WO1998022558A1

WO1998022558A1 - A lubricant composition

Info

Publication number: WO1998022558A1
Application number: PCT/AU1997/000778
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bernd Kutzner
Original assignee: BEKU ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCTS Ltd
Current assignee: BEKU ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCTS Ltd
Priority date: 1996-11-19
Filing date: 1997-11-18
Publication date: 1998-05-28
Anticipated expiration: 1999-05-19
Also published as: NZ336019A; AUPO368896A0

Abstract

A lubricant composition suitable for metal drilling, tapping and cutting operations and the like, comprising a wax ester having a monounsaturated fatty acid content of between 60 wt.% and 90 wt.% of the total fatty acid content of the wax ester. Typically the lubricant composition is produced by extracting fish oil from a deep sea marine species and combining the fish oil with an emulsifier.

Description

A LUBRICANT COMPOSITION

The present invention relates to a lubricant composition, and to a process for producing the lubricant composition.

Lubricants are extensively used for metal drilling, tapping and cutting operations to lubricate the tools and to guard the tools against rusting and/or excess wear.

Commonly used lubricants include petrochemical and vegetable oils. Whilst having suitable lubricating and corrosion inhibiting qualities, these known compositions are disadvantageous in that they give off toxic fumes when subjected to high temperatures in the machinery.

In addition, known compositions are unsuitable for use in cold climates since they solidify in cool storage conditions and must be warmed to be applied to machinery.

Another problem associated with such compositions is that they are difficult to remove from machinery during cleaning.

In addition, there is increasing recognition that in addition to lubricating, corrosion inhibiting and heat stability properties, lubricant compositions should be biodegradable and resistant to bacterial build up.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lubricant composition that inhibits corrosion, is heat stable, biodegradable, resistant to bacterial build up and non-toxic . According to the present invention there is provided a lubricant composition comprising a wax ester having a monounsaturated fatty acid content of between 60 wt% and 95 vrt% of the total fatty acid content of the wax ester.

It is preferred that the monounsaturated fatty acid content be between 75 and 95wt% of the total fatty acid content of the wax ester.

It is preferred that the wax ester be obtained from fish oil.

It is particularly preferred that the fish oil be extracted from a deep sea marine species, such as Orange Roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) or Dory.

The oil extracted from Orange Roughy and other deep sea marine species is significantly different from the oil extracted from other more common fish species . It is very high in monounsaturated constituents, and contains very low levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, the oil stored in these species is stored as a wax ester and not as a triglyceride . Therefore, the fish oil of deep sea marine species is the most convenient source of wax esters having a monounsaturated fatty acid content of between

60wt% and 95wt% of the total fatty acid content.

It is preferred that the lubricant composition further comprises an emulsifier.

It is preferred that the emulsifier be present in the lubricant composition in an amount up to 25wt%.

It is particularly preferred that the emulsifier be present in an amount up to 3wt%, and more particularly in an amount of between 0.5wt% and 3wt% of the lubricant composition. It is preferred that the emulsifier has a hydrophilic/lipophiliσ balance of between 5 and 9.

It is preferred that the emulsifier be biodegradable as determined by AS 1792-1976.

It is preferred that the emulsifier be non-toxic.

The emulsifier may be formed in situ, eg, by reaction of polyethylene glycol and the oil to form polyethylene glycol esters or neutralisation with an alkali of any free fatty acids to form soaps .

Typically, the emulsifier comprises one or more of polyethylene glycol 200 mono oleate, polyethylene glycol 400 dioleate, and laurylpolyethylene glycol ether.

It is preferred that the lubricant composition further comprise a second marine oil component .

It is particularly preferred that the second marine oil component comprises diacylglyceryl ether.

Diacylglyceryl ether is obtainable from shark liver oil - oil from the liver of the shark species Etmopterus granulosus and other species.

Diacylglyceryl ethers are similar in structure to triacylglycerols but have one of the ester groups replaced by an ether, which makes the diacylglyceryl ethers much more stable. It has been found that the inclusion of this component in the lubricant composition provides a lubricant composition with advantageous properties.

It is preferred that the diacylglyceryl ether be present in the lubricant composition in an amount of up to 3wt%. It is particularly preferred that the diacylglyceryl ether be present in an amount of between 0.5wt% and 3wt%.

It is also preferred that the lubricant composition contain no or at most a low concentration of polyunsaturated fatty alcohols or acids as these are potential sites for oxidation and the development of rancidity.

It is particularly preferred that the lubricant composition contains less than 10wt% of polyunsaturated fatty alcohols or acids.

It is more particularly preferred that the lubricant composition contains less than 5wt% of polyunsaturated fatty alcohols or acids.

According to the present invention there is also provided a process for producing the lubricant composition from a fish oil, the process comprising the steps of:

(i) subjecting the fish oil to vacuum steam distillation, and

(ii) mixing the fish oil with an emulsifier in the appropriate proportion.

It is preferred that the process further comprises a step in which the free fatty acids are removed from the fish oil. This may be achieved, for example, by washing the oil with a dilute alkali solution such as dilute sodium or potassium hydroxide solution. The free fatty acid removal step is required when producing a lubricant composition from poor quality fish oil. As a general rule, this step is not normally required.

It is also preferred that the process comprises a filtration step. Filtration may be conducted with, for example, activated charcoal.

It is also preferred that the process comprises mixing of the fish oil with diacylglyceryl ether. The diacylglyceryl ether may be added together with the emulsifier or separately.

The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the following examples.

Example 1

Analysis of the Wax Ester Composition of a Typical Orange Roughy Oil

Orange Roughy oil comprises approximately 18wt% of the weight of the fish. A major part of the oil is found in the swim bladder. Wax esters constitute approximately 88 - 97wt% of the Orange Roughy oil and the remainder of the oil is largely triacylglycerol .

The fatty acid and fatty alcohol chain length distribution of a typical Orange Roughy oil is presented in Table 1.

Table 1

Example 2

Analysis of the Diacylglyceryl Ether Content of a Typical Shark Liver Oil

Oil extracted from the liver of the shark species Bfcmopterus granulosus was separated into its two major components, squalene and diacylglyceryl ether. The carbon chain length distribution of the fatty acids and the acyl groups of the diacylglyceryl ether were analysed. The distribution of these groups is set out in Table 2.

Table 2

Example 3

Lubricant Compositions

The formulations of preferred lubricant compositions are set out in Table 3.

Table 3

Product Testing Results

The product numbered 6 in Table 3 was submitted to testing in a variety of operations. The results of the tests are set out in Table 4.

Table 4

In summary, the lubricant composition of the invention is shown to inhibit corrosion, extend tool life, is heat stable, non-toxic, biodegradable and resistant to bacterial build up.

Example 4

Process for Producing Lubricant Composition 2 of Table 3

Orange Roughy oil was subjected to washing with a dilute solution of sodium hydroxide (IM) to remove the free fatty acids.

The washed Orange Roughy oil was subjected to filtration through activated charcoal to remove traces of impurities.

The filtered Orange Roughy oil was subjected to vacuum steam distillation to further purify the oil.

Finally the fish oil was mixed with equal amounts polyethylene glycol 200 monooleate and diacylglyceryl ether obtained from shark liver oil to provide the final lubricant composition.

This composition was found to exhibit similar characteristics to the lubricant composition tested in Example 3.

Many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A lubricant composition comprising a wax ester having a monounsaturated fatty acid content of between 60 wt% and 95 wt% of the total fatty acid content of the wax ester.

2. A lubricant composition according to claim 1 wherein the monounsaturated fatty acid content is between 75 wt% and 95 wt% of the total fatty acid content of the wax ester .

3. A lubricant composition according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the wax ester is obtained from fish oil.

4. A lubricant composition according to claim 3 wherein the fish oil is extracted from a deep sea marine species .

5. A lubricant composition according to claim 4 wherein the fish oil is extracted from orange roughy fish or dory fish.

6. A lubricant composition according to any of the preceding claims which further comprises an emulsifier.

7. A lubricant composition according to claim 6 wherein the emulsifier comprises up to 25 wt% of the total composition.

8. A lubricant composition according to claim 7 wherein the emulsifier comprises up to 3 wt% of the total composition.

9. A lubricant composition according to any of claims 6 to 9 wherein the emulsifier has a hydrophilic/lipophilic balance of between 5 and 9.

10. A lubricant composition according to any of claims 6 to 10 wherein the emulsifier is biodegradable and/or non-toxic.

11. A lubricant composition according to any of claims 6 to 11 wherein the emulsifier is formed in situ.

12. A lubricant composition according to any of claims 6 to 11 wherein the emulsifier includes a component chosen from the group comprising polyethylene glycol 200 mono oleate, polyethylene glycol 400 dioleate, laurylpolyethylene glycol ether and combinations thereof.

13. A lubricant composition according to any of the preceding claims which further comprises a second marine oil component.

14. A lubricant composition according to claim 14 wherein the second marine oil component comprises diacylglyceryl ether .

15. A lubricant composition according to claim 14 or 15 wherein the second marine oil component comprises up to 3 wt% of the total composition.

16. A lubricant composition according to any of the preceding claims which comprises less than 10 wt% of polyunsaturated fatty alcohols or acids.

17. A method of producing the lubricant composition of any of the preceding claims, from a fish oil, the process comprising the steps of:

(i) subjecting the fish oil to vacuum steam distillation, and (ii) mixing the fish oil with an emulsifier in the appropriate proportions.

18. A method according to claim 18 which further comprises the step of removing the free fatty acids from the fish oil.

19. A method according to claim 18 or 19 which further comprises a filtration step.

20. A method according to any of claims 18 to 20 which further comprises the step of mixing fish oil with diacylglyceryl ether.

21. A method of lubricating tools comprising the step of apply to the tool the lubricating composition of any of claims 1 to 17.

22. A lubricant composition substantially as herein described with reference to the examples .

23. A method for producing a lubricant composition substantially as herein described with reference to the examples .

AMENDED CLAIMS

[received by the International Bureau on 5 March 1998 (05.03.98); original claims 1-23 replaced by amended claims 1-23 (3 pages)]

1. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition comprising a naturally occurring wax ester having a monounsaturated fatty acid content of between 60 wt% and 95 wt% of the total fatty acid content of the wax ester.

2. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to claim 1 wherein the monounsaturated fatty acid content is between 75 wt% and 95 wt% of the total fatty acid content of the wax ester.

3. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the wax ester is obtained from fish oil.

4. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to claim 3 wherein the fish oil is extracted from a deep sea marine species .

5. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to claim 4 wherein the fish oil is extracted from orange roughy fish or dory fish.

6. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to any of the preceding claims which further comprises an emulsifier.

7. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to claim 6 wherein the emulsifier comprises up to 25 wt% of the total composition.

8. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to claim 7 wherein the emulsifier comprises up to 3 wt% of the total composition.

9. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to any of claims 6 to 8 wherein the emulsifier has a hydrophilic/lipophilic balance of between 5 and 9.

10. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to any of claims 6 to 9 wherein the emulsifier is biodegradable and/or non-toxic.

11. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to any of claims 6 to 10 wherein the emulsifier is formed in situ.

12. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to any of claims 6 to 11 wherein the emulsifier includes a component chosen from the group comprising polyethylene glycol 200 mono oleate, polyethylene glycol 400 dioleate, laurylpolyethylene glycol ether and combinations thereof.

13. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to any of the preceding claims which further comprises a second marine oil component.

14. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to claim 13 wherein the second marine oil component comprises diacylglyceryl ether.

15. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to claim 13 or 14 wherein the second marine oil component comprises up to 3 wt% of the total composition.

16. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition according to any of the preceding claims which comprises less than 10 wt% of polyunsaturated fatty alcohols or acids.

17. A method of producing the metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition of any of the preceding claims, from a fish oil, the process comprising the steps of:

(i) subjecting the fish oil to vacuum steam distillation, and

(ii) mixing the fish oil with an emulsifier in the appropriate proportions .

18. A method according to claim 17 which f rther comprises the step of removing the free fatty acids from the fish oil.

19. A method according to claim 17 or 18 which further comprises a filtration step.

20. A method according to any of claims 17 to 19 which further comprises the step of mixing fish oil with diacylglyceryl ether.

21. A method of lubricating tools comprising the step of apply to the tool the metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition of any of claims 1 to 16.

22. A metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition substantially as herein described with reference to the examples .

23. A method for producing a metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition substantially as herein described with reference to the examples. STATEMENT UNDER ARTICLE 19

It is noted that 9 citations have been referred to in the International Search Report. In response we are forwarding herewith a revised set of claims.

The wording of claims 1 to 17, and 21 - 23 have been amended to more clearly define the invention as relating to a metal drilling, tapping or cutting composition. Basis for this amendment can be found at page 1, paragraph 2 of the specification. Claim 1 has also been amended to more clearly define the invention comprising a naturally occurring wax ester as disclosed generally in the specification and examples.

Claims 14, 15 and 18 - 21 have been amended to correct the claim dependencies.

Regarding the citations, it is submitted that the invention defined in the revised claims is clearly distinguished from the citations.

None of the citations disclose an invention relating to a drilling, tapping or cutting composition. For example US-4891161 (Taidkawa et al) relates to a rolling mill lubricant, US-4404283 (Neidleman et al) and US-4315040 (Heine et al) relates to a mold release, US-4664821 (Arndt) relates to an automotive oil additive, US-4510093 (Hulsmann) relate to cosmetics, US- 4152278 (Bell) relates to an extreme pressure lubricant additive and WO 92.22631 (Beku) relates to a degreaser. Furthermore, the present invention comprises naturally occurring wax esters. By contrast, US-4036769 (Zipf) and US-4724100 (Gilbert et al) relate to compositions comprising synthetic esters. US-4510093 (Hulsmann), US-4404283 (Neidleman et al), US- 4315040 (Heine et al), US-4152278 (Bell) all relate to either synthetic esters or compositions comprising synthetic esters.