Organic phosphates and their use as wear inhibitors

Abstract

Compositions comprising a hydrocarbonaceous middle distillate fuel and a minor wear-inhibiting amount of a combination of (i) at least one fuel-soluble aryl phosphate of the formula (RO).sub.3 PO wherein each R is, independently, phenyl or an alkyl-substituted phenyl group; and (ii) at least one fuel-soluble aryl polyphosphate of the formula ##STR1## wherein each R is, independently, phenyl or an alkyl-substituted phenyl group, Ar is m-phenylene or an alkyl-substituted m-phenylene group, and n is from 1 to 4. The combination contains from 2 to 30% by weight of component (i). These compositions are made by (a) reacting about 1.9 to about 2.1 equivalents of phenol or alkyl-substituted phenol with one equivalent of phosphoryl trihalide, and (b) reacting the intermediate product formed in (a) with from about 0.9 to about 1.1 equivalents of resorcinol or alkyl-substituted resorcinol per equivalent of phosphoryl trihalide employed in (a). Alternatively, the compositions are made by (a) reacting about 0.9 to about 1.1 equivalents of resorcinol or alkyl-substituted resorcinol with one equivalent of phosphoryl trihalide, and (b) reacting the intermediate product formed in (a) with from about 1.9 to about 2.1 equivalents of phenol or alkyl-substituted phenol per equivalent of phosphoryl trihalide employed in (a).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.