Lubricant compositions including alpha-olefin copolymers

Abstract

A lubricant composition may include a copolymer having constitutional units formed from monomers including an alpha-olefin and an α-ester-alk-ω-ene molecule, where the composition has a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of at most 20 centistokes, or of at least 40 centistokes. A lubricant composition may include a copolymer having constitutional units formed from monomers including an alpha-olefin, an α-ester-alk-ω-ene molecule and an α-(carboxylic acid)-alk-ω-ene molecule, where the composition has a viscosity that varies as the molar ratio of the α-ester-alk-ω-ene molecule α-(carboxylic acid)-alk-ω-ene molecule in the monomers varies.

1 . A lubricant composition, comprising:
 a copolymer comprising constitutional units formed from monomers, the monomers comprising
 a first alpha-olefin having from 8 to 10 carbon atoms, and 
 an α-ester-alk-ω-ene molecule; 
   where the composition has a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of from 5 to 20 centistokes.   
     
     
         2 . The lubricant composition of  claim 1 , where the first alpha-olefin comprises
 1-decene.   
     
     
         3 . The lubricant composition of  claim 1 , where the α-ester-alk-ω-ene molecule comprises 9-decenoic acid methyl ester. 
     
     
         4 . The lubricant composition of  claim 1 , where the α-ester-alk-ω-ene molecule is selected from the group consisting of 9-decenoic acid methyl ester, 9-decenoic acid ethyl ester, 9-decenoic acid propyl ester, 10-undecenoic acid methyl ester, 10-undecenoic acid ethyl ester, 10-undecenoic acid propyl ester, 11-dodecenoic acid methyl ester, 11-dodecenoic acid ethyl ester, and 11-dodecenoic acid propyl ester. 
     
     
         5 . The lubricant composition of  claim 1 , where the monomers further comprise a second alpha-olefin having from 8 to 16 carbon atoms;
 where the molar ratio of the first alpha-olefin to the second alpha-olefin is at least 2:1.   
     
     
         6 . The lubricant composition of  claim 1 , where the monomers further comprise at least one unsaturated monomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene, a styrene, a halogenated vinyl compound, an acrylate, an acrylamide, acrylonitrile, N-vinyl pyrrolidone; an alpha-alkenol, an alpha-alkenyl acetate, an alpha-alkenyl halide, allyl cyclohexane, allyl cyclopentane, and substituted derivatives thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The lubricant composition of  claim 1 , where the composition further comprises at most 50 wt % of a lubricant additive. 
     
     
         8 . The lubricant composition of  claim 1 , where the composition has a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of from 10 to 15 centistokes. 
     
     
         9 . A method of forming a lubricant composition, comprising:
 forming a reaction mixture comprising
 a first monomer comprising an alpha-olefin having from 8 to 10 carbon atoms, and 
 a second monomer comprising an α-ester-alk-ω-ene molecule; and 
   forming a product mixture comprising a copolymer comprising constitutional units formed from the first and second monomers;   where the composition has a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of from 5 to 20 centistokes.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , where the reaction mixture further comprises di-t-amyl peroxide. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , where the reaction mixture further comprises a chain-transfer agent selected from a thiol compound and a halide compound. 
     
     
         12 .- 31 . (canceled)