Eco-Friendly, High-Lubricity Ionic Liquids as Lubricant Additives for Hydraulics/Hydropower

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking a commercialization partner for a technical business opportunity entitled, “Eco-Friendly, High-Lubricity Ionic Liquids as Lubricant Additives for Hydraulics/Hydropower.”  This project is addressing several key problems with traditional lubricant additives:  Nearly half of all lubricating fluids used in industry end up in the environment due to leaks or discharges (37-61 million liters per year), and conventional lubricants are mineral oil-based and harmful to the environment. Initial responses to lubricant leaks and spills cost more than $300 million annually. Eco-friendly lubricants now are mandatory for all vessels in U.S., according to EPA’s 2013 Vessel General Permit ‘...every ship Operator navigating in or entering US waters MUST use Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants in all applications with oil-to-sea interface’.  While EPA has approved multiple groups of eco-friendly base fluids, there is lack of additives that are both

non-toxic and effective in wear protection. For example, the most widely used commercial anti-wear additive, ZDDP, is known to be toxic and conventional ashless (metal-free) additives may have lower toxicity but their wear protection and thermal stability often are inferior.  ORNL is a global leader in ionic liquids lubrication R&D and has two granted U.S. patents and 27 journal publications with >3000 citations.  A previous invention of oil-soluble ionic liquids as additives for engine and gear lubricants was licensed to a commercial partner. The invention comprises an eco-friendly family of ionic liquid lubricant additives focused on hydraulics and hydropower industries.  Compared with the most widely available anti-wear additive, ZDDP, these ionic liquid additives have shown 90-100% reductions in toxicity according to the EPA standard chronic aquatic toxicity test.  Further, bench tribological tests have demonstrated a 30% reduction in friction and 10x better wear protection compared with ZDDP. The global lubricants market was estimated at nearly $158 billion in 2020 with a CAGR of 3.0%.  The global eco-friendly lubricants market was estimated at $2.7 billion in 2018 with a CAGR of 5.9%. Applications: Hydraulic fluids Hydropower oils Metalworking fluids Motor/gear oils Advantages: Eco-friendly Superior anti-wear Deposit free Out-performs existing additives This promising technology business opportunity was selected as a participant in the ORNL Technology Innovation Program (TIP). TIP is a royalty-funded technology maturation program designed to accelerate the commercial adoption of high commercial potential ORNL inventions.  Moreover, the ORNL Technology Transfer Office is making this technology available to industry and is now accepting licensing applications from interested parties through July 15, 2022 to engage in commercializing this business opportunity.  Prospective licensees are invited to attend the ORNL TIP Showcase on June 6, 2022, which will feature technical presentations and laboratory tours to learn more about this technology opportunity. Technology Innovation Program: This technology was originally developed using federal funds and selected for further development under the laboratory's Technology Innovation Program (TIP). TIP supports technology development using royalties from existing technology licenses to accelerate the market readiness of high potential technologies. If your organization is interested in exploiting this technology, we encourage you to do so via a licensing agreement. ORNL is accepting licensing applications for review from all interested parties, and license applications will be evaluated based on prospective partners' ability and commitment to successfully commercialize the technology. Said licensing applications once received will be competitively review. Candidates with promising applications will be selected to negotiate licensing agreements. If a license is executed, the ORNL researchers developing the technology will be eligible to compete for additional TIP funding to assist in transferring the technology to any licensees. Timeline: June 6, 2022 –  TIP Day at Oak Ridge National Laboratory interested parties can come to ORNL for a conference wherein presentations are given by all inventors further highlighting the licensing opportunities, laboratory visits will be possible demonstrating the technologies, and breakout sessions will be available with commercialization/licensing associates. July 1, 2022 – Deadline for receipt of licensing applications.Intellectual Property: Invention disclosure associated with this project: J. Qu, H. Luo, X. He, Eco-friendly ionic liquids as lubricant additives, ORNL Invention Disclosure #201904491, PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US2021/043260 filed July 27, 2021. Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the largest US Department of Energy science and energy laboratory, conducting basic and applied research to deliver transformative solutions to compelling problems in energy and security.  Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under its Prime Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725.