Probing the effect of thickener microstructure on rheological and tribological properties of grease

• Published in: Journal of industrial and engineering chemistry (Seoul, Korea) Vol. 111; pp. 51 - 63
• Main Authors: Zhou, Changjiang, Ren, Guanlin, Fan, Xiaoqiang, Lv, Yunyan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 25.07.2022; 한국공업화학회
• Subjects: Grease; Rheological properties; Thickener; Tribological properties; 화학공학; Thickener; Grease; Tribological properties; polyurea grease; Bentonite grease; calcium sulfonate complex grease; lithium complex grease; Rheological properties
• ISSN: 1226-086X; 1876-794X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2022.03.010

[Display omitted] •Four high-performance greases are prepared by different thickeners, and the microstructures of thickener are characterized.•Four greases exhibit excellent physicochemical properties due to good compatibility between the thickener and base oil.•The thickener microstructure strongly influences the rheological and tribological properties. The calcium sulfonate complex grease with dense fold structure presents the highest structure strength and optimal tribological properties.•The excellent lubrication function of as-prepared greases largely depends on the synergy of thickener deposited film, tribol-chemical reaction film, and oil film. The thickener microstructure strongly determines the properties of lubricating grease. Here, four types of grease were synthesized through different thickeners (lithium complex soap, polyurea, calcium sulfonate complex soap, bentonite), thickening polyalphaolefin. The influence of the thickener microstructure on the physicochemical, rheological, and tribological properties was evaluated. Results show that the lithium complex soap with a spiral fiber structure shows the best physicochemical properties and the highest yield stress. The four greases show the shear-thinning behavior because of the deformation of the thickener structures. The calcium sulfonate complex soap with a dense porous structure presents optimal tribological properties because of the synergy effect of the thickener deposited film and the tribo-chemical reaction film.