Hyperbranched polyesters and their use as wax inhibitor, as pour point depressant, as lubricant or in lubricating oils

1. A method for the preparation of a hyperbranched polyester mixture comprising the steps of:

(a) reacting a hydroxyl group containing carboxylic acid (B) with at least one carboxylic acid group and at least two hydroxyl groups with a diol (C) having a molecular weight of more than 100 g/mol, in the presence of at least one further reactant, wherein the at least one further reactant is a polyol (A) having at least three hydroxyl groups under a reaction condition allowing ester and ether formation; and

(b) reacting the mixture resulting from step (a) with a hydrophobic carboxylic acid (D) of the formula R h —COOH, wherein R h is a hydrocarbon radical with at least 10 carbon atoms or an activated form thereof so that at least 30% of terminal OH groups are converted into hydrophobically modified OC(O)—R h groups resulting in the hyperbranched polyester mixture.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction condition in step (a) comprises a reaction temperature of more than 80° C.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction condition in step (a) comprises acidic conditions.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction condition in step (a) comprises a reaction temperature of more than 140° C. and is carried out in the presence of an acid.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of carboxylic acid (B) and polyol (A), (B):(A), is from 1000:1 to 10:1.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of carboxylic acid (B) and diol (C), (B):(C), is from 1000:1 to 10:1.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hyperbranched polyester mixture has an acid number of below 100 mg KOH/g.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hyperbranched polyester mixture has an acid number in the range from 50 to 0 mg KOH/g.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hyperbranched polyester mixture comprises a polyester showing a partial structure resulting from ether formation of at least one hydroxyl group of polyol (A) with at least one hydroxyl group of diol (C).

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hyperbranched polyester mixture comprises a polyester showing a partial structure resulting from ester formation of at least one hydroxyl group of polyol (A) with the at least one carboxylic acid group of hydroxyl group containing carboxylic acid (B).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hyperbranched polyester mixture comprises a polyester showing a partial structure resulting from ether formation of at least one hydroxyl group of the hydroxyl group containing carboxylic acid (B) with at least one hydroxyl group of diol (C).

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polyol (A) having at least three hydroxyl groups is a polyol (A) having three hydroxyl groups.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polyol (A) having at least three hydroxyl groups is a polyol (A) is 1,1,1-trimethylolpropane, glycerol or an alkoxylated derivative of 1,1,1-trimethylolpropane or glycerol.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polyol (A) having at least three hydroxyl groups is 1,1,1-trimethylolpropane.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydroxyl group containing carboxylic acid (B) with at least one carboxylic acid group and at least two hydroxyl groups is a hydroxyl group containing carboxylic acid (B) with one carboxylic acid group and two hydroxyl groups.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein diol (C) is a polymeric diol.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein hydrophobic carboxylic acid (D) is represented by the formula Rh-COOH, wherein R h is an aliphatic, linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aromatic or non-aromatic hydrocarbon group having 10 to 32 carbon atoms.

18. A hyperbranched polyester mixture obtainable by a method of claim 1 .

19. A wax inhibitor, a pour point depressant or a lubricant which comprises the hyperbranched polyester mixture of claim 18 .

20. A lubricating oil composition comprising:

(a) at least one base oil component,

(b) hyperbranched polyester mixture obtainable by a method of

(i) reacting a hydroxyl group containing carboxylic acid (B) with at least one carboxylic acid group and at least two hydroxyl groups with a diol (C) having a molecular weight of more than 100 g/mol, in the presence of at least one further reactant, wherein the at least one further reactant is a polyol (A) having at least three hydroxyl groups under a reaction condition allowing ester and ether formation: and

(ii) reacting the mixture resulting from step (a) with a hydrophobic carboxylic acid

(D) or an activated form thereof, wherein at least 30% of terminal OH groups are converted into hydrophobically modified groups resulting in the hyperbranched polyester mixture, and

(c) optionally other additives.