Lubricating Composition and Method of Lubricating Driveline Device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lubricating composition containing: an oil of lubricating viscosity, a non-borated dispersant, a detergent, and an antiwear package comprising (a) a derivative of a hydroxycarboxylic acid, (b) an amine salt of a phosphoric acid ester, and (c) a phosphite having at least one hydrocarbyl group with 4 or more carbon atoms. The invention further provides for a method of lubricating a driveline device application by employing a lubricating composition containing the antiwear package.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 .- 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A method of lubricating a driveline device comprising supplying a lubricating composition to the driveline device, wherein the driveline device contains a synchronizer or axle, and wherein the lubricating composition comprises:
 an oil of lubricating viscosity,   0.01 wt % to 2 wt % of a non-borated dispersant,   0.1 wt % to 1 wt % of a detergent, and   an antiwear package comprising
 (a) 0.05 wt % to 1.5 wt % of a derivative of a hydroxycarboxylic acid, 
 (b) 0.1 wt % to 2.5 wt % of an amine salt of a phosphoric acid ester, and 
 (c) 0.05 wt % to 2.0 wt % of a phosphite having at least one hydrocarbyl group with 4 or more carbon atoms. 
   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the synchronizer operating surface comprises brass, carbon, molybdenum, phenolic resin, or a sintered metal or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the lubricating composition comprises:
 an oil of lubricating viscosity,   0.4 wt % to 1.2 wt % of a non-borated dispersant,   0.4 wt % to 1.0 wt % of a detergent, and   an antiwear package comprising
 (a) 0.05 wt % to 0.8 wt % of a derivative of a hydroxycarboxylic acid, 
 (b) 0.1 wt % to 1 wt % of an amine salt of a phosphoric acid ester, and 
 (c) 0.1 wt % to 1.0 wt % of a phosphite having at least one hydrocarbyl group with 4 or more carbon atoms. 
   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the detergent is a sulphonate, a phenate, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the phenate is an alkyl phenate, an aldehyde-coupled alkyl phenate, a sulphurised alkyl phenate, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the non-borated dispersant is a succinimide dispersant, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the non-borated dispersant is a polyisobutylene succinimide, wherein the polyisobutylene from which the polyisobutylene succinimide is derived has a number average molecular weight in the range of 350 to 5000. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the non-borated dispersant is a non-borated succinimide, and wherein the non-borated dispersant is in a mixture with a borated dispersant. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the non-borated dispersant is a polyisobutylene succinimide derived from an aliphatic polyamine selected from the group consisting of ethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine, tetraethylenepentamine, pentaethylenehexamine, polyamine still bottoms, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the non-borated dispersant is a polyisobutylene succinimide derived from an aliphatic polyamine selected from the group consisting of tetraethylenepentamine, pentaethylenehexamine, polyamine still bottoms, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the derivative of a hydroxycarboxylic acid is represented by the formula: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein
 n and m are independently integers of 1 to 5; 
 X is an aliphatic or alicyclic group, or an aliphatic or alicyclic group containing an oxygen atom in the carbon chain, or a substituted group of the foregoing types, said group containing up to 6 carbon atoms and having n+m available points of attachment; 
 each Y is independently —O—, or >NR 1  or two Ys together representing the nitrogen of an imide structure R—N< formed between two carbonyl groups; and 
 each R and R 1  are independently hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group, provided that at least one R or R 1  group is a hydrocarbyl group; each R 2  is independently hydrogen, a hydrocarbyl group or an acyl group, further provided that at least one —OR 2  group is located on a carbon atom within X that is α or β to at least one of the —C(O)—Y—R groups. 
 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the derivative of a hydroxycarboxylic acid is a derivative of tartaric acid or a derivative of citric acid. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the amine salt of a phosphoric acid ester is represented by the formula: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein
 R 3  and R 4  are independently hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group (such as a hydrocarbon group) typically containing 4 to 40, or 6 to 30, or 6 to 18, or 8 to 18 carbon atoms, with the proviso that at least one is a hydrocarbon group; and 
 R 5 , R 6 , R 7  and R 8  are independently hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group, with the proviso that at least one is a hydrocarbyl group. 
 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the phosphite is represented by the formulae: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein at least two of R 9 , R 10  and R 11  is a hydrocarbyl group containing at least 4 carbon atoms and the other is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group.