ENHANCED METALWORKING FLUIDS
The subject invention provides biological emulsifying agents for use in formulating metalworking fluids, methods for formulating the metalworking fluids, and enhanced metalworking fluids.
1 . A metalworking fluid (MWF) comprising a mixture of two or more ingredients and a biological emulsifier, said biological emulsifier comprising one or more biosurfactants, wherein at least one of the one or more biosurfactants is a sophorolipid (SLP).
2 . The MWF of claim 1 , wherein the SLP is a lactonic SLP, linear SLP, a derivatized lactonic SLP, a derivatized linear SLP, or a mixture of any of these.
3 . The MWF of claim 1 , characterized as an emulsion or a dispersion.
4 . The MWF of claim 1 , wherein the two or more ingredients comprise a first ingredient and a second ingredient, and wherein the first ingredient is dispersed in the second ingredient.
5 . The MWF of claim 4 , wherein the first ingredient is a first liquid and the second ingredient is a second liquid, said first liquid being different from said second liquid.
6 . The MWF of claim 5 , wherein the first liquid is a lipid and/or an oil, and the second ingredient is water or an aqueous fluid.
7 . The MWF of claim 6 , wherein the first liquid is a mineral oil, animal-based oil, plant-based oil, or synthetic oil.
8 . The MWF of claim 1 , further comprising an additional biosurfactant selected from glycolipids, lipopeptides, flavolipids, phospholipids, fatty acid esters, lipoproteins, lipopolysaccharide-protein complexes, and polysaccharide-protein-fatty acid complexes.
9 . The MWF of claim 8 , wherein the glycolipids are sophorolipids, rhamnolipids, trehalose lipids, cellobiose lipids and/or mannosylerythritol lipids.
10 . The MWF of claim 8 , wherein the lipopeptides are surfactin, iturin, fengycin, arthrofactin, viscosin and/or lichenysin.
11 . The MWF of claim 1 , further comprising additional ingredients selected from buffers, stabilizers, anti-fog-additives, foam inhibitors, tensides, solubility enhancers, corrosion inhibitors, extreme-pressure-additives, and biocides.
12 . The MWF of claim 1 , wherein the SLP is linear and has one of the following formulas:
13 . A method for producing a MWF characterized as an emulsion or dispersion, the method comprising mixing two or more ingredients in the presence of a biological emulsifier comprising one or more biosurfactants, wherein at least one of the one or more biosurfactants is a sophorolipid (SLP).
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first ingredient is the dispersed phase of the emulsion or dispersion and the second ingredient is the continuous phase of the emulsion or dispersion.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first ingredient is a first liquid and the second ingredient is a second liquid.
16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first liquid is a lipid and/or an oil, and the second ingredient is water or an aqueous fluid.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the oil is a mineral oil, animal-based oil, plant-based oil, or synthetic oil.
18 . The method of claim 13 , comprising first adding the biological emulsifier to the second ingredient, then gradually adding the first ingredient to the second ingredient while mixing.
19 . The method of claim 13 , comprising adding the biological emulsifier to a pre-mixture of the first and second ingredients while mixing.
20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the mixing is performed using a mill, a homogenizer machine, a whisk, a blender, a membrane emulsifier or an ultrasonic mixing tool.