Abstract: | Mercapto-thiadiazoles having potential anti-wear behaviour are reacted with polymers with existing viscosity index-improving properties in order to produce materials which may find a use as multifunctional lubricant additives. 2,5-Dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole, 2-amino-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole and 2-methyl-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiadiazole were reacted with low MW polybutadiene containing vinyl-1,2, cis-1,4 and trans-1,4 (C=C) groups. The reactions were monitored using FT-Raman spectroscopy in order to determine quantitatively the consumption of the individual structural units when reacted with thiadiazoles. 2,5-Dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole reacted readily with the polybutadiene, achieving 80% reaction within a few hours. The thiadiazole reacted selectively with the order of addition being cis>vinyl>trans. 2-Amino-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole and 2-methyl-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole were found to react more slowly and hence to a lesser extent (40 and 25%, respectively) over a similar time scale. |