Patent GB-674829-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to the lubrication of textile fibres
Inventor: MUNDY CECIL WALTER ANDRE
IPC: D06M13/224
Filed: 1947-04-03
Abstract: In connection with a process for lubricating In connection with a process for lubricating textile fibres (see Group III), reference is made to certain partial esters (containing not more than two free hydroxyl groups in the molecule) of a polyhydric aliphatic alcohol and a monocarboxylic acid or acids.  The alcohol is an aliphatic glycol or a polyhydroxy substituted saturated or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon or an ether type glycol, and the esters contain at least one hydroxyl group of the polyhydric alcohol esterified with a wool grease acid, any other hydroxyl groups which may be otherwise esterified being esterified with an organic acid which is a mono-carboxylic saturated or unsaturated fatty or mono-hydroxy fatty acid or a cyclic petroleum naphthenic acid.  The term "wool grease acid" is defined as meaning any organic acid or mixture of organic acids which occurs combined as an ester or in free form in wool grease, and any acid or acids which can be recovered from wool grease, for example by distillation, with or without steam, or by saponifying with alkalies followed by separation of the soaps thereby formed and the addition of a mineral acid to an aqueous solution of the soap.  The term is not intended to apply to normal straight-chain fatty acids (which may be present in wool grease in proportions up to 10 per cent) or to any fatty acids containing less than ten carbon atoms in the molecule.  The preferred polyhydric alcohols for the formation of the partial esters are ethylene glycol, a polyethylene glycol, glycerol or pentaerythritol.  The acid radical in the partial esters other than that derived from wool grease may be derived from acetic, oleic, lauric, stearic, erucic or ricinoleic acid.  In an example mixed esters are prepared by heating an equi-molecular mixture of wool grease acids and ethylene glycol at 400 DEG  to 600 DEG  F. under reflux (while passing nitrogen or CO2 through the mixture), preferably below atmospheric pressure, for 8 to 12 hours until the acid value of the mixture does not exceed 5, no catalyst being employed.  In another example a glyceryl mixed diester is prepared by partially esterifying glycerine with an equi-molecular mixture of wool grease acids and oleic acid under the conditions of the previous example.  In a third example the diester is prepared in two stages, oleic acid monoglyceride being prepared first by heating together equi-molecular proportions of glycerine and oleic acid until the acid value of the mixture has fallen below 5 and the monoglyceride being then heated with an equi-molecular proportion of wool grease acids until the acid value of the mixture has similarly decreased.  In a fourth example the glycerol mixed diester material is prepared by reacting a mixture of wool grease acids with a triglyceride fatty oil such as arachis oil, coconut oil, palm oil or castor oil and with glycerol in the proportion of 3 mols. of wool grease acids, one mol. of triglyceride fatty oil and two mols. of glycerol, so that the resulting mixture consists substantially of glyceryl diesters in which one hydroxyl group has been esterified with a long-chain fatty acid and one by a wool grease acid.  The reaction conditions are similar to those of the first example. Specifications 329,266, [Class 2 (iii)], 547,667 and 553,562, [Group III], are referred to.ALSO:Textile fibres are lubricated by the application of a non-aqueous lubricating oil which is a mineral hydrocarbon oil (or a mixture of such an oil with one or more saponifiable fatty oils, the mineral oil content being more than 20 per cent of the total) with which has been blended a partial ester (containing not more than two free hydroxyl groups in the molecule) of a polyhydric aliphatic alcohol and a mono-carboxylic acid or acids, the alcohol being an aliphatic glycol or a polyhydroxy substituted, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon or an ether type glycol, said ester containing at least one hydroxyl group of the polyhydric alcohol esterified with a wool grease acid and any other hydroxyl groups which may be otherwise esterified being esterified with an organic acid which is a mono-carboxylic saturated or unsaturated fatty or monohydroxy fatty or a cyclic petroleum naphthenic acid or a mixture of such partial esters, the proportion of the blend of partial ester or esters being not less than five or more than fifty per cent by weight of the composition as a whole. The term "wool grease acid" is defined as meaning any organic acid or mixture of organic acids which occurs combined as an ester or in free form in wool grease and any acid or acids which can be recovered from wool grease, for example by distillation with or without steam or by saponifying with alkalies followed by separation of the soaps thereby formed and the addition of a mineral acid to an aqueous solution of the soap.  The term is not intended to apply to normal straight chain fatty acids (which may be present in wool grease in proportions up to 10 per cent) or to any fatty acids containing less than ten carbon atoms in the molecule.  The preferred polyhydric alcohols for the formation of the partial esters are ethylene glycol, a polyethylene glycol, glycerol or pentaerythritol.  The acid radical in the partial esters other than that derived from wool grease may be derived from acetic, oleic, lauric, stearic, erucic or ricinoleic acid. The maximum proportion of partial esters in the composition is preferably 20 per cent.  For the oiling of wool fibres the mineral oil component of the composition is preferably a technical white oil having a viscosity of 200-400 seconds Redwood at 70 DEG F, but in the case of artificial silk fibres an oil of the same type but having a viscosity of 40-300 seconds Redwood at 70 DEG F is preferred.  An example of an oil according to the invention is a mixture of 90 per cent of mineral oil of the type suitable for the lubrication of wool fibres and 10 per cent of ethylene glycol mono-esters of wool grease acids (see Group IV(b)).  In another example 80-95 per cent of the same type of mineral oil is mixed with 20-5 per cent of glyceryl mixed diester prepared by partially esterifying glycerine with an equimolecular mixture of wool grease acids and oleic acid.  In a third example the diester is prepared in two stages, oleic acid monoglyceride being prepared first and then heated with an equimolecular proportion of wool grease acids.  In a fourth example the 5-20 per cent of a glycerol mixed diester material is prepared by reacting a mixture of wool grease acids with a triglyceride fatty oil such as arachis oil, coconut oil, palm oil or castor oil and with glycerol in the proportion of three mols of wool grease acids, one mol of triglyceride fatty oil and two mols of glycerol.  Examples are also given of the preparation of similar lubricating oil compositions in which the viscosity of the mineral oil falls within the range preferred for the lubrication of artificial silk.  When a fatty oil is used in the preperation of the glyceryl diester component of the compositions, coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, palm kernel oil, arachis oil or castor oil may be selected.  An example is given also of a lubricating composition containing 90 per cent of mineral lubricating oil and 10 per cent of a glycerol partial ester formed by reacting 6 parts by weight of wool grease with one part by weight of glycerol.  The use of cottonseed oil, rape oil, neatsfoot oil, whale oil, cod oil and fish oils in general, in addition to the fatty oils previously mentioned, is referred to.  The compositions may contain a blown vegetable oil or fish oil such as blown rape or blown whale oil. It is stated that if the composition is cloudy or tends to deposit solids on standing or cooling it can be cleared and stabilized by the addition of a small proportion of a soap such as sodium or potassium oleate or a sulphonated fatty alcohol or fatty oil. Specifications 329,266, [Class 91], 547,667 and 553,562, are referred to.