An Improvement in the Manufacture of Lubricating Oils and Greases.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1887
Specification Accepted, 6th Dec., 1887
An Improvement in the Manufacture of Lubricating Oils and
Greases.
We, MAXMILLIAN JOSEPH HARTUNG, of Botany, near Sydney, in the Colony of New
South Wales, Chemist, and, WILLIAM GALLAGHER, of Sydney, aforesaid, Contractor,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to bé
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to the manufacture of lubricating oils and greases from oleic
palmitic and stearic acid and from animal, vegetable, and mineral oils, greases, and
resins in general, but it has reference more particularly to the utilization of the oleic
acid commonly called "red oil" or olein a refuse product of candle factories, and
to the conversion of mineral oils into suitable lubricants.
This improvement in the manufacture of lubricating oils and greases consists
essentially in the treatment of fat oils, esters, and oleate of amyl with an aluminous
soap or soaps.
But in order that this invention may be clearly understood we will now particularly
describe the operation of producing a clear liquid lubricating oil from "red oil" or
"olein" according to our invention. We first saponify the red oil or fats or resins by
means of the requisite amount of alkali so as to form an acid neutral or basic
alkaline soap but as we prefer a neutral soap we treat the fatty matters with the proper
amount of alkali either caustic or carbonated required for such purpose in a digester
under a pressure of from 45 to 60 lbs. per square inch for about four hours this being
the time and pressure we have found necessary in order to obtain a neutral soap.
An alternative way of producing this neutral soap is by boiling the fat or resin or
fatty acid with an excess of alkali in open vats or pans for about twenty hours and
then separating ("salting out") with carbonates, hydrates, chlorides, sulphates or
nitrates of the alkalies. This soap produced by either process must contain one
molecule of alkali and one molecule of fatty acid combined to a neutral salt.
This neutral soap as a curd or in solution is heated with a varying quantity of alumina
held in solution in a suitable acid or alkali the quantities being regulated in stochiometric

page_text: proportion and then forms acid neutral or basic oleates, palmitates, stearates, or
resinates of alumina.
The quantities we propose to use to produce a neutral soap of alumina are
53-6 parts of ammoniaalum Al, (SO), (NH₁), SO +24 H, O to every 100 parts of
oleic acid (CH34 O₂) and to produce an acid salt of alumina from 45 to 53 parts of
ammoniaalum Al, (SO), (NH), SO. + 24 H, O to every 100 parts of oleic acid
(CHO). Any of the alkalies, alkaline earths or metals such as barium magnesium
or lead might be substituted for the alumina to produce the salts. An alternative
method of producing these salts is to add a solution of alumina in caustic potass or
soda (Na, Al, O) to the fats, resins, or fatty acids in such proportions as will form
acid neutral or basic salts of alumina.
The alkaline lye produced by this process we use to dissolve fresh quantities of
alumina.
Thirdly, we may dissolve the oxides or carbonates of the alkaline earths and metals
and alumina in the fatty acids by the aid of heat. The product-these fatty or resinous
salts of alumina-is the medium we use to treat the fats, resins, fatty acids, oleate of
amyl &c. which treatment takes place in suitable vessels preferably heated by steam.
The fats or oils or esters preferably mineral oil or oleate of amyl or both so heated
with the said salts give a product which is the lubricating oil required.
We produce different qualities of lubricating oils from mineral oils (or other oils)
by adding to them-First, Acid oleate of alumina in the proportions varying from one
part to one part, to one part to five parts. Secondly, Neutral oleate of alumina in
the proportions varying from one part to three parts, to one part to six parts. Thirdly.
Basic oleate of alumina in the proportions of from one half per centum to ten per
centum. And fourthly. Acid neutral or basic palmitates or stearates of alumina in
the proportions of from one half per centum to ten per centum.
We would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise process
or combinations herein before set forth but-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
The improvement in the manufacture of lubricating oils and greases consisting in
adding to mineral or other oils an acid or neutral aluminous soap preferably in the
proportions set forth.
D
1
1
L
1007