Facile Synthesis of Functionalised Hyperbranched Polymers for Application as Novel, Low Viscosity Lubricant Formulation Components

Goodwin, Sophie R.; Stimpson, Amy; Moon, Richard; Cowie, Lauren; Aragrag, Najib; Filip, Sorin V.; Smith, Andrew G.; Irvine, Derek J.

Abstract

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.

Citation

Goodwin, S. R., Stimpson, A., Moon, R., Cowie, L., Aragrag, N., Filip, S. V., …Irvine, D. J. (2022). Facile Synthesis of Functionalised Hyperbranched Polymers for Application as Novel, Low Viscosity Lubricant Formulation Components. Polymers, 14(18), Article 3841. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14183841

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 6, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Sep 14, 2022
• Publication Date: Sep 14, 2022
• Deposit Date: Feb 18, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 21, 2023
• Journal: Polymers
• Electronic ISSN: 2073-4360
• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 18
• Article Number: 3841
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14183841
• Keywords: Article, hyperbranched polymers, catalytic chain transfer, lubricants, low viscosity
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/12318012
• Publisher URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/18/3841