IP Library Granted Patent US 12662646
Granted Patent B2
US 12662646 · App. 18/931,962 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Lubricating fluid for internal combustion engines fueled with alternative combustion fuels having high auto-ignition temperatures

Inventors: Nathaniel Cain (Richmond, VA); Tara Loosmore (Richmond, VA); Alisdair Brown (Wantage, GB); Dominic Myers (Reading, GB); Ashutosh Gupta (Henrico, VA)
C10M135/10C10M169/04F02B9/02F02B43/10C10M2203/003C10M2219/044C10M2219/046C10N2030/04C10N2030/52C10N2040/25
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12662646
App. No.
18/931,962
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A lubricating oil composition configured for lubricating an internal combustion engine fueled with an alternative fuel having an auto-ignition temperature greater than about 700K. The lubricating oil composition includes at least a detergent system including at least one overbased metal-containing sulfonate detergent, at least one neutral to low-based metal containing sulfonate detergent, and at least one overbased metal-containing phenate detergent where the metal provided from the overbased sulfonate detergent is correctly balanced relative to the total detergent metal and/or the composition total base number.

Claims (48)

1 . A lubricating oil composition configured for lubricating an internal combustion engine fueled with a hydrogen fuel having an auto-ignition temperature greater than about 700K, the lubricating oil composition comprising:

one or more base oils of lubricating viscosity;

a detergent system including

(i) at least one overbased metal-containing sulfonate detergent providing about 2 to about 8 mmol of metal to the composition;

(ii) at least one neutral to low-based metal containing sulfonate detergent providing about 0.02 mmol to about 0.2 mmol of metal to the composition;

(iii) at least one overbased metal-containing phenate detergent providing about 2 to about 4 mmol of metal to the composition;

wherein mmol of metal is relative to a 100 gram sample; and

wherein the lubricating oil composition has a total base number (TBN), measured pursuant to ASTM D2896, of at least about 9.5.

2 . The lubricating oil composition of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the proportion of moles of metal provided from the overbased metal-containing sulfonate detergent relative to the TBN of the lubricating oil composition (ASTM D2896) is about 0.07 or less.

3 . The lubricating oil composition of claim 1 , wherein the TBN of the lubricating oil composition is about 10 to about 15 as measured pursuant to ASTM D2896.

4 . The lubricating oil composition of claim 1 , wherein the lubricating oil composition has greater than 0.9 weight percent of sulfated ash (SASH) content as measured pursuant to ASTM D874.

5 . The lubricating oil composition of claim 1 , wherein the lubricating oil composition has greater than 1.2 weight percent of sulfated ash (SASH) content as measured pursuant to ASTM D874.

6 . The lubricating oil composition of claim 1 , wherein the detergent system provides about 1000 to about 5000 ppm of calcium.

7 . The lubricating oil composition of claim 6 , wherein the detergent system provides about 10 to about 800 ppm of magnesium.

8 . The lubricating oil composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further includes one or more oil-soluble molybdenum compounds providing about 200 ppm or less of molybdenum.

9 . The lubricating oil composition of claim 1 , wherein the detergent system includes at least an overbased metal-containing sulfonate detergent and at least an overbased metal-containing phenate detergent, and wherein each overbased detergent has a TBN of at least about 200 (ASTM D2896).

10 . The lubricating oil composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more base oils of lubricating viscosity include API Group I base oils, API Group II base oils, or combinations thereof.

11 . The lubricating oil composition of claim 1 , wherein the lubricating oil composition has an average measured stochastic pre-ignition (SPI) of about 6 SPI counts or less at 1000 rpm and 12 bar brake mean effective pressure (BMEP).

12 . A method of lubricating an internal combustion engine when fueled with a hydrogen fuel having an auto-ignition temperature greater than about 700K to mitigate abnormal combustion events, the method comprising:

lubricating a crankcase of an internal combustion engine with a lubricating oil composition and combusting a hydrogen fuel having an auto-ignition temperature greater than about 700K in the internal combustion engine; and

wherein the lubricating oil composition includes (i) one or more base oils of lubricating viscosity and (ii) a detergent system including (iia) at least one overbased metal-containing sulfonate detergent providing about 2 to about 8 mmol of metal to the composition; (iib) at least one neutral to low-based metal containing sulfonate detergent providing about 0.02 to about 0.2 mmol of metal to the composition; (iic) at least one overbased metal-containing phenate detergent providing about 2 to about 4 mmol of metal to the composition and wherein the mmol of metal is relative to a 100 gram sample; and wherein the lubricating oil composition has a total base number (TBN), measured pursuant to ASTM D2896, of at least about 9.5.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein a ratio of the percent proportion of moles of metal provided from the overbased metal-containing sulfonate detergent relative to the TBN of the lubricating oil composition (ASTM D2896) is about 0.07 or less.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the TBN of the lubricating oil composition is about 10 to about 15 as measured pursuant to ASTM D2896.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the lubricating oil composition provides has greater than 0.9 weight percent of sulfated ash (SASH) content as measured pursuant to ASTM D874.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the lubricating oil composition provides has greater than 1.2 weight percent of sulfated ash (SASH) content as measured pursuant to ASTM D874.

17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the detergent system provides about 1000 to about 5000 ppm of calcium.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the detergent system provides about 10 to about 800 ppm of magnesium.

19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the composition further includes one or more oil-soluble molybdenum compounds providing about 200 ppm or less of molybdenum.

20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the detergent system includes at least an overbased metal-containing sulfonate detergent and at least an overbased metal-containing phenate detergent and wherein each overbased detergent has a TBN of at least about 200 (ASTM D2896).

21 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more base oils of lubricating viscosity include API Group I base oils, API Group II base oils, or combinations thereof.

22 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the lubricating oil composition has an average measured stochastic pre-ignition (SPI) of about 6 SPI counts or less at 1000 rpm and 12 bar brake mean effective pressure (BMEP).

23 . An internal combustion engine configured for combustion of hydrogen fuel, the internal combustion engine comprising:

an engine crankcase lubricated with a lubricating oil composition;

the lubricating oil composition includes (i) one or more base oils of lubricating viscosity and (ii) a detergent system including (iia) at least one overbased metal-containing sulfonate detergent providing about 2 to about 8 mmol of metal to the composition; (iib) at least one neutral to low-based metal containing sulfonate detergent providing about 0.02 to about 0.2 mmol of metal to the composition; (iic) at least one overbased metal-containing phenate detergent providing about 2 to about 4 mmol of metal to the composition and wherein mmol of metal is relative to a 100 gram sample; and wherein the lubricating oil composition has a total base number (TBN), measured pursuant to ASTM D2896, of at least about 9.5; and

hydrogen fuel.

24 . The internal combustion engine of claim 23 , wherein a ratio of the proportion of moles of metal provided from the overbased metal-containing sulfonate detergent relative to the TBN of the lubricating oil composition (ASTM D2896) is about 0.07 or less.

25 . The internal combustion engine of claim 23 , wherein the TBN of the lubricating oil composition is about 10 to about 15 as measured pursuant to ASTM D2896.

26 . The internal combustion engine of claim 23 , wherein the lubricating oil composition has greater than 0.9 weight percent of sulfated ash (SASH) content as measured pursuant to ASTM D874.

27 . The internal combustion engine of claim 26 , wherein the lubricating oil composition has greater than 1.2 weight percent of sulfated ash (SASH) content as measured pursuant to ASTM D874.

28 . The internal combustion engine of claim 23 , wherein the detergent system provides about 1000 to about 5000 ppm of calcium.

29 . The internal combustion engine of claim 28 , wherein the detergent system provides about 10 to about 800 ppm of magnesium.

30 . The internal combustion engine of claim 23 , wherein the composition further includes one or more oil-soluble molybdenum compounds providing about 200 ppm or less of molybdenum.

31 . The internal combustion engine of claim 23 , wherein the detergent system includes at least an overbased metal-containing sulfonate detergent and at least an overbased metal-containing phenate detergent and wherein each overbased detergent has a TBN of at least about 200 (ASTM D2896).

32 . The internal combustion engine of claim 23 , wherein the one or more base oils of lubricating viscosity include API Group I base oils, API Group II base oils, or combinations thereof.

33 . The internal combustion engine of claim 23 , wherein the lubricating oil composition has an average measured stochastic pre-ignition (SPI) of about 6 SPI counts or less at 1000 rpm and 12 bar brake mean effective pressure (BMEP).

34 . The lubricating oil composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition includes only sulfonate and phenate detergents.

35 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the composition includes only sulfonate and phenate detergents.

36 . The internal combustion engine of claim 23 , wherein the composition includes only sulfonate and phenate detergents.