Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Deodorants – Deodorizing substance is evaporable sublimable or gas
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-26
2003-06-03
Badio, Barbara P. (Department: 1616)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Deodorants
Deodorizing substance is evaporable sublimable or gas
C424S076100, C044S341000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06572847
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to reducing or eliminating objectionable odors from industrial or transportation fluids by use of a combination of thiazoles and odor masks.
Industrial and transportation fluids include lubricants for automotive crankcase application and driveline applications such as engine oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, and farm tractor fluids, as well as a variety of other fluids including hydraulic fluids, greases, axle lubricants, metal-working fluids. Such lubricants and fluids necessarily serve multiple functions. Among these are lubrication of the parts in which they come in contact, prevention of wear and corrosion, and prevention of the harmful effects of oxidation or contamination from engine combustion products or other sources. Modern fluids of this type can contain a multitude of well-known additives, including, depending on the specific application, materials such as detergents, dispersants, antioxidants, antiwear agents, extreme pressure agents, rust inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors, foam inhibitors, seal swell agents, surface active agents, and friction modifiers.
Industrial and transportation fluids must not only meet the technical requirements of such applications. They must also be compatible with the needs and sensibilities of workers and other personnel who encounter these fluids either in their end-use application or in handling, transportation, or storage activities. Sometimes various of the additive components can generate offensive odors, which can be apparent upon opening a container of the fluid prior to its use, or during use of the fluid, particularly when the use involves operating or handling at elevated temperatures.
One application in which odor generation has been a particular problem is in open crankcase diesel engines for trucks. Such engines are characterized by an open crankcase, that is, one in which the air from within the engine block which has been in contact with the oil is not passed through the exhaust system but ventilated more or less directly into the atmosphere. Typically, a breather tube emerges from the top of the rocker cover or some other elevated point of the engine block. Within the tube there is sometimes a metal mesh to retain oil mist and condensate, but to permit venting of the air to a location relatively near the engine, either under the hood or behind the cab. In some designs the vent is near the passenger cab ventilation air intake, with the result that fumes can enter the passenger compartment.
Moreover, engine oils in general are distinct from other lubricants such as transmission fluids in that they are exposed to exhaust gases and generally more rigorous environments. These factors may exacerbate odor problems.
A variety of chemical sources can be responsible for offensive odors, amine-containing materials and sulfur-containing compounds being principal offenders. Among the specific materials which are believed to contribute to odor formation are sulfurized alkyl-substituted phenates, sulfurized olefins, phosphorus-sulfur agents such as amine salts of trialkyldithiophosphate ester-substituted phosphates, amine-containing dispersants such as succinimide dispersants, amine-containing surface active agents such as fatty imidazolines and alkoxy-lated fatty amines, amine-containing dispersant viscosity modifiers, other phosphorus-containing materials, and alcohols such as C
3
to C
12
alcohols, especially C4 to C
9
alcohols. While such materials may or may not in themselves have objectionable odors, they may also interact with other components of the fluid, particularly at elevated temperatures, in ways which are not particularly well characterized. Thus complicated odors may arise which may not be directly traceable to a particular source. In some cases it is simply difficult or impossible to identify the chemical source of the odor.
It is well known, however, that certain of these materials can generate odors which can be detected at ambient air concentration levels far below those levels which may cause concerns from a health or safety standpoint. Accordingly, there is a need effectively reducing or neutralizing such odors without adversely affecting the functional performance of the fluid which is treated.
It is known that certain odors or fragrances can disguise or mask objectionable odors or even minimize their subjective sensation. A number of products are commercially available for this purpose, which can be used as additives for industrial or transportation fluids. However, in many cases one odor is merely replaced by another, leading to an objectionably strong floral or fruity scent. Complete elimination of the offensive odor remains, in many instances, problematical, especially since odor is a subjective human perception.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,712, Lange et al., Jun. 7, 1994, discloses a composition of a major amount of an oil of lubricating viscosity and a minor amount of a reaction products of at least one dimercaptothiadiazole and at least one alpha,beta unsaturated ester. The invention also includes aqueous compositions. Water-based functional fluids can optionally include other conventional additives such as odor masking agents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, therefore, provides a method for minimizing the perception of odors generated from lubricants such as industrial or transportation fluids, comprising including in said fluid a thiazole compound represented by the structure
R—(S)
n
—TZ—(S)
n
—R
where each R is independent H or a hydrocarbon group, provided that at least one R is a hydrocarbon group; each n is independently 1 or 2, and TZ represents a thiazole nucleus; and an odor mask.
The present invention further provides a lubricant (such as an industrial or transportation fluid) which contains such a thiazole compound and an odor mask, whereby objectionable odors are minimized.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Various preferred features and embodiments will be described below by way of non-limiting illustration.
While not an essential component for the generation or elimination of odors, many industrial or transportation fluids include an oil of lubricating viscosity. Such oils are well known and include natural and synthetic lubricating oils and mixtures thereof.
Natural oils include animal oils, mineral lubricating oils, and solvent or acid treated mineral oils. Synthetic lubricating oils include hydrocarbon oils (polyalpha-olefins), halo-substituted hydrocarbon oils, alkylene oxide polymers, esters of dicarboxylic acids and polyols, esters of phosphorus-containing acids, polymeric tetrahydrofurans and silicon-based oils.
The oil of lubricating viscosity can be selected to provide lubricating compositions with a kinematic viscosity of at least 3.5 or 4.0 cSt at 100° C. In one embodiment, the lubricating compositions have an SAE gear viscosity grade of at least SAE 75W. The lubricating composition may also have a so-called multigrade rating such as SAE 75W-80, 75W-90, 75W-140, 80W-90, 80W-140, 85W-90, or 85W-140. For crankcase lubricants multigrade ratings such as 0W-30, 5W-30, 5W-40, 10W-40, 15W-40 and the like are common. Multigrade lubricants commonly include a viscosity improver which is formulated with the oil of lubricating viscosity to provide the above lubricant grades. Viscosity modifiers are typically polymers and are well known to those skilled in the art of lubricants and need not be described in further detail.
The odor reduction compositions and methods of the present invention are particularly useful in those oils which are designated as API (American Petroleum Institute) Group II, Group III, and Group IV base oils, and mixtures thereof. While not intending to be bound by any theory, it is believed that the higher amount of unsaturated materials (≧10%) present in API Group I base oils may react with odor-causing components and to some extent neutralize the odors, even without the treatment of this invention. The lower amounts of unsaturation (<10%) present in the higher grade base oils, on the other
Abraham William D.
Gober Victor A.
Roski James P.
Rutter Jerry L.
Schwind James J.
Badio Barbara P.
Esposito Michael F.
Shold David M.
The Lubrizol Corporation
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