Patent Grant
9957458
The invention relates to a water based metal working fluid composition which provides stable micro-emulsion and possess self-emulsifying property with an improved process for the preparation of the said water based metal working fluid composition.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, when F. W. Taylor used water for the first time to cool the machining process and concluded it increased tool life, a large variety of cutting fluids has been used with this and other purposes. However, in the last decade a lot has been done aiming to restrict the use of cutting fluids in the production, due to the costs related to the fluids, ecological issues, and human health and so on. (Helsel et al., 1998)
There are several ways of classifying cutting fluids and there is no standardization to establish one of them within the industries. The most popular classification gathers the products like the following classification—
I. Air
II. Water Based Cutting Fluids:
Metal-cutting fluid, an indispensable additive in metal-cutting process, has functions of lubricating, cooling, cleaning, and anti-rust and etc. It has remarkable effects on increasing the durability of cutter and the efficiency of production, improving the product quality, and prolonging the service life of cutter, in turn prolongs the service life of machine and ensures the stability and reliability of working conditions of machine. Therefore, research on cutting fluid technology, as well as improvement of cutting fluid quality play important roles in the modern mechanical processing industry. However, many commercially available cutting fluids contain organic sulphur, chlorine, nitrite and etc. that are harmful to the human body and environment, which have severely negative effects on their applications (Feng, Jufen et al, 1995, p. 40-43).
Traditionally, cutting fluids have been widely used in machining operations in efforts to increase cooling and lubricity, and as a result enhance tool life, reduce process variability, etc. However, over the last decade, it has become apparent that fluid-related decisions have all too frequently been based upon industrial folklore rather than knowledge-based quantitative evidence. Recently there has been a change in this situation, in part driven by the fact that costs associated with fluid use often constitute between 7% and 17% of total production costs, as compared to 4% for tooling costs (King et al., 2001).
Over the past decade, cutting fluids have been studied extensively to characterise their relative benefits and shortcomings in terms of their use within machining processes. Traditionally, manufacturers have employed cutting fluids to serve the following functions: cooling, lubrication, corrosion inhibition, and chip flushing, and as a result, achieve such benefits as increased tool life, improved workpiece quality, enhanced machine tool life, and effective chip management. (Skerlos et al., 2000; Skerlos et al., 2001)
Soluble oils as the emulsions are popularly known are bi-phase composites of mineral oils added to water in proportion that varies from 1:10 to 1:100. It contains additives (emulsifiers) to allow the mixture of oil particles and water. These additives decrease the surface tension forming a stable monomolecular layer in the oil-water interface. Therefore these additives provide the formation of small particles of oil, which can result in transparent emulsions. (J. Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. vol. 23 no. 2 Rio de Janeiro 2001)
Soluble oils are special types of mineral oils emulsified in water at concentrations between 5 and 20%, with lower concentrations (less than 10%) being most common in general purpose machining. Soluble oil concentrates contains severely refined base oils (30 to 85%), emulsifier and performance additives such as extreme pressure additives, stabilizers, rust inhibitors, defoamers and bactericides. The oil viscosity is typically 100 Saybolt Universal Seconds (SUS) at 100° F. (100/100 oils); higher viscosity oils provide better lubricity but are more difficult to emulsify.
Emulsifiers are added to form stable dispersion of oil in water; emulsifier particles are located around the oil droplets to give them a negative charge that will bound them with the water molecules. The size of the emulsified oil drops is very critical to fluid performance; it is easier for the smaller emulsion sizes to penetrate the interface of the cutting zone. (David A. Stephenson. John S. Agariou. “Metal cutting Theory and Practice, 2nd edition, pg—769)
Reference can be made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,614 wherein a composition for the preparation of a soluble-oil for use in a cutting fluid comprises a mineral oil and, as an emulsifier, an effective amount of a sulphonate of a branched polymer of C3 to C5 olefin. Preferably the polyolefin chain of the sulphonate has an average molecular weight in the range 275 to 560 and the polyolefin is polyisobutene is been disclosed.
Reference can be made to British Patent 2252103 which discloses that such oil-containing fluids may create a mist at the site of the work piece being operated on or when the fluid is sprayed and such mist travels through the air in the vicinity of the machine and the operator thereof.
Reference can be made to U.S. Pat. No. 6,204,225 wherein it is disclosed that the additives in conventional metal working fluids used for metal removal often contain large amounts of sulfur. These can be in the form of sulfurized oils, sulfonates, or sulfates. The presence of significant amounts of sulfur in a metal working fluid provides nutritional sustenance for anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria, resulting in formation of hydrogen sulfide in the operating system. Hydrogen sulfide is extremely corrosive in very small quantities and produces an objectionable odor. Higher concentrations of hydrogen sulfide can also cause health problems.
Reference can be made to EP20080015630 which discloses about the use of an alkoxylated fatty alcohol containing at least water and one oily component, non-miscible with water, and optionally further ingredients common for metal working fluids.
Reference can be made to U.S. Pat. No. 7,968,504 which provides a composition that includes a transesterified fatty acid ester resulting from the reaction of a fatty acid ester, in the presence of an acid, with a hydroxyl-containing compound. The resulting composition is useful as a lubricant, as a heat transfer agent, as a rheological modifier and as a corrosion/moisture inhibitor, among other uses.
Reference can be made to US20120184475 which disclose a water-soluble metalworking oil agent provided by blending the following components A, B, C and D. The water-soluble metalworking oil agent is excellent in friction modification between a tool and a material, so that the water-soluble metalworking oil agent can significantly prolong the lifetime of the tool even when being applied to so-called difficult-to-machine materials such as titanium and a titanium alloy.
In soluble oil emulsions, stability is the most critical property. The emulsifier system must be balanced, based upon its alkalinity, acidity and hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) to ensure a stable emulsion with no cream or oil separation on the surface of the fluid. Traditionally used emulsifiers do not disperse in water, they have very poor stability in water and they form a milky mix which separates with time.
Further, as most of the metal working fluid compositions are synthetic in nature hence lacks the feature of biodegradability, which, in current scenario is need of the hour so that better alternatives are been provided which are environment friendly.
To overcome the above shortcomings it was required to develop a novel composition which provides a stable micro emulsion and possesses self-emulsifying property which can be an alternative to the use of emulsifiers prevailing in the prior-art and also accomplishes the property of biodegradability.
The principal objective of the present invention is to provide water based metal working fluid composition.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a novel composition which possesses self-emulsifying property and is free from an external emulsifier.
Another Objective of the present invention is to provide a novel composition which provides a stable micro emulsion.
Another objective of the present invention is the process for above said water based metal working fluid composition obtained by the reaction of fatty acids with an oligomer of ethylene oxide in presence of a catalyst and a promoter.
Another object of the present invention is the use of water based additives to improve the lubrication properties of liquid or solid lubricating oils, greases, organic polymer or copolymer, organic and inorganic materials.
Yet another object of the present invention is a method for improving the wear life, coefficient of friction and other tribological properties of surfaces lubricated with a liquid or solid lubricant, said method comprising adding to the lubricant sufficient water based metal working fluid composition.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a metal working fluid composition which is readily biodegradable and hence environment friendly.
The present invention relates to a water based metal working fluid composition, which is an ester made by reaction of an oligomer of ethylene oxide having repeating units with fatty acids (Oligomer to acid mole ratio is 1:1-2) in presence of an acidic catalyst in a two stage process. Water formed as a by-product of esterification is simultaneously removed and the ester obtained is bright and clear liquid of formula I.
The novel composition of formula I; is having a total acid number (TAN) in a range of 15-25 mgKOH/g, viscosity in arrange of 35-80 cStat 100° C. and provides a stable micro emulsion when mixed with water, said process comprising steps of:
Charging an oligomer of ethylene oxide into a R.B flask
Charging Fatty acid after the addition of an oligomer of ethylene oxide
Maintaining the temperature at 150-180° C. and stirring for 1-2 hrs
Adding promoter to the reaction mixture and raising the temperature to 200-250° C. and stirring for 4-5 hours.
The present invention provides a novel composition obtained by reacting oligomer of ethylene oxide having repeating units with fatty acids in the presence of acidic catalyst in a two stage process.
Stage I: In a 4 necked round bottom flask equipped with an overhead stirrer, thermometer socket, stopper and distillation condenser was charged with an oligomer of ethylene oxide ranging from 50-60% w/w, fatty acid ranging from 25-30% w/w and 0.12% of 50% of catalyst, temperature was maintained between 150-180° C. and reaction mixture was stirred for 1-2 hrs. The catalyst used in the above reaction is hypophosphorus acid.
Completion of Stage I: It was determined by the acid value, after an hour of the reaction acid value was checked and acid value of less than 25 mg KOH/g determines the completion of the reaction.
Stage II: Promoter ranging from 13.8-15.2% w/w was added to the reaction mixture obtained from stage I and the reaction was continued to about 4-5 hours at a temperature ranging from 200-250° C. until the acid value was in the range of 15-25 mg KOH/g. Typically promoter have 4-10 carbon atom, preferably 4-8 carbon atom and most preferably up to 7 carbon atom, e.g., 4-6; to form an ester corresponding to the formula:
R1 and R2 groups are selected from the group consisting of oxalic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, primelic acid; suberic acid, azelaic acid, sebacic acid, undecanoic acid and dodecanoic acid, 2-hydroxy butanoic acid, 2-hydroxy pentanoic acid, 4-hydroxy hexanoic acid, 12-hydroxy octadecenoic acid, 15-hydroxy hexadecanoic acid, 6-hydroxy decanoic acid, linoleic acid, linolinic acid, 2-Hydroxy octadecenoic acid, 2-Hydroxytetracosanoic acid, 2-hydroxy-15-tetracosenoic acid, they are typically fatty acids having 15-24 carbon atoms, preferably 15-22 carbon atoms and most preferably up to 20 carbon atoms, e.g., 15-18 carbon atoms. The ethylene oxide which reacts with the fatty acid can be polyethylene or polypropylene or polybutylene or polyamides or polyesters or polysulfones or polyacrylates or polymethylacrylates or epoxies or polyacetylene or fluorinated polymers copolymers and mixtures thereof. They are typically oligomers having 4-30 carbon atoms, preferably 10-25 carbon atoms and most preferably up to 22 carbon atoms, e.g., 10-19 carbon atoms.
The weight average molecular weight of the ester obtained from the above process can vary from 650-1200 Da wherein the weight average molecular weight for the fatty acid can vary from 280-650 Da and for the oligomer it can vary from 280-540 Da.
Another embodiment of the present invention is to provide a novel composition possessing self-emulsification property.
Another embodiment of the present invention is to provide a novel composition which provides a stable micro emulsion which imparts lubrication equivalent to that of imparted by a mineral oil.
Another embodiment of the present invention is to provide a novel composition, which is readily biodegradable and selected from group of plants consisting of Jatrophagossypifolia seed oil; Heveabrasiliensis seed oil, Ricimuscommunis seed oil Gossypiunarboreum seed oil, Glycine max seed oil.
Briefly, and in general terms, by way of example and not limitation, one aspect of the present invention resides in a water based metal working fluid compositions providing stable micro-emulsion when mixed with water.
Additionally, by way of example and not limitation, another aspect of the present invention resides using water based metal working fluid compositions for improving the wear life, coefficient of friction and other tribological properties of surfaces lubricated with a liquid or solid lubricant.
The technology of the instant application is further elaborated with the help of following examples. However, the examples should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention.
Procedure:
Three 12.7 mm diameter steel balls are clamped together and covered with the test lubricant, a fourth steel ball of same diameter (referred as top ball) is placed with a force of 392 N in to the cavity formed by the three clamped balls. The temperature of the test lubricant is maintained at 75° C. and the top ball is rotated at 1200 rpm for 60 minutes.
Results:
Wear scar formed on the three clamped steel balls is measured using microscope and the average of three values are reported (ASTM4172).
Lubricants are compared by using the average size of scar diameter
Procedure:
Test sample is loaded in the test reservoir, to the test sample a test disk is completely submerged by a vibrating arm holding a steel ball and which is loaded with 1 kg of mass. The ball is caused to rub against the disk with a 1 mm stroke length at a frequency of 50 Hz for 60 minutes at a temperature of 100° C.
Results:
Destabilization of the emulsion causes oil separation and loss of fluid concentration hence a test for checking the stability was conducted by dissolving 5 gm sample (instant invention) in 95 ml water. The resulting emulsion was kept for 21 days at room temperature and the stability/separation of the same was checked every day.
Results:
To determine the acid or base number, the sample is dissolved in a mixture of toluene and isopropyl alcohol
Containing a small amount of water, and the resulting single phase solution is titrated at room temperature with standard alcoholic base or alcoholic acid solution respectively, to the end point indicated by the colour change of the added p-naphtholbenzein solution (Orange in acid and green-brown in base). To determine the strong acid number, a separate portion of the sample is extracted with hot water and the aqueous extract is titrated with potassium hydroxide solution, using methyl orange as an indicator.
Result:
Using a standard light source, a liquid sample is placed in the test container and compared with coloured glass disks ranging in value from 0.5 to 8.0. When an exact match is not found and the sample colour falls between two standard colours, the higher of the two colours is reported.
Result:
A tapping torque machine Megatap-II was used for tapping torque measurements. The instantaneous tapping torque was measured throughout the depth of the cut. The machine was interfaced with a personal computer to facilitate data analysis, M-4×1.25 mm spiral pointed taps were used. The aluminium substrate TTT system 3.2583 M4 F/3.7 having dimension of 125×47×18 mm/30 mm, 140 drilled array at 6 mm was used for the experiment. All test material were cleaned, tapping occurred at a rotational speed of 1200 r/min. Holes to be tapped were chosen at random to minimize systematic spatial bias.
Result:
Aluminium Medium:
Steel Medium:
The principle of the widely used CO2 evolution test (OECD 301 B), also known as the Sturm test, was the determination of the ultimate biodegradability of organic compounds by aerobic microorganisms, using a static aqueous test system and the evolution of CO2 as the analytical parameter. The biogenous CO2 formed during the microbial degradation was trapped in two external adjacent vessels. Samples were taken at regular intervals to determine and to calculate the amount of CO2 produced. This evolved CO2 was compared with the calculated theoretical amount (ThCO2); and the degree of biodegradation was expressed as a percentage.
Result:
For sample [Theoretical or ThCO2=23.79 mg and Total Organic Carbon or TOC content=63%]
For reference [Theoretical or ThCO2=10.45 and Total Organic Carbon or TOC content=27.66%]
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3281/CHE/2014 | Jul 2014 | IN | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4543413 | Munro | Sep 1985 | A |
| 4956110 | Lenack | Sep 1990 | A |
| 6204227 | Rao | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6531113 | Mougin | Mar 2003 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160053193 A1 | Feb 2016 | US |
