IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,552,889
Granted Patent B2
US 12,552,889 · App. 18/571,504 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Viscosity index improver, refrigerator oil, and working fluid composition for refrigerators

Inventors: Kazuki Ogata (Kyoto, JP); Yoshimitsu Sugiyama (Kyoto, JP); Naohiro Torii (Kyoto, JP); Satoshi Goto (Tokyo, JP); Yuya Mizutani (Tokyo, JP); Hidetoshi Ogata (Tokyo, JP); Yuma Seki (Tokyo, JP); Tatsuki Nakajima (Tokyo, JP)
Assignees: SANYO CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.; ENEOS CORPORATION
C08F220/24C10M147/04C10M171/008C10M2213/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,552,889
App. No.
18/571,504
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to a viscosity index improver containing a copolymer (A) that contains, as essential constituent monomers, a fluorine atom-containing monomer (a) represented by the following formula (1) and a monomer (b) represented by the following formula (2), wherein the copolymer (A) has a solubility parameter of 8.1 to 10.0 (cal/cm 3 ) 1/2 , and a mass ratio (b/a) of the monomer (b) to the monomer (a) in the monomers constituting the copolymer (A) is 0.01 to 42: wherein R 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R 2 is a C2-C4 alkylene group; p is an integer of 0 or 1; q is an integer from 0 to 20, each R 2 may be the same as or different from each other when q is 2 or greater; and Y is a monovalent group in which one or more or all of hydrogen atoms in a C1-C40 hydrocarbon group are replaced by fluorine atoms, and wherein R 3 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; —X 1 — is a group represented by —O— or —NH—; R 4 is a C2-C4 alkylene group; r is an integer of 0 or 1; s is an integer from 0 to 20, and each R 4 may be the same as or different from each other when s is 2 or greater; and R 5 is a C1-C40 hydrocarbon group.

Claims (42)

1 . A viscosity index improver working fluid composition for refrigerating machines, comprising a viscosity index improver and a refrigerant, wherein the viscosity index improver comprises:

a copolymer (A) that contains, as essential constituent monomers, a fluorine atom-containing monomer (a) represented by the following formula (1) and a monomer (b) represented by the following formula (2), and

an oxygen atom-containing base oil (B),

wherein the copolymer (A) has a solubility parameter of 8.1 to 10.0 (cal/cm 3 )/2, and

a mass ratio (b/a) of the monomer (b) to the monomer (a) in the monomers constituting the copolymer (A) is 0.01 to 42, and

a mass ratio (A/B) of the copolymer (A) and the oxygen atom-containing base oil (B) is 99/1 to 1/99:

wherein R 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R 2 is a C2-C4 alkylene group; p is an integer of 0 or 1; q is an integer from 0 to 20, each R 2 may be the same as or different from each other when q is 2 or greater; and Y is a monovalent group in which one or more or all of hydrogen atoms in a C1-C40 hydrocarbon group are replaced by fluorine atoms, and

wherein R 3 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; —X 1 — is a group represented by —O— or —NH—; R 4 is a C2-C4 alkylene group; r is an integer of 0 or 1; s is an integer from 0 to 20, and each R 4 may be the same as or different from each other when s is 2 or greater; and R 5 is a C1-C40 hydrocarbon group.

2 . The working fluid composition according to claim 1 ,

wherein a constituent unit derived from the monomer (a) has a solubility parameter of 6.5 to 9.0 (cal/cm 3 ) 1/2 .

3 . The working fluid composition according to claim 1 ,

wherein the copolymer (A) has a weight-average molecular weight of 1,000 to 2,000,000.

4 . The viscosity index improver working fluid composition according to claim 1 ,

wherein the oxygen atom-containing base oil (B) is at least one selected from the group consisting of an ester oil (B1), a polyvinyl ether (B2), and a polyalkylene glycol (B3).

5 . A working fluid composition for refrigerating machines, comprising a refrigerating machine oil and a refrigerant,

wherein the refrigerating machine oil comprises:

a lubricant base oil; and

a viscosity index improver,

wherein the lubricant base oil is an oxygen atom-containing base oil (B),

wherein the viscosity index improver comprises:

a copolymer (A) that contains, as essential constituent monomers, a fluorine atom- containing monomer (a) represented by the following formula (1) and a monomer (b) represented by the following formula (2):

wherein R 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R 2 is a C2-C4 alkylene group; p is an integer of 0 or 1; q is an integer from 0 to 20, each R 2 may be the same as or different from each other when q is 2 or greater; and Y is a monovalent group in which one or more or all of hydrogen atoms in a C1-C40 hydrocarbon group are replaced by fluorine atoms, and

wherein R 3 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; —X 1 — is a group represented by —O— or —NH—; R 4 is a C2-C4 alkylene group; r is an integer of 0 or 1; s is an integer from 0 to 20, and each R 4 may be the same as or different from each other when s is 2 or greater; and R 5 is a C1-C40 hydrocarbon group,

wherein the copolymer (A) has a solubility parameter of 8.1 to 10.0 (cal/cm 3 ) 1/2 ,

a mass ratio (b/a) of the monomer (b) to the monomer (a) in the monomers constituting the copolymer (A) is 0.01 to 42, and

the content of the copolymer (A) is 1 to 20 mass % based on the total amount of the refrigerating machine oil.

6 . The working fluid composition according to claim 5 ,

wherein the oxygen atom-containing base oil (B) is at least one selected from the group consisting of an ester oil (B1), a polyvinyl ether (B2), and a polyalkylene glycol (B3).

7 . The working fluid composition according to claim 5 ,

wherein an absolute value of a difference between a solubility parameter of the copolymer (A) and a solubility parameter of the oxygen atom-containing base oil (B) is 2.0 (cal/cm 3 ) 1/2 or less.

8 . The working fluid composition according to claim 5 ,

wherein the oxygen atom-containing base oil (B) has a solubility parameter of 8.0 to 10.0 (cal/cm 3 ) 1/2 .

9 . The working fluid composition for refrigerating machines according to claim 1 ,

wherein the refrigerant is at least one refrigerant selected from the group consisting of a saturated fluorinated hydrocarbon refrigerant, an unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbon refrigerant, and a natural refrigerant, or a mixed refrigerant of two or more of these refrigerants.

10 . The working fluid composition according to claim 1 ,

wherein an absolute value of a difference between a solubility parameter of the copolymer (A) and a solubility parameter of the oxygen atom-containing base oil (B) is 2.0 (cal/cm 3 ) 1/2 or less.

11 . The working fluid composition according to claim 5 ,

wherein a constituent unit derived from the monomer (a) has a solubility parameter of 6.5 to 9.0 (cal/cm 3 ) 1/2 .

12 . The working fluid composition according to claim 5 ,

wherein the copolymer (A) has a weight-average molecular weight of 1,000 to 2,000,000.

13 . The working fluid composition for refrigerating machines according to claim 5 ,

wherein the refrigerant is at least one refrigerant selected from the group consisting of a saturated fluorinated hydrocarbon refrigerant, an unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbon refrigerant, and a natural refrigerant, or a mixed refrigerant of two or more of these refrigerants.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 18, 2023
From: OGATA, KAZUKI; SUGIYAMA, YOSHIMITSU; TORII, NAOHIRO; GOTO, SATOSHI; MIZUTANI, YUYA; OGATA, HIDETOSHI; SEKI, YUMA; NAKAJIMA, TATSUKI
To: SANYO CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.; ENEOS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065899/0414 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-102534 · Jun 21, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240309137A1 · Sep 19, 2024
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