Obtaining of polymethacrylate additives and studying of operational properties of an alloyed industrial oil

The study explored the influence of temperatures and the impact of concentrations of the initiator and the monomer on the kinetics of lauryl methacrylate homopolymerization in benzene. The reaction sequence with respect to the initiator (1.38±0.07), the monomer (1.69±0.02) and also the activation energy (Е а =96.4±0.506 kJ/mol) was determined according to the experimental points of the first fixed area in the polymerization process (S ≤ 10 %). The numerical values of the reaction order for this system were high due to the high structuring of the LMA and a high viscosity of the system. The optimal conditions for obtaining polymethacrylate additives were determined on the basis of kinetic studies and the following parameters: the temperature of 80 ± 1°C, the concentration of benzoyl peroxide of 0.5 wt.% based on the total monomers’ weight, the ratio of lauryl methacrylate : benzene = 1:1, and the reaction time of 3 to 4 hours. The qualitative composition of the additives was confirmed with the infrared spectrometry. According to a thermogravimetric analysis, it has been found that synthesized (co)polymers are thermally stable up to the temperatures of 255–265°C. The influence of polymethacrylate additives in the oil I-20A on the rheological, depressor and antiwear properties was also studied. The viscosity curves for the obtained systems were described. The viscosity index of the obtained alloyed oil was determined according to the kinematic viscosity values at the temperatures of 50°C and 100°C. The depressor and antiwear properties of the lubricant were investigated at the optimal concentration of the additive in the amount of 2 wt.% in the oil. The operational properties of the industrial oil with an additive in the amount of 1.4 wt.% were also summarized in the study. The antiwear properties of the alloyed oil I–20A were tested in friction on a four ball machine. It has been found that the PMA20 additive with concentration of 2 wt.% in the oil can be used to obtain an alloyed industrial lubricant as a commodity with desirable operational properties (VI = 140 at T Fr = –19°C). The obtained lubricant can be used for friction reduction and wear protection of equipment elements of power plants.