Facile Synthesis of Functionalised Hyperbranched Polymers for Application as Novel, Low Viscosity Lubricant Formulation Components
A novel, previously unreported, method for synthesising hyperbranched (HB) materials is detailed. Their use as additives to produce lubricant formulations that exhibit enhanced levels of wear protection and improved low-temperature oil viscosity and flow is also reported. The lubricant formulations...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/18/3841 |
| _version_ | 1797483304079851520 |
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| author | Sophie R. Goodwin Amy Stimpson Richard Moon Lauren Cowie Najib Aragrag Sorin V. Filip Andrew G. Smith Derek J. Irvine |
| author_facet | Sophie R. Goodwin Amy Stimpson Richard Moon Lauren Cowie Najib Aragrag Sorin V. Filip Andrew G. Smith Derek J. Irvine |
| author_sort | Sophie R. Goodwin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A novel, previously unreported, method for synthesising hyperbranched (HB) materials is detailed. Their use as additives to produce lubricant formulations that exhibit enhanced levels of wear protection and improved low-temperature oil viscosity and flow is also reported. The lubricant formulations containing HB additives were found to exhibit both significantly lower viscosities and improved in-use film-forming properties than the current industry standard formulations. To achieve this, alkyl methacrylate oligomers (predominantly dimers and trimers) were synthesised using catalytic chain transfer polymerisation. These were then used as functional chain transfer agents (CTA) to control the polymerisation of divinyl benzene (DVB) monomers to generate highly soluble, high polydispersity HB polymers. The level of dimer/trimer purification applied was varied to define its influence on both these HB resultant structures and the resultant HB additives’ performance as a lubricant additive. It was shown that, while the DVB acted as the backbone of the HB, the base oil solubility of the additive was imparted by the presence of the alkyl chains included in the structure via the use of the oligomeric CTAs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:46:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fdf148815d1040ee943aec1653d46a3c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:46:02Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-fdf148815d1040ee943aec1653d46a3c2023-11-23T18:30:47ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602022-09-011418384110.3390/polym14183841Facile Synthesis of Functionalised Hyperbranched Polymers for Application as Novel, Low Viscosity Lubricant Formulation ComponentsSophie R. Goodwin0Amy Stimpson1Richard Moon2Lauren Cowie3Najib Aragrag4Sorin V. Filip5Andrew G. Smith6Derek J. Irvine7Centre for Additive Manufacturing, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UKCentre for Additive Manufacturing, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UKCentre for Additive Manufacturing, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UKbp Applied Sciences, Innovation & Engineering, Technology Centre, Pangbourne, London SW1Y 4PD, UKbp Applied Sciences, Innovation & Engineering, Technology Centre, Pangbourne, London SW1Y 4PD, UKbp Applied Sciences, Innovation & Engineering, Technology Centre, Pangbourne, London SW1Y 4PD, UKbp Applied Sciences, Innovation & Engineering, Technology Centre, Pangbourne, London SW1Y 4PD, UKCentre for Additive Manufacturing, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UKA novel, previously unreported, method for synthesising hyperbranched (HB) materials is detailed. Their use as additives to produce lubricant formulations that exhibit enhanced levels of wear protection and improved low-temperature oil viscosity and flow is also reported. The lubricant formulations containing HB additives were found to exhibit both significantly lower viscosities and improved in-use film-forming properties than the current industry standard formulations. To achieve this, alkyl methacrylate oligomers (predominantly dimers and trimers) were synthesised using catalytic chain transfer polymerisation. These were then used as functional chain transfer agents (CTA) to control the polymerisation of divinyl benzene (DVB) monomers to generate highly soluble, high polydispersity HB polymers. The level of dimer/trimer purification applied was varied to define its influence on both these HB resultant structures and the resultant HB additives’ performance as a lubricant additive. It was shown that, while the DVB acted as the backbone of the HB, the base oil solubility of the additive was imparted by the presence of the alkyl chains included in the structure via the use of the oligomeric CTAs.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/18/3841hyperbranched polymerscatalytic chain transferlubricantslow viscosity |
| spellingShingle | Sophie R. Goodwin Amy Stimpson Richard Moon Lauren Cowie Najib Aragrag Sorin V. Filip Andrew G. Smith Derek J. Irvine Facile Synthesis of Functionalised Hyperbranched Polymers for Application as Novel, Low Viscosity Lubricant Formulation Components Polymers hyperbranched polymers catalytic chain transfer lubricants low viscosity |
| title | Facile Synthesis of Functionalised Hyperbranched Polymers for Application as Novel, Low Viscosity Lubricant Formulation Components |
| title_full | Facile Synthesis of Functionalised Hyperbranched Polymers for Application as Novel, Low Viscosity Lubricant Formulation Components |
| title_fullStr | Facile Synthesis of Functionalised Hyperbranched Polymers for Application as Novel, Low Viscosity Lubricant Formulation Components |
| title_full_unstemmed | Facile Synthesis of Functionalised Hyperbranched Polymers for Application as Novel, Low Viscosity Lubricant Formulation Components |
| title_short | Facile Synthesis of Functionalised Hyperbranched Polymers for Application as Novel, Low Viscosity Lubricant Formulation Components |
| title_sort | facile synthesis of functionalised hyperbranched polymers for application as novel low viscosity lubricant formulation components |
| topic | hyperbranched polymers catalytic chain transfer lubricants low viscosity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/18/3841 |
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