Sulfur containing molybdenum dihydrocarbyldithiocarbamate compound

A composition having the formula ##STR7## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, which are the same or different, are selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 2 to 18 carbon atoms, cyclohexyl, 2-methylcyclohexyl, benzyl, 4-methylbenzyl, 3-methoxybenzyl, 3,4-dimethoxybenzyl, 4-ethoxyphenyl and hydroxyethyl, and x is a number of from 0.75 to 2.1.

A method for preparing a composition having the formula ##STR8## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, which are the same or different, are selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyl having from one to 24 carbon atoms and hydroxy-substituted hydrocarbyl having from one to 24 carbon atoms, and x is a number of from 0.75 to 2.1, which comprises adding (a) carbon disulfide and (b) a secondary amine having the formula .sub.R.sbsb.2.sup.R.spsb.1 >NH, wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 have the same meaning as set forth above, to (c) a reaction mixture consisting essentially of water, a molybdenum compound selected from the group consisting of molybdenum trioxide, alkaline metal molybdates, ammonium molybdate and mixtures thereof, and a sulfide compound selected from the group consisting of alkaline metal hydrogensulfides, ammonium hydrogensulfide, alkaline metal sulfides, ammonium sulfide and mixtures thereof, wherein the molar ratio of said molybdenum compound/sulfide compound is from 1/0.05 to 1/4, said reaction mixture having a pH of 0.5 to 10,

• reacting the mixture of (a), (b) and (c) at a temperature of higher than 80.degree. C. to form a composition of the first mentioned formula and recovering said composition from the reaction mixture.