High temperature lubricating grease becomes the future industry growth point!

With the continuous improvement of China's industrialization level and the increasing use of advanced equipment, the working temperature of many lubrication parts is getting higher, and the requirements for the high-temperature resistance of lubricating grease are also constantly increasing. The commonly used lubricating grease in China is a metal soap based grease based on mineral oil, with a usage temperature not exceeding 120 ℃. Studying high-temperature lubricating grease is of great significance for meeting the high-temperature lubrication requirements of certain equipment.

1. Base oil

Base oil is the main component of lubricating grease, and the performance of base oil directly affects the performance of various aspects of lubricating grease. Mineral oil is prone to oxidation and deterioration, and generally cannot be used as a base oil for high-temperature lubricating greases. Synthetic oil has good high-temperature stability, oxidation stability, good viscosity temperature performance, and low volatility, which can meet various requirements under high temperature conditions. It has become the main base oil used in high-temperature lubricating greases.

2. Thickener

Thickener is an indispensable solid part of lubricating grease. Thickener thickens the base oil to a semi solid state, which, like the base oil, determines the properties of lubricating grease. The types of thickeners can be divided into four categories, namely soap based, hydrocarbon based, organic, and inorganic thickeners. Hydrocarbon based thickeners are generally used at low temperatures (less than 80 ℃), and high-temperature thickeners are mainly soap based, organic, and inorganic.

The use temperature of single metal soap lubricating grease is not high (less than 120 ℃) and cannot meet high temperature conditions. Currently, the main high-temperature soap based grease used is composite soap based grease, which mainly includes composite lithium, composite calcium, and composite aluminum, with composite lithium being the most commonly used. Organic thickeners refer to organic substances that have thickening effects other than metal soaps and solid hydrocarbons, such as aryl ureas, amides, phthalocyanine pigments, and imidazoline dyes. They are mostly compounds with aromatic rings and good thermal stability. Organic thickeners form a structural framework in the base oil under certain process conditions, thereby making lubricating grease. Inorganic thickeners generally have good high-temperature performance and are ideal thickeners for manufacturing high-temperature lubricating greases. They have good high-temperature performance and high-temperature oxidation stability, but other properties such as protection and solid residue after base oil evaporation are relatively insufficient.

With the development of modern mechanical equipment, there is an increasing demand for high-temperature multifunctional lubricating grease. The development of high drop point and multi efficiency lubricating greases is rapid, and composite lithium grease and polyurea grease are the main directions for developing high drop point lubricating grease varieties. The proportion of high drop point grease in China has increased in recent years, but due to industrial development and mechanical equipment conditions in China, high-temperature lubricating grease started late, developed slowly, and the variety is not ideal enough. Efforts to develop high-temperature lubricating greases, especially composite lithium grease and polyurea grease, are currently the main direction for the development of lubricating greases in China.