Animal and vegetable lubricating oil composition

Abstract: An animal and vegetable lubricating oil composition comprises a triglyceride, wherein the content of isolated trans isomers in the component fatty acids of the triglyceride is 40% by weight to 100 % by weight based on the whole weight of component fatty acids, and wherein the iodine value of the triglyceride is 50 to 90.

Description: The present invention relates to an animal and vegetable lubricating oil composition. More particularly, the present invention relates to an animal and vegetable lubricating oil composition having a suitable melting point for the workability and having a stable lubricating property. Animal and vegetable oils have hitherto been used as lubricating oils as a direct mill rolling oil and the like. However, in most cases, a lubricating oil having a mineral oil as a main component has been used. This is because animal and vegetable oils have the following problems: they have lower oxidation stability in comparison with mineral oils. As animal and vegetable oils deteriorate, a sludge is produced and the viscous animal and vegetable oil adheres to equipment and the like and, because of this, a troublesome cleaning becomes necessary. However, as interest in environmental problems have recently grown world-wide, a lubricating oil having biodegradability is favoured. For example, in the case of lubricants used for ships, the use of a lubricating oil having good biodegradability makes a contribution to the protection of the environment, in view of the possibility of leakage into the sea by some rare accident. In addition, since a lubricating oil, for chain saws and the like, used in forests is liable to be scattered into the soil, a lubricating oil having biodegradability is inevitably preferred. In such a background, as a lubricating oil having biodegradability, a triglyceride oil such as an animal oil and a vegetable oil are suitable. However, since animal oils have unique offensive smells, they have been disliked. On the other hand, it is considered that vegetable lubricating oils which have no such offensive smell will be increasingly widely used in the future. An animal and vegetable oil as a substitute for mineral lubricatingoils requires the following characteristics: a lower melting point, 2) a higher viscosity at working temperatures, 3) oxidation stability. More particularly, 1) requires that the animal and vegetable oil be completely liquid around 25 °C in view of the working environment. Otherwise, melting working of the lubricating oil is needed and workability is lowered. 2) is required because when the viscosity is higher, the lubricating oil is less easily scattered and, therefore, the amount of animal and vegetable oil to be used can be decreased. 3) is required because oxidation stability is involved in the relationship with the duration of the lubricating property and stability during the storage. As regards these requirements, several proposals have been made. However, none of them satisfy the above three requirements. For example, JP-A 4-103694 describes a chain saw lubricating oil wherein a wax and an animal and vegetable hardened oil are added to an unpurified animal and vegetable oil having an iodine value of 80 to 140. In the chain saw lubricating oil, the viscosity in the working region is improved by adding animal and vegetable hardened oil to the liquid oil and, as a result, a good lubricating property is indeed observed However, there still remains the problem that the melting point is raised by adding the wax and the hardened oil and the oxidation stability is not good. A lubricating oil for a food manufacturing machine is directly contacted with the food. Therefore, the use of animal and vegetable oils has been previously proposed. For example, JP-A 5-320678 and JP-A 4-314794 disclose a lubricating oil for a food manufacturing machine utilizing a middle chain length fatty acid glyceride. The lubricating oil has good oxidation stability and the melting point can be lowered, which results in good workability. However, it has the drawback that viscosity is lowered. JP-A-0 4 337 388 discloses a lubricant comprising triglycerides composed of fatty acids containing 0.5-30% of acids having a trans type double bond for metal working to give good fluidity and lubricity. A main object of the invention is to provide an animal and vegetable lubricating oil composition having a lower melting point for good workability as well as higher viscosity and higher oxidation stability. This object as well as other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description. The present inventors studied hard to solve the above problems and, as a result, it was found that a triglyceride having a specified range of iodine value and a specified range of amount of isolated trans acids present in its component fatty acids has a lower melting point, a higher viscosity and a higher stability, which resulted in achievement of the present invention. Specifically, the present invention provides an animal and vegetable lubricating oil composition which comprises a triglyceride, wherein the content of isolated trans isomers in the component fatty acids of the triglyceride is 40% by weight to 100 % by weight based on the whole weight of the component fatty acids, and wherein the iodine value of the triglyceride is 50 to 90. The animal and vegetable oil composition of the present invention can be prepared starting from an animal and vegetable fat or oil. Examples of the vegetable fat or oil are palm oil, palm kernel oil, rape seed oil, soy bean oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, rice bran oil and cotton seed oil. Examples of the animal fat or oil are tallow, lard, milk fat, fish oil and whale oil. As mentioned above, the vegetable oil is preferable because it has no offensive smell. Lubricating oil means a lubricating agent having functions such as to decrease the friction between frictioning surfaces, decrease wear, decrease frictional heat and prevention of baking. Examples thereof are chain saw oil, engine oil, cutting oil, machine oil, hydraulic oil, gear oil, turbine oil, compressor oil, refrigerating oil and rust preventing oil. The isolated trans isomer in the present invention refers to a non-conjugated trans-type unsaturated fatty acid. All double bonds in the unsaturated fatty acid do not necessarily need to be trans and one or more double bonds may be the non-conjugated trans-type. However, according to the findings of the present inventors, the trans-type is better in stability than the cis-type even in the case of an unsaturated fatty acid having many double bonds. Examples of the isolated trans isomer are those where one or more double bonds in the unsaturated fatty acid such as palmitooleic acid, oleic acid, vaccenic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, eleostearic acid, eicosaenoic acid and the like are non-conjugated trans-type. The present animal and vegetable oil composition preferably contains trans-type double bonds of palmitooleic acid, oleic acid, vaccenic acid and linoleic acid. These trans isomers can be determined by the STANDARD FAT OR OIL ANALYSIS METHOD 2. 4. 24. 2-81 and isolated trans isomers in the component fatty acids are calculated in terms of the content of elaidic acid. In the present animal and vegetable lubricating oil composition, the content of isolated trans isomers in the component fatty acids of the triglyceride is 40% by weight to 100% by weight, preferably 50% by weight to 100% by weight based on the whole weight of the component fatty acids. When the content is less than 40% by weight, the oxidation stability and the viscosity are diminished. Even when the component fatty acids are all isolated trans isomers, that is, the content of the isolated trans isomers is 100% by weight, the advantages of the present invention are not adversely influenced. The iodine value of the triglyceride in the present invention is 50 to 90, preferably 60 to 80. When the iodine value is less than 50, good workability is not attained from the viewpoint of melting point. On the other hand, when the iodine value exceeds 80, a problem is produced in oxidation stability. The animal and vegetable lubricating oil composition having the aforementioned components can be prepared according to a conventional method. For example, an animal and vegetable oil is isomerization-hardened using a catalyst poisoned with methionine or sulphur, a nickel catalyst, a copper catalyst and, particularly, a waste catalyst, the resultant hardened animal and vegetable oil is dissolved in an organic solvent such as hexane or acetone, and the low melting point fraction is fractionated (the so-called solvent fractionating method), or the low melting point fraction is fractionated by pressurizing or cooling the isomerization-hardened animal and vegetable oil without using an organic solvent (the so-called dry fractionating method). The fat or oil in the present invention having isolated trans isomers thus obtained is sterically more difficult to be attacked by oxygen, and therefore oxidised, than that having cis isomers. Accordingly, better oxidation stability is attained. Furthermore, the animal and vegetable oil composition having trans isomers has a higher viscosity than that having cis isomers. The present inventors deduce that this is due to the fact that the trans isomers are in a more rigid state than the cis isomers from a viewpoint of molecular structure. Further, the low melting property leads to a problem when the iodine value is low. However, since the present invention has a suitable low melting property, workability is good regardless of the iodine value. The animal and vegetable oil composition of the present invention may be used in admixture with other lubricating oils such as a mineral lubricating oil or a synthetic lubricating oil. Various additives may be incorporated therein. Examples of additives are surfactants such as fatty acids, esters, dimer acids and phosphate extreme pressure additives. The following Examples and Comparative Examples illustrate the present invention in detail but are not to be construed to limit the scope thereof. Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example 1 Palm Superolein (iodine value; 68) was isomerization-hardened using a catalyst poisoned with methionine to obtain hardened Palm Superolein (iodine value; 55). This was dissolved in hexane, the high melting point fraction was removed by fractionation to obtain a vegetable lubricating oil composition (1). Similarly, a soy bean oil (iodine value; 103) was isomerization-hardened using a catalyst poisoned with methionine to obtain a hardened soy bean oil (iodine value; 72), the high melting point fraction was removed using hexane to obtain a vegetable lubricating oil composition (2). Furthermore, a rice bran oil (iodine value; 103) was isomerization-hardened, and acetone-fractionation was carried out according to similar procedures to obtain a vegetable lubricating oil composition (3), As Comparative Example 1, Palm Superolein (iodine value; 68) was normally hardened using a nickel catalyst to obtain a hardened oil having a small amount of the isolated trans isomers, which was acetone-fractionated according in the same manner as that described for the vegetable lubricating oil composition (1) to obtain a vegetable lubricating oil composition (4). The test of physical properties was carried out using these vegetable lubricating oil compositions. (Measurement of friction coefficient) Friction coefficient was measured using the following measuring machine. Friction measuring machine: pin-block friction testing machine Pin material: AISI/SAE 3135 STEEL Block material: VEEBLOCK AISI1137 STEEL (Method for measuring oxidation stability of lubricating oil composition) Measurement was carried out by a method according to the STANDARD FAT OR OIL ANALYSIS 2. 4. 28. 1-81AOM test. (Kinematic viscosity) The kinematic viscosity was measured using a Canon Feske viscometer at 35 °C. 50 °C and 100 °C. The results are shown in Table 1. Example 1 2 3 Comp. Ex. Vegetable lubricating oil composition (1) (2) (3) (4) Iodine value 66.5 83.1 75.6 66.9 Isolated trans isomers content (%) 50.5 85.0 58.2 13.0 Softening point (°C) 17.9 15.8 15.2 16.3 Friction coefficient 0.0496 0.0472 0.0465 0.0482 Kinematic viscosity (CST) 35 °C 115.8 128.0 119.3 102.6 50 °C 45.8 47.8 46.0 35.6 100 °C 17.8 19.0 18.0 10.3 Oxidation stability 350 420 360 120 As seen from the above results, the present lubricating oil composition not only has a melting point of not higher than 20 °C, suitable for good workability but also a higher viscosity and a higher stability. Furthermore, the present lubricating oil composition has a friction coefficient of extremely good value which manifests the lubricating property. Therefore, the present invention can provide a good vegetable lubricating oil composition. (Comparative Examples 2 to 4) A soy bean oil (iodine value; 120) was isomerization-hardened using a catalyst poisoned with methionine to obtain a soy bean oil (iodine value; 72). This was dissolved in hexane to fractionate it, the resulting low melting point fraction was dissolved in acetone to fractionate it again to recover the low melting point fraction, to obtain a vegetable lubricating oil composition (5). A rice bran oil (iodine value; 103) was isomerization-hardened, acetone-fractionation was carried out to recover the low melting point fraction to obtain a vegetable lubricating oil composition (6). Palm Superolein (iodine value; 68) was isomerization-hardened using a catalyst poisoned with methionine to obtain a vegetable lubricating oil composition (7). The test of physical properties was carried out using these lubricating oil compositions as in Examples 1 to 3. The results are shown in Table 2. Comparative Example 2 3 4 Vegetable lubricating oil composition (5) (6) (7) Iodine value 105.6 98.6 45.2 Isolated trans isomers content (%) 62.0 71.0 47.0 Softening point (°C) 3.0 2.3 37.5 Friction coefficient 0.0523 0.0568 0.0423 Kinematic viscosity (CST) 35 °C 117.2 131.2 Unmeasurable (note) 50 °C 47.0 48.5 42.0 100 °C 17.1 19.0 13.6 Oxidation stability 118 125 310 Note: unmeasurable because of too much fat or oil crystals As seen from the above results, the lubricating oil composition having an isolated trans isomers content of not less than 40% shows the viscosity necessary as a lubricating oil. However, when the iodine value exceeds 90 oxidation stability is remarkably diminished. When the iodine value is below 50, the oxidation stability is good but the melting point is significantly higher, showing poor workability. Thus, the lubricating compositions defined by the present invention have good oxidation stability, the viscosity necessary as for lubricating oil and low melting point suitable for good workability.

Claims: An animal or vegetable lubricating oil composition which comprises a triglyceride, wherein the content of isolated trans isomers in the component fatty acids of the triglyceride is 40% by weight to 100 % by weight based on the whole weight of component fatty acids, and wherein the iodine value of the triglyceride is 50 to 90. A composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the content of the isolated trans isomers is 50% by weight to 100% by weight. A composition as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the iodine value of the triglyceride is 60 to 80. A composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the isolated trans isomers are derived from one or more of palmitooleic acid, oleic acid, vaccenic acid and linoleic acid.

Inventors: FURUMOTO EIKO, IBUKI MASAHISA, IMAMURA YOKO, NISHIMOTO TSUGIO, FURUMOTO, EIKO, IBUKI, MASAHISA, IMAMURA, YOKO, NISHIMOTO, TSUGIO
Applicants: FUJI OIL CO LTD, FUJI OIL COMPANY, LIMITED
Application year: 1996
Main classification: C10M101
IPC codes: C10M101, C10M177, C10N30, C10N20