Lubricant composition

1. A lubricant composition that is substantially free of water and comprises:

a base oil present in an amount of greater than 85 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said lubricant composition;

an antioxidant; and

one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s) present in an amount of from 0.01 to 1 weight percent based on a total weight of said lubricant composition and having the formula;

wherein R is a straight or branched chain C 6 -C 18 alkyl group and n is a number of from 0 to 5.

2. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 wherein said one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s) are present in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.1 weight percent based on a total weight of said lubricant composition.

3. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 that comprises less than 1 weight percent of water.

4. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 wherein R is a straight or branched chain C 12 -C 14 alkyl group.

5. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 wherein said one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s) are present in an amount of from about 0.01 to about 0.07 weight percent based on a total weight of said lubricant composition.

6. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 wherein said one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s) are present in an amount of from about 0.02 to less than about 0.07 weight percent based on a total weight of said lubricant composition.

7. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 wherein said one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s) have the formula:

wherein R comprises a mixture of C 12 and C 14 alkyl groups; or

wherein R comprises a mixture of C 16 and C 18 alkyl groups.

8. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an anti-wear additive.

9. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 8 wherein said anti-wear additive comprises phosphorous and/or sulfur.

10. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a detergent comprising calcium.

11. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base oil is further defined as an API Group I, Group II or Group III oil.

12. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base oil is further defined as a mineral or synthetic base oil or a mixture of a mineral and a synthetic base oil.

13. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 that reduces corrosion of a steel article such that the steel article passes corrosion testing according to ASTM D 665 B.

14. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base oil is further defined as an API Group II oil and said one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s) are present in an amount of from 0.02 to 0.07 weight percent based on a total weight of said lubricant composition, wherein said lubricant composition further comprises an anti-wear component comprising phosphorous and/or sulfur, an alkoxylated block copolymeric demulsifier, and a benzotriazole metal deactivator, and wherein said antioxidant is further defined as two aminic antioxidants.

15. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base oil is further defined as an API Group II oil and said one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s) are present in an amount of from 0.02 to 0.07 weight percent based on a total weight of said lubricant composition, wherein said lubricant composition further comprises a benzotriazole metal deactivator, and wherein said antioxidant is further defined as an aminic antioxidant and a phenolic antioxidant.

16. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base oil is further defined as an API Group II oil and said one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s) are present in an amount of from 0.02 to 0.07 weight percent based on a total weight of said lubricant composition, wherein said lubricant composition further comprises a benzotriazole metal deactivator, and wherein said antioxidant is further defined as two aminic antioxidants and a phenolic antioxidant.

17. A lubricant composition as set forth in claim 1 having improved four-ball antiwear properties and further comprising an ashless antiwear additive comprising phosphorous, wherein the four-ball antiwear properties are reported as an average diameter of wear scars pursuant to ASTM D417, wherein the average diameter of the wear scars are at least 5% smaller than the average diameter of the wear scars resulting from a standard that comprises said base oil and said ashless antiwear additive and that is free of said one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s).

18. A lubricant composition that is substantially free of water and comprises:

a base oil present in an amount of greater than 85 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said lubricant composition;

an antioxidant comprising an aminic antioxidant and/or a phenolic antioxidant;

one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s) present in an amount of from 0.02 to 0.05 weight percent based on a total weight of said lubricant composition and having the formula;

wherein R is a straight or branched chain C 6 -C 18 alkyl group and n is a number of from 0 to 5; and

an anti-wear additive comprising phosphorous and/or sulfur.

19. A method of reducing corrosion of a steel article, said method comprising the steps of:

A. providing a base oil;

B. providing one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s) having the formula;

wherein R is a straight or branched chain C 6 -C 18 alkyl group and n is a number of from 0 to 5;

C. providing an antioxidant;

D. combining the base oil, the one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s), and the antioxidant to form a composition that is substantially free of water and comprises;

the base oil present in an amount of greater than 85 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the lubricant composition;

the antioxidant; and

the one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s) present in an amount of from 0.01 to 1 weight percent based on a total weight of the lubricant composition; and

E. applying the lubricant composition to the steel article;

wherein the steel article passes corrosion testing according to ASTM D 665 B.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19 further comprising the step of providing an ashless antiwear additive comprising phosphorous such that said step of combining is further defined as combining the base oil, the one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s), the antioxidant, and the ashless antiwear additive comprising phosphorous to form the lubricant composition further comprising the ashless antiwear additive comprising phosphorous and having improved four-ball antiwear properties,

wherein the four-ball antiwear properties are reported as an average diameter of wear scars pursuant to ASTM D417, and

wherein the average diameter of the wear scars are at least 5% smaller than the average diameter of the wear scars resulting from a standard that comprises the base oil and the ashless antiwear additive and that is free of the one or more alkylethercarboxylic acid corrosion inhibitor(s).