LC/MicroLube mechanism

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As far as I can tell, LC was once marketed as Micro Lube. Micro Lube's active ingredient appears to have been cyclohexanone. The inventor, Jose B. Calva, appears to have thought that the benefit of cyclohexanone was to reduce the surface tension with metalic surfaces. His goal appeared to be a better penetrating oil. However, cyclohexanone appears to be a fairly good acid scavenger. In particular, cyclohexanone will combine with nitric acid to produce adipic acid and nitrous oxide. Both cyclohexanone and adipic acid would have some lubricity properties.

If the Micro Lube described above is not the forerunner of LC, please provide correction to this thread. I do not want an error to get propagated.

Reference trail:
http://www.tocmp.com/ads/1960/pages/Micro Lube 1960_jpg.htm
http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT2...dq=2389608#PPP1,M1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adipic_acid
 
If anyone is interested, cyclohexanone can also be called any of the following: oxocyclohexane, pimelic ketone, ketohexamethylene, cyclohexyl ketone or ketocyclohexane. It is essentially phenol with a ketone in place of the hydroxyl group.
 
Thanks for posting your research findings. I know non of that information comes easy. But that Google patent search and the patent number on that old add sure helps~!!
cheers.gif
 
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From Bryanccfshr's link above, cyclohexanone also appears to be a good solvent for lacquers, resins, fats, waxes, oils, bitumen and crude rubber.
 
From This paper we find "The liquid-phase oxidation of cyclohexane is an industrially
important process for making cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone,
and adipic acid. Adipic acid is extensively used
in the man-made fiber industry along with hexamethylenediamine
for manufacturing nylon 66, in addition
to its innumerable applications as plasticizers, synthetic
lubricants, etc. (Standish and Abramo, 1978)"
from that PDF it shows that the rate of oxidation of the raw material is not linear but their is trouble in the complete conversion of all the Cyclohexane into adiptic acid. This would show how a smaller recharge of raw material could extend the antioxidant performance of the product.
I think Gmorg has just shown us the tip of the iceburg.
Nadone® Cyclohexanone
Naxol® Cyclohexanol
 
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Since the Micro Lube patent has been in the public domain for 66 years, I would guess that the "active ingredient" may not be the only important part to the formula. The carriers/diluents may be just as important. On the other hand, we don't actually know that the current formula is even related to the original formula. (MMO has gone through several apparent reformulations and is still claimed to the be the "orginial" formula.) I am not trying to put MMO and LC in the same catagory. I am just saying that in a market where secrets are the rule, I would not be surprised if things have changed a little over the years - changed without customer consultation.
 
One of the key indicators of a line of consistancy is people who remeber the odor of Micro lube have there memorioes hared by Lube control. So perhaps the Lube control formula is more refined and balanced than the original. According to the one VOA we have on it it seems to have a bit of antiwear/detergent additives in it. Is it froma carrier or is it on purpose?

From http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/s...part=1&vc=1

Test was done by Blackstone Labs.
Aluminum 0ppm
Chromium 0ppm
Iron 0ppm
Copper 0ppm
Lead 0ppm
Tin 0ppm
Molybdenum 0ppm
Nickel 0ppm
Manganese 0ppm
Silver 0ppm
Titanium 0ppm
Potassium 0ppm
Boron 7ppm
Silicon 0ppm
Sodium 0ppm
Calcium 74ppm
Magnesium 0ppm
Phosphorus 206ppm
Zinc 243ppm
Barium 0ppm
Viscosity SUS@210F 41.7
Flashpoint 180F
Insolubles 0.0
 
That would make sense, seeing that it is often recomended to be added to PS and Auto tranny fluids. Now I recall from the "study" that there are two parts to the formula, a volatile portion and a long lasting portion. I am beggining to wonder if they are one in the same since the material changes when subjected to oxidation.
 
I need to correct a statement of mine that can be found above. I wrote: "It is essentially phenol with a ketone in place of the hydroxyl group." This statement is wrong. I was not paying attention. Phenol is not saturated. Cyclohexanone is saturated at every carbon except where the keto group resides. When a hydroxyl is present instead of the ketone, then the alcohol would be called cyclohexanol. If anyone is interested, wiki links are below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclohexanone
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclohexanol
 
By the way, LC is a fairly good deal (price wise) when compared to retail prices on cyclohexanone.
 
Lol, when I first got a bottle, I said "This smells like zddp and acetone!"

right on zddp, wrong on acetone... but in the right neighborhood!
laugh.gif
 
BrianWC wrote: "This smells like zddp and acetone!"

Many of the ketones have a similar odor. I don't know what cyclohexanone smells like, but I would guess that it would be similar to acetone.
 
If anyone is interested in buying a small sample (I only need 1-3 mL) of cyclohexanone and adipic acid and sending it to me, id run it vs LC in a gas chromatograph to verify its presence.

Im not in the business of reverse engineering stuff, but it is a simple test to verify if something is present or not.

JMH
 
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