Nanosphere additives and lubricant formulations containing the nanosphere additives

1. A method for reducing a friction coefficient adjacent a lubricated surface, comprising providing an amount of an oil-soluble nanospherical component derived from a photo-crosslinkable poly(2-cinnamoyloxyalkyl acrylate) core and a diblock acrylate copolymer corona in a fully formulated lubricant composition containing a base oil of lubricating viscosity, and applying the lubricant composition containing the nanospherical component to a surface to be lubricated, wherein the nanospherical component has a core diameter ranging from about 10 to about 100 nanometers.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lubricated surface comprises an engine drive train.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lubricated surface comprises an internal surface or component of an internal combustion engine.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lubricated surface comprises an internal surface or component of a compression ignition engine.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of oil-soluble nanospherical component in the fully formulated lubricant composition ranges up to about 5 percent by weight.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of oil-soluble nanospherical component in the fully formulated lubricant composition ranges from about 0.1 to about 5 percent by weight.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of oil-soluble nanospherical component in the fully formulated lubricant composition ranges from about 0.5 to about 2 percent by weight.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanospherical component has a hydrodynamic diameter ranging from about 10 to about 120 nanometers.

9. A method of reducing a friction coefficient of an engine lubricant composition during operation of an engine containing the lubricant composition, comprising contacting the engine parts with a fully formulated lubricant composition comprising a base oil of lubricating viscosity and an amount of an oil-soluble nanospherical component derived from a photo-crosslinkable poly(2-cinnamoyloxyalkyl acrylate) core and a diblock acrylate copolymer corona sufficient to reduce the friction coefficient to below a friction coefficient of a lubricant composition devoid of the oil-soluble nanopherical component, wherein the nanospherical component has a core diameter ranging from about 10 to about 100 nanometers.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the engine comprises a heavy duty diesel engine.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the amount of oil-soluble nanospherical component in the fully formulated lubricant composition ranges up to about 5 percent by weight.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the amount of oil-soluble nanospherical component in the fully formulated lubricant composition ranges from about 0.5 to about 2 percent by weight.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the nanospherical component has a hydrodynamic diameter ranging from about 10 to about 120 nanometers.

14. A method of for reducing wear between moving parts using a lubricating oil, the method comprising using as the lubricating oil for one or more moving parts a lubricant composition containing a base oil, and an oil additive package including a wear reducing agent, wherein the wear reducing agent comprises an oil-soluble nanospherical component derived from a photo-crosslinkable poly(2-cinnamoyloxyalkyl acrylate) core and a diblock acrylate copolymer corona.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the moving parts comprise moving parts of an engine.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the engine is selected from the group consisting of a compression ignition engine and a spark ignition engine.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the engine includes an internal combustion engine having a crankcase and wherein the lubricating oil comprises a crankcase oil present in the crankcase of the engine.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the lubricating oil comprises a drive train lubricant present in a drive train of a vehicle containing the engine.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the wear reducing agent is present in the lubricant composition in an amount ranging up to about 5 percent by weight.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the wear reducing agent is present in the lubricant composition in an amount ranging from about 0.1 to about 5 percent by weight.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the wear reducing agent is present in the lubricant composition in an amount ranging from about 0.5 to about 2 percent by weight.

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the core of the nanospherical component has a diameter ranging from about 10 to about 100 nanometers.

23. The method of claim 15 , wherein the nanospherical component has a hydrodynamic diameter ranging from about 20 to about 120 nanometers.

24. A method for reducing a friction coefficient adjacent a lubricated surface, comprising providing an amount of an oil-soluble nanospherical component derived from a photo-crosslinkable poly(2-cinnamoyloxyalkyl acrylate) core and a diblock acrylate copolymer corona in a fully formulated lubricant composition containing a base oil of lubricating viscosity, and applying the lubricant composition containing the nanospherical component to a surface to be lubricated, wherein the nanospherical component has a core diameter greater than the film thickness of the lubricant composition.

25. A method of reducing a friction coefficient of an engine lubricant composition during operation of an engine containing the lubricant composition, comprising contacting the engine parts with a fully formulated lubricant composition comprising a base oil of lubricating viscosity and an amount of an oil-soluble nanospherical component derived from a photo-crosslinkable poly(2-cinnamoyloxyalkyl acrylate) core and a diblock acrylate copolymer corona sufficient to reduce the friction coefficient to below a friction coefficient of a lubricant composition devoid of the oil-soluble nanospherical component, wherein the nanospherical component has a core diameter greater than the film thickness of the lubricant composition.