Biobased Grease with Improved Oxidation Performance for Industrial Application

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Abstract
Vegetable oils have significant potential as a base fluid and a substitute for mineral oil for grease formulation. This paper describes the preparation of biobased grease with high oxidative stability and a composition useful for industrial, agriculture/farming equipment, and forestry applications. The process utilizes more oxidatively stable epoxy vegetable oils as the base fluid, metal-soap thickener, and several specialty chemicals identified to address specific applications. Performance characteristics of greases used for industrial and automotive applications are largely dependent on the hardness and the oxidative stability of grease. Grease hardness was determined using standard test methods, and their oxidative stabilities were determined using pressurized differential scanning calorimetry and rotary bomb oxidation tests. Wear data were generated using standard test methods in a four-ball test geometry. Results indicate that grease developed with this method can deliver at par or better performance properties (effective lubrication, wear protection, corrosion resistance, friction reduction, heat removal, etc.) than existing mineral oil-based greases currently used in similar trades. Therefore, developed greases can be a good substitute for mineral oil-based greases in industrial, agriculture, forestry, and marine applications.