to give the desired grade of engine oil, e.g., a lubricating oil composition having an SAE Viscosity Grade of 0W, 0W-20, 0W-30, 0W-40, 0W-50, 0W-60, 5W, 5W-20, 5W-30, 5W-40, 5W-50, 5W-60, 10W, 10W-20, 10W-30, 10W-40, 10W-50, 15W, 15W-20, 15W-30 or 15W-40. Oils used as gear oils can have viscosities ranging from about 2 cSt to about 2000 cSt at 100.degree. C.

Base stocks may be manufactured using a variety of different processes including, but not limited to, distillation, solvent refining, hydrogen processing, oligomerization, esterification, and rerefining. Rerefined stock shall be substantially free from materials introduced through manufacturing, contamination, or previous use. The base oil of the lubricating oil compositions of this invention may be any natural or synthetic lubricating base oil. Suitable hydrocarbon synthetic oils include, but are not limited to, oils prepared from the polymerization of ethylene or from the polymerization of 1-olefins to provide polymers such as polyalphaolefin or PAO oils, or from hydrocarbon synthesis procedures using carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases such as in a Fisher-Tropsch process. For example, a suitable base oil is one that comprises little, if any, heavy fraction; e.g., little, if any, lube oil fraction of viscosity 20 cSt or higher at 100.degree. C.

The base oil may be derived from natural lubricating oils, synthetic lubricating oils or mixtures thereof. Suitable base oil includes base stocks obtained by isomerization of synthetic wax and slack wax, as well as hydrocracked base stocks produced by hydrocracking (rather than solvent extracting) the aromatic and polar components of the crude. Suitable base oils include those in all API categories I, II, III, IV and V as defined in API Publication 1509, 14th Edition, Addendum I, December 1998. Group IV base oils are polyalphaolefins (PAO). Group V base oils include all other base oils not included in Group I, II, III, or IV. Although Group II, III and IV base oils are preferred for use in this invention, these preferred base oils may be prepared by combining one or more of Group I, II, III, IV and V base stocks or base oils.

Useful natural oils include mineral lubricating oils such as, for example, liquid petroleum oils, solvent-treated or acid-treated mineral lubricating oils of the paraffinic, naphthenic or mixed paraffinic-naphthenic types, oils derived from coal or shale, animal oils, vegetable oils (e.g., rapeseed oils, castor oils and lard oil), and the like.

Useful synthetic lubricating oils include, but are not limited to, hydrocarbon oils and halo-substituted hydrocarbon oils such as polymerized and interpolymerized olefins, e.g., polybutylenes, polypropylenes, propylene-isobutylene copolymers, chlorinated polybutylenes, poly(1-hexenes), poly(1-octenes), poly(1-decenes), and the like and mixtures thereof; alkylbenzenes such as dodecylbenzenes, tetradecylbenzenes, dinonylbenzenes, di(2-ethylhexyl)-benzenes, and the like; polyphenyls such as biphenyls, terphenyls, alkylated polyphenyls, and the like; alkylated diphenyl ethers and alkylated diphenyl sulfides and the derivative, analogs and homologs thereof and the like.

Other useful synthetic lubricating oils include, but are not limited to, oils made by polymerizing olefins of less than 5 carbon atoms such as ethylene, propylene, butylenes, isobutene, pentene, and mixtures thereof. Methods of preparing such polymer oils are well known to those skilled in the art.

Additional useful synthetic hydrocarbon oils include liquid polymers of alpha olefins having the proper viscosity. Especially useful synthetic hydrocarbon oils are the hydrogenated liquid oligomers of C.sub.6 to C.sub.12 alpha olefins such as, for example, 1-decene trimer.

Another class of useful synthetic lubricating oils include, but are not limited to, alkylene oxide polymers, i.e., homopolymers, interpolymers, and derivatives thereof where the terminal hydroxyl groups have been modified by, for example, esterification or etherification. These oils are exemplified by the oils prepared through polymerization of ethylene oxide or propylene oxide, the alkyl and phenyl ethers of these polyoxyalkylene polymers (e.g., methyl poly propylene glycol ether having an average molecular weight of 1,000, diphenyl ether of polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of 500 1000, diethyl ether of polypropylene glycol having a molecular weight of 1,000 1,500, etc.) or mono- and polycarboxylic esters thereof such as, for example, the acetic esters, mixed C.sub.3 C.sub.8 fatty acid esters, or the C.sub.13oxo acid diester of tetraethylene glycol.

Yet another class of useful synthetic lubricating oils include, but are not limited to, the esters of dicarboxylic acids e.g., phthalic acid, succinic acid, alkyl succinic acids, alkenyl succinic acids, maleic acid, azelaic acid, suberic acid, sebacic acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, linoleic acid dimer, malonic acids, alkyl malonic acids, alkenyl malonic acids, etc., with a variety of alcohols, e.g., butyl alcohol, hexyl alcohol, dodecyl alcohol, 2-ethylhexyl alcohol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol monoether, propylene glycol, etc. Specific examples of these esters include dibutyl adipate, di(2-ethylhexyl)sebacate, di-n-hexyl fumarate, dioctyl sebacate, diisooctyl azelate, diisodecyl azelate, dioctyl phthalate, didecyl phthalate, dieicosyl sebacate, the 2-ethylhexyl diester of linoleic acid dimer, the complex ester formed by reacting one mole of sebacic acid with two moles of tetraethylene glycol and two moles of 2-ethylhexanoic acid and the like.

Esters useful as synthetic oils also include, but are not limited to, those made from carboxylic acids having from about 5 to about 12 carbon atoms with alcohols, e.g., methanol, ethanol, etc., polyols and polyol ethers such as neopentyl glycol, trimethylol propane, pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, tripentaerythritol, and the like.

Silicon-based oils such as, for example, polyalkyl-, polyaryl-, polyalkoxy- or polyaryloxy-siloxane oils and silicate oils, comprise another useful class of synthetic lubricating oils. Specific examples of these include, but are not limited to, tetraethyl silicate, tetra-isopropyl silicate, tetra-(2-ethylhexyl) silicate, tetra-(4-methyl-hexyl)silicate, tetra-(p-tert-butylphenyl)silicate, hexyl-(4-methyl-2-pentoxy)disiloxane, poly(methyl)siloxanes, poly(methylphenyl)siloxanes, and the like. Still yet other useful synthetic lubricating oils include, but are not limited to, liquid esters of phosphorous containing acids, e.g., tricresyl phosphate, trioctyl phosphate, diethyl ester of decane phosphionic acid, etc., polymeric tetrahydrofurans and the like.

The lubricating oil may be derived from unrefined, refined and rerefined oils, either natural, synthetic or mixtures of two or more of any of these of the type disclosed hereinabove. Unrefined oils are those obtained directly from a natural or synthetic source (e.g., coal, shale, or tar sands bitumen) without further purification or treatment. Examples of unrefined oils include, but are not limited to, a shale oil obtained directly from retorting operations, a petroleum oil obtained directly from distillation or an ester oil obtained directly from an esterification process, each of which is then used without further treatment. Refined oils are similar to the unrefined oils except they have been further treated in one or more purification steps to improve one or more properties. These purification techniques are known to those of skill in the art and include, for example, solvent extractions, secondary distillation, acid or base extraction, filtration, percolation, hydrotreating, dewaxing, etc. Rerefined oils are obtained by treating used oils in processes similar to those used to obtain refined oils. Such rerefined oils are also known as reclaimed or reprocessed oils and often are additionally processed by techniques directed to removal of spent additives and oil breakdown products.

Lubricating oil base stocks derived from the hydroisomerization of wax may also be used, either alone or in combination with the aforesaid natural and/or synthetic base stocks. Such wax isomerate oil is produced by the hydroisomerization of natural or synthetic waxes or mixtures thereof over a hydroisomerization catalyst.

Natural waxes are typically the slack waxes recovered by the solvent dewaxing of mineral oils; synthetic waxes are typically the wax produced by the Fischer-Tropsch process.

The second component of the lubricating oil compositions herein is at least one lubricating oil additive. The lubricating oil additives for use herein can be any presently known or later-discovered additive used in formulating lubricating oil compositions. Suitable lubricating oil additives for use herein include, but are not limited to, antioxidants, anti-wear agents, detergents such as metal detergents, rust inhibitors, dehazing agents, demulsifying agents, metal deactivating agents, friction modifiers, pour point depressants, antifoaming agents, co-solvents, package compatibilisers, corrosion-inhibitors, ashless dispersants, dyes, extreme pressure agents and the like and mixtures thereof. Greases will require the addition of appropriate thickeners. A variety of the additives are known and commercially available. These additives, or their analogous compounds, can be employed for the preparation of the various lubricating oil compositions herein. Preferably, the at least one lubricating oil additive is a dispersant.

If desired, the lubricating oil additive(s) can further contain a diluent oil to form an additive concentrate. These concentrates usually include at least from about 98 wt. % to about 10 wt. %, preferably from about 98 wt. % to about 25 wt. % and most preferably from about 97 wt. % to about 50 wt. % of a diluent oil and from about 2 wt. % to about 90 wt. %, preferably from about 2 wt. % to about 75 wt. % and most preferably from about 3 wt. % to about 50 wt. %, of the foregoing additive(s). Suitable diluents for the concentrates include any inert diluent, preferably an oil of lubricating viscosity such as, for example, a base oil as described hereinbelow, so that the concentrate may be readily mixed with lubricating oils to pre


Free Web Sudoku Puzzles.
Solve with your browser.
  4     1 6 7    
    1            
        2   8 3  
    6 1 5     4  
2     9   3     7
  3     6 2 5    
  6 9   3        
            3    
    2 8 4     6  
What is it?



Add Your Site · Terms Of Service · Privacy Policy


DISCLAIMER
Linkgrinder is a free service that searches the Internet and indexes all files found so that you may search quickly and easily for shared files. These files are created and made available individually by users whose identity we are not aware of and who we have no control over. In essence we function like a search engine tool; these files ARE NOT STORED OR SERVED BY OUR NETWORK. We are not responsible for any materials obtained by using our service. We do not monitor any of the contents of these files. These files may contain viruses, illegal materials, materials inappropriate for minors, offensive files and the like. BY USING OUR SERVICE, YOU ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR DOWNLOADING THESE MATERIALS AND WILL INDEMNIFY US FOR ANY DAMAGES THAT MAY BE INCURRED.

For More Specific Information VIEW OUR TERMS OF SERVICE.

Thank you and Enjoy!