Keywords

Ionic Liquid Additives, Engine Oils, Oil Additives

A Prototype Low-Viscosity Engine Oil Using an Ionic Liquid as Anti-Wear Additive 

ORNL-GM-Lubrizol has successfully developed a prototype formulated engine oil using an oil-soluble, phosphonium-phosphate ionic liquid (IL) at 1 wt.% treat rate as the anti-wear additive. The prototype oil has low kinematic viscosities, 25.5 and 5.4 cSt at 40 and 100C, respectively, and a low HTHS (high-temperature, high-shear) viscosity of 1.9 cP at 150C. Tribological bench tests of the IL-additized oil showed 20-33% lower friction in mixed and EHD lubrication and 40-90% lower wear in boundary lubrication compared with commercial Mobil 1 and Mobil Clean 5W-30 engine oils. High-temperature, high load (HTHL) full-size engine tests have confirmed the excellent anti-wear performance for the IL-additized engine oil benchmarked against the Mobil 1 5W-30 oil. Sequence VID engine dynamometer tests are being conducted to determine the improved fuel economy for this IL-additized, low-viscosity engine oil. The effects of the IL additive on three-way catalysts are under investigation as well. 

Authors and Company/Institution

J. Qu, H. Luo, S. Dai. P.J. Blau, T.J. Toops, J.M. Storey and B.H. West, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN
M. Viola, T. Ahmed, D. Smolenski and G. Mordukhovich, General Motors Corporation, Warren, MI
E. Bardasz, S. Halfhill and J. Tomaro, The Lubrizol Corporation, Wickliffe, OH