Fluorocarbon, oxygenated and non-oxygenated lubricant, and compatibilizer composition, and method for replacing refrigeration composition in a refrigeration system
AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorBarbara Haviland Minor
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Abstract
The present invention relates to refrigerant compositions comprising a fluorocarbon, an oxygenated lubricant, a non-oxygenated lubricant, and a compatibilizer. The present invention further relates to methods for replacing a chlorofluorocarbon and/or hydrochlorofluorocarbon and a non-oxygenated lubricant composition with a fluorocarbon and an oxygenated lubricant composition in a compression refrigeration system without flushing residual non-oxygenated lubricant from the system.
Claims4
A refrigerant composition comprising:
- (a) at least one fluorocarbon;
- (b) at least one oxygenated lubricant selected from the group consisting of polyol esters, polyalkylene glycols and polyvinyl ethers;
- (c) at least one non-oxygenated lubricant selected from the group consisting of paraffins, napthenes, aromatics and poly-α-olefins;
- and (d) at least one compatibilizer wherein the compatibilizer is at least one amide represented by the formulae R1CONR2R3 and cyclo-[R4CON(R5)-], wherein R1, R2, R3 and R5 are independently selected from aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, and at most one aromatic radical having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms;
- R4 is selected from aliphatic hydrocarbylene radicals having from 3 to 12 carbon atoms;
- and wherein said amides have a molecular weight of from about 120 to about 300 atomic mass units and a carbon to oxygen ratio of from about 7 to about 20.
A method for replacing a first refrigerant composition comprising a chlorofluorocarbon and/or hydrochlorofluorocarbon and at least one non-oxygenated lubricant with a second refrigerant composition comprising at least one fluorocarbon and at least one oxygenated lubricant in a compression refrigeration system without removing residual non-oxygenated lubricant from said system, comprising the steps of:
- (a) removing essentially all of said first composition from the system;
- (b) leaving residual non-oxygenated lubricant in said system following said removing;
- and (c) adding to said system said second composition and at least one compatibilizer, wherein said non-oxygenated lubricant is selected from the group consisting of paraffins, napthenes, aromatics and poly-α-olefins;
- and said oxygenated lubricant is selected from the group consisting of polyol esters, polyalkylene glycols and polyvinyl ethers.
A method, in a compression refrigeration system, for dissolving non-oxygenated lubricant in a refrigerant composition containing at least one fluorocarbon and at least one oxygenated lubricant, said non-oxygenated lubricant remaining in said system following retrofit of said system from a first refrigerant composition comprising a chlorofluorocarbon or hydrochlorofluorocarbon and a non-oxygenated lubricant to a second refrigerant composition comprising at least one fluorocarbon and at least one oxygenated lubricant, comprising the step of:
- adding at least one compatibilizer to the refrigeration system, wherein said non-oxygenated lubricant is selected from the group consisting of paraffins, napthenes, aromatics and poly-α-olefins;
- and said oxygenated lubricant is selected from the group consisting of polyol esters, polyalkylene glycols and polyvinyl ethers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.