Antioxidants of Hydrocarbons: From Simplicity to Complexity

Abstract

One of the most important yet complex chemistries is the spontaneous reaction of oxygen with organic matter, generally referred to as autoxidation. Suppressing this chemistry is important in many industries and critical when it comes to the performance of lubricants. The chapter summarizes kinetic parameters for reaction of the potent sulphur-containing antioxidants with both cumylperoxide radicals and cumene hydroperoxide. It also demonstrates that antioxidants can be formulated that have synergistic activity. One example of this phenomenon is the combination in one molecule of phenolsulphide and aminosulphide moieties, which results in an antioxidant with superior activity for the critical hydroperoxide decomposition process compared to molecules containing either moiety alone.