Additives and lubricant formulations having improved antiwear properties

1. A lubricated surface of an internal combustion engine comprising a lubricant composition containing a base oil of lubricating viscosity, an amount of at least one hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound that is effective to provide from about 1 to about 1500 ppm titanium to the lubricant composition, and an amount of glycerol ester that provides a ratio of glycerol ester to titanium ranging from about 20:1 to about 1:1 in the lubricant composition, wherein the combination of titanium compound and glycerol ester is effective to provide an increase in antiwear properties of the lubricant composition greater than antiwear properties of the lubricant composition devoid of the hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound and glycerol ester, and wherein the titanium compound is derived from a titanium alkoxide and a carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of a non-linear mono-carboxylic acid and a carboxylic acid having more than 22 up to 25 carbon atoms.

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

3. The lubricated surface of claim 1 , wherein the amount of hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound provides an amount of titanium ranging from about 50 ppm to about 1000 ppm in the lubricant composition.

4. The lubricated surface of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound comprises a reaction product of a titanium isopropoxide and neodecanoic acid.

5. The lubricated surface of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound comprises a titanium carboxylate derived from a mono-carboxylic acid containing at least about 6 carbon atoms.

6. A motor vehicle comprising the lubricated surface of claim 1 .

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the amount of hydrocarbon soluble metal compound provides from about 50 parts per million to about 1000 parts per million titanium in the lubricant.

8. A vehicle having an engine and containing a lubricant for lubricating the engine, the lubricant comprising an oil of lubricating viscosity, a glycerol ester friction modifier, optionally an organomolybdenum friction modifier, and an antiwear agent comprising an amount of at least one hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound effective to provide an increase in antiwear properties of the lubricant composition greater than an increase in antiwear properties of the lubricant composition devoid of the hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound and glycerol ester friction modifier, wherein the hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound is derived from a titanium alkoxide and a carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of a non-linear mono-carboxylic acid and a carboxylic acid having more than 22 up to 25 carbon atoms and is essentially devoid of sulfur and phosphorus atoms and the hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound provides from about 1 to about 1500 ppm titanium to the lubricant composition, and wherein a ratio of glycerol ester to titanium in the lubricant ranges from about 20:1 to about 1:1.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , further comprising the oganomolybdenum friction modifier, wherein a ratio of titanium to molybdenum in the lubricant ranges from about 0.5:1 to about 40:1.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound comprises a reaction product of a titanium isopropoxide and neodecanoic.

11. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the engine comprises a heavy duty diesel engine.

12. A fully formulated lubricant composition comprising a base oil component of lubricating viscosity, a glycerol ester friction modifier, optionally, an organomolybdenum friction modifier, and an antiwear agent comprising an amount of hydrocarbon soluble titanium-containing compound effective to provide an increase in antiwear properties of the lubricant composition greater than an increase in antiwear properties of the lubricant composition devoid of the hydrocarbon soluble titanium-containing compound and glycerol ester friction modifier, wherein the titanium-containing compound is derived from a titanium alkoxide and a carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of a non-linear mono-carboxylic acid and a carboxylic acid having more than 22 up to 25 carbon atoms and is essentially devoid of sulfur and phosphorus atoms and provides from about 1 to about 1500 ppm titanium to the lubricant composition, and wherein a ratio of glycerol ester to titanium in the lubricant composition ranges from about 20:1 to about 1:1.

13. The fully formulated lubricant composition of claim 12 , further comprising the organomolybdenum friction modifier, wherein a ratio of glycerol ester to molybdenum in the lubricant composition ranges from about 30:1 to about 75:1.

14. The lubricant composition of claim 12 wherein the lubricant composition comprises a low ash, low sulfur, and low phosphorus lubricant composition suitable for compression ignition engines such that the finished oil contains about 0.7 wt % or less sulfur and about 0.12 wt % or less phosphorus.

15. The lubricant composition of claim 12 , wherein the hydrocarbon soluble titanium-containing compound comprises a reaction product of a titanium isopropoxide and neodecanoic acid.

16. The lubricant composition of claim 12 , wherein the amount of hydrocarbon soluble titanium-containing compound provides from about 50 parts per million to about 1000 parts per million titanium to the lubricant composition.

17. A method of increasing antiwear properties of engine lubricant compositions during operation of an engine containing the lubricant composition, comprising contacting the engine parts with a lubricant composition comprising a base oil of lubricating viscosity, an amount of glycerol ester friction modifier, and an amount of a hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound effective to provide an increase in antiwear properties of the lubricant composition greater than an increase in antiwear properties of the lubricant composition devoid of the hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound and glycerol ester friction modifier, wherein the titanium compound is derived from a titanium alkoxide and a carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of a non-linear mono-carboxylic acid and a carboxylic acid having more than 22 up to 25 carbon atoms and provides from about 1 to about 1500 ppm titanium to the lubricant composition, and wherein a ratio of glycerol ester to titanium in the lubricant composition ranges from about 20:1 to about 1:1.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the engine comprises a heavy duty diesel engine.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound comprises a reaction product of a titanium isopropoxide and neodecanoic acid.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the lubricant composition further comprises an organomolybdenum friction modifier.

21. A method of lubricating moving parts with a lubricating oil, the method comprising using as the lubricating oil for one or more moving parts a lubricant composition containing a base oil, a glycerol ester friction modifier, and an antiwear agent comprising a reaction product of a titanium alkoxide and a carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of a non-linear mono-carboxylic acid and a carboxylic acid having more than 22 up to 25 carbon atoms and, wherein the antiwear agent is effective to provide from above about 5 parts per million to about 1500 parts per million titanium in the lubricating oil and the antiwear agent is substantially devoid of phosphorus, and sulfur atoms, and wherein a ratio of glycerol ester to titanium in the lubricant composition ranges from about 20:1 to about 1:1.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the moving parts comprise moving parts of an engine.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the engine is selected from the group consisting essentially of a compression ignition engine and a spark ignition engine.

24. The method of claim 21 , 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.

25. The method of claim 21 , wherein the lubricating oil comprises a drive train lubricant present in a drive train of a vehicle containing the engine.