Functional fluids comprising alkyl toluene sulfonates

Abstract

Provided are formulations, methods of making, and methods of using a functional fluid of the present invention to achieve and maintain optimal frictional characteristics in machines housing that fluid, wherein the functional fluid comprises, among others, a friction-modifying amount of an alkyl toluene sulfonate salt or a mixture of alkyl toluene sulfonate salts.

1 . A functional fluid composition comprising an admixture of:
 (a) a major amount of an oil of lubricating viscosity; and   (b) a friction-modifying amount of one or more oil-soluble alkyl toluene sulfonate salts, which may be represented by the formula:   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         
           wherein R 1  is a metal sulfonate group and R 2  is an alkyl group. 
         
       
     
     
         2 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are chosen from alkali metal salts and alkaline earth metal salts. 
     
     
         3 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are alkaline earth metal salts. 
     
     
         4 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are calcium salts. 
     
     
         5 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are overbased salts. 
     
     
         6 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are overbased with carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         7 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts has a total base number of about 0 to about 400. 
     
     
         8 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 5 , wherein each of the overbased salts has a total base number of about 60 to about 400. 
     
     
         9 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 8 , wherein each of the overbased salts has a total base number of about 250 to about 380. 
     
     
         10 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 9 , wherein each of the overbased salts has a total base number of about 300 to about 350. 
     
     
         11 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are derived from alkyl toluene precursors prepared by reacting linear olefins with toluene. 
     
     
         12 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 11 , wherein the linear olefins are isomerized before they react with toluene. 
     
     
         13 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 11 , wherein each of the linear olefins is a single olefin or a mixture of olefins. 
     
     
         14 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 13 , wherein the single olefin is a C 18  to C 30  linear alpha olefin. 
     
     
         15 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 13 , wherein the olefins in the mixture of olefins are chosen from C 18  to C 30  linear alpha olefins. 
     
     
         16 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 12 , wherein about 0.5% to about 50% of each of the linear olefins are alpha olefins. 
     
     
         17 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 16 , wherein about 1.5% to about 35% of each of the linear olefins are alpha olefins. 
     
     
         18 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 12 , wherein about 5% to about 80% of each of the isomerized linear olefins are branched. 
     
     
         19 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 18 , wherein about 10 to about 60% of each of the isomerized linear olefins are branched. 
     
     
         20 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 1 , comprising about 0.15 wt. % to about 4.0 wt. % of the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts. 
     
     
         21 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 20 , comprising about 0.5 wt. % to about 3.5 wt. % of the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts. 
     
     
         22 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 21 , comprising about 1.5 wt. % to about 2.5 wt. % of the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts. 
     
     
         23 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more additives selected from: (1) antioxidants; (2) rust inhibitors; (3) demulsifiers; (4) friction modifying agents other than alkyl toluene sulfonates; (5) viscosity index improvers; (6) multi-functional additives; (7) dispersants; (8) anti-wear/extreme pressure agents; (9) pour point depressants; (10) foam inhibitors; (11) detergents; and (12) seal conditioning agents. 
     
     
         24 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 1 , wherein the friction-modifying capacity of the composition is not substantially diminished in the presence of chloride ions. 
     
     
         25 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 24 , wherein the friction-modifying capacity of the composition is not substantially diminished in the presence of up to about 10 ppm of chloride. 
     
     
         26 . The functional fluid composition of  claim 25 , wherein the friction-modifying capacity of the composition is not substantially diminished in the presence of up to about 50 ppm of chloride. 
     
     
         27 . A friction modifying agent suitable for use in a functional fluid, comprising one or more of oil-soluble alkyl toluene sulfonate salts, which may be represented by the formula: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein R 1  is a metal sulfonate group, and R 2  is an alkyl group. 
       
     
     
         28 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are chosen from alkali metal salts and alkaline earth metal salts. 
     
     
         29 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 28 , wherein the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are alkaline earth metal salts. 
     
     
         30 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 29 , wherein the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are calcium salts. 
     
     
         31 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are overbased salts. 
     
     
         32 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more overbased alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are overbased with carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         33 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 27 , wherein each of the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts has a total base number of about 0 to about 400. 
     
     
         34 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 31 , wherein each of the one or more overbased alkyl toluene sulfonate salts has a total base number of about 60 to about 400. 
     
     
         35 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 34 , wherein each of the one or more overbased alkyl toluene sulfonate salts has a total base number of about 250 to about 380. 
     
     
         36 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 35 , wherein each of the one or more overbased alkyl toluene sulfonate salts has a total base number of about 300 to about 350. 
     
     
         37 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are derived from alkyl toluene precursors prepared by reacting linear olefins with toluene. 
     
     
         38 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 37 , wherein the linear olefins are isomerized before they react with toluene. 
     
     
         39 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 38 , wherein each of the linear olefins is a single olefin or a mixture of olefins. 
     
     
         40 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 39 , wherein the single olefin is a C 18  to C 30  linear alpha olefin. 
     
     
         41 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 39 , wherein the olefins in the mixture of olefins are chosen from C 18  to C 30  linear alpha olefins. 
     
     
         42 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 38 , wherein about 0.5% to about 50% of each of the linear olefins are alpha olefins. 
     
     
         43 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 42 , wherein about 1.5% to about 35% of each of the linear olefins are alpha olefins. 
     
     
         44 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 38 , wherein about 5% to about 80% of each of the isomerized linear olefins are branched. 
     
     
         45 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 44 , wherein about 10% to about 60% of each of the isomerized linear olefins are branched. 
     
     
         46 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 27 , wherein the friction-modifying capacity of the friction modifying agent is not substantially diminished in the presence of chloride ions. 
     
     
         47 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 46 , wherein the friction-modifying capacity of the friction modifying agent is not substantially diminished in the presence of up to about 10 ppm of chloride. 
     
     
         48 . The friction modifying agent of  claim 47 , the friction-modifying capacity of the friction modifying agent is not substantially diminished in the presence of up to about 50 ppm of chloride. 
     
     
         49 . A method of achieving optimal frictional characteristics and maintaining such characteristics in a machine comprising relatively moving and coupling parts, comprising:
 (a) immersing at least some of the surfaces of the relatively moving and coupling parts in a functional fluid of  claim 1 ; and   (b) operating the machine in the presence of the functional fluid.   
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein the functional fluid is selected from: a tractor fluid, a tractor hydraulic fluid, a transmission fluid, and a hydraulic fluid. 
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 50 , wherein the functional fluid is a tractor hydraulic fluid. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the functional fluid further comprising one or more additives chosen from: (1) antioxidants; (2) demulsifiers; (3) rust inhibitors; (4) friction modifying agents that are not alkyl toluene sulfonates; (5) pour point depressants; (6) viscosity index improvers; (7) foam inhibitors; (8) multi-functional additives; (9) anti-wear/extreme pressure agents; (10) dispersants; (11) detergents; and (12) seal conditioning agents. 
     
     
         53 . A method of making a functional fluid composition comprising blending the following components;
 (a) an oil of lubricating viscosity; and   (b) one or more oil-soluble alkyl toluene sulfonate salts, which may be represented by the formula:   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         
           wherein R 1  is a metal sulfonate group, and R 2  is an alkyl group. 
         
       
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 53 , wherein one or more additives selected from: antioxidants; rust inhibitors; friction modifying agents that are not alkyl toluene sulfonates; viscosity index improvers; demulsifiers; pour point depressants; anti-wear/extreme pressure agents; multi-functional additives; foam inhibitors; detergents; seal conditioning agents; and dispersants are further blended into the functional fluid composition. 
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 53 , wherein about 0.15 wt. % to about 4.0 wt. % of the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are blended into the functional fluid composition. 
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 55 , wherein about 0.5 wt. % to about 3.5 wt. % of the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are blended into the functional fluid composition. 
     
     
         57 . The method according to  claim 56 , wherein about 1.5 wt. % to about 2.5 wt. % of the one or more alkyl toluene sulfonate salts are blended into the functional fluid composition.