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
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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
Claims3
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 selected from the group consisting of polyoxyalkylene glycol ethers represented by the formula R1 [(OR2)xOR3]y,
- wherein:
- x is selected from integers from 1 to 3;
- y is selected from integers from 1 to 4;
- R1 is selected from hydrogen and aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and y bonding sites;
- R2 is selected from aliphatic hydrocarbylene radicals having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms;
- R3 is selected from hydrogen, and aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms;
- and wherein at least one of R1 and R3 is selected from said hydrocarbon radicals;
- and wherein said polyoxyalkylene glycol ethers have a molecular weight of from about 100 to about 300 atomic mass units and a carbon to oxygen ratio of from about 2.3 to about 5.0.
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
- wherein said oxygenated lubricant is selected from the group consisting of polyol esters, polyalkylene glycols and polyvinyl ethers, and
- wherein said compatibilizer is selected from the group consisting of polyoxyalkylene glycol ethers represented by the formula R1 [(OR2)xOR3]y, wherein:
- x is selected from integers from 1 to 3;
- y is selected from integers from 1 to 4;
- R1 is selected from hydrogen and aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and y bonding sites;
- R2 is selected from aliphatic hydrocarbylene radicals having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms;
- R3 is selected from hydrogen, and aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms;
- at least one of R1 and R3 is selected from said hydrocarbon radicals;
- and wherein said polyoxyalkylene glycol ethers have a molecular weight of from about 100 to about 300 atomic mass units and a carbon to oxygen ratio of from about 2.3 to about 5.0.
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, and
- wherein said compatibilizer is selected from the group consisting of polyoxyalkylene glycol ethers represented by the formula R1[(OR2)xOR3]y, wherein:
- x is selected from integers from 1 to 3;
- y is selected from integers from 1 to 4;
- R1 is selected from hydrogen and aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and y bonding sites;
- R2 is selected from aliphatic hydrocarbylene radicals having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms;
- R3 is selected from hydrogen, and aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms;
- at least one of R1 and R3 is selected from said hydrocarbon radicals;
- and wherein said polyoxyalkylene glycol ethers have a molecular weight of from about 100 to about 300 atomic mass units and a carbon to oxygen ratio of from about 2.3 to about 5.0.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.