Patent GB-729376-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the preparation of basic metallic compounds of phenols
IPC: C07C65/05
Filed: 1953-04-27
Abstract: A mixture of metal alkyl phenolates and metal alkyl salicylates, containing a polyvalent metal, suitable for use as a lubricating oil additive and having a basicity (defined as being the excess of polyvalent metal content over that theoretically required to convert the alkali metal salicylates used as a starting material to the corresponding neutral salt, expressed as a percentage), of more than 50 per cent, is made by reacting a mixture of alkali metal salts of alkyl salicylic acids and alkali metal compounds of alkyl phenols with an inorganic polyvalent metal salt in an amount which is at least equivalent to the alkali metal content of the original mixture and an oxide or hydroxide of the polyvalent metal in an amount which is greater than the theoretical quantity required for the formation of a product having a basicity of 50 per cent.  The polyvalent metal is preferably an alkaline earth metal or magnesium and the polyvalent metal salt is preferably a halide or nitrate, e.g. calcium chloride. Suitably the mixture of alkali metal alkyl phenolates and alkyl salicylates is treated with calcium chloride in solution in an alcohol of 1-3 carbon atoms, e.g. ethyl or methyl alcohol which may contain up to 10 per cent of water and with a suspension of calcium oxide or hydroxide in alcohol which may conveniently be obtained by adding an alcoholic solution of sodium or potassium hydroxide to an excess of the alcoholic solution of calcium chloride.  The reaction may be carried out for 1-4 hours at a temperature of 70-110 DEG  C. and the alcohol may be allowed to distil off during the reaction. The reaction product is separated from inorganic compounds by filtering and washing with water or aqueous alcohol.  Preferred products are obtained by using alkali metal, alkyl phenolates and salicylates in which the alkyl groups have from 8-20 carbon atoms. In examples a mixture of 75 mol. per cent of sodium mono- and di-alkyl salicylates and 25 mol. per cent of sodium mono- and di-alkyl phenolates in which the alkyl groups contain 14-18 carbon atoms is diluted with xylene, a solution of calcium chloride in 96 per cent ethyl alcohol is added followed by calcium oxide, and the reaction mixture is heated while allowing the alcohol to distil off, the product is diluted with petroleum filtered, and the diluent is distilled off to give the desired product.  A mixture of alkyl salicylates and alkyl phenolates suitable for use as a starting material is obtained by treating alkali metal alkyl phenolates with sufficient carbon dioxide to partially convert the phenolate to a salicylate.ALSO:Lubricating oil compositions comprise a major proportion of a lubricating oil and a minor proportion, e.g. 0.1 per cent. to 15 per cent. by weight, of a mixture of metal alkyl phenolates and metal alkyl salicylates, made by reacting alkali metal salts of alkyl phenols and alkyl salicylates with an inorganic polyvalent metal salt and an inorganic metal oxide or hydroxide (see Group IV (b)) characterized in that the basicity of the mixture of phenolates and salicylates (defined as being the excess of polyvalent metal content over that theoretically required to give the neutral salt of the alkyl salicylic acid, expressed as a percentage) is more than 50 per cent.  In examples lubricating oil compositions are described comprising lubricating oils admixed with a mixture of metal alkyl salicylates and phenolates obtained by reacting mixed sodium alkyl salicylates and alkyl phenolates wherein the alkyl groups contain 14-18 carbon atoms with calcium chloride and calcium hydroxide.