ARS | Publication request: CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS OF BIODEGRADABLE GREASE

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: May 11, 2005
Publication Date: June 19, 2005
Citation: Adhvaryu, A., Sharma, B.K., Erhan, S.Z. 2005. Current developments of biodegradable grease. In: Erhan, S.Z., editor. Industrial Uses of Vegetable Oils. Chapter 2. Champaign, IL: AOCS Press. p. 14-30.

Technical Abstract: The modern definition of lubricating grease, according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), is a solid or semi-solid product obtained by the dispersion of a thickening agent in a liquid lubricant. This system may also include other ingredients that impart special properties (see the American Society for Products, 2000). This definition was further extended by the National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI): "The material we disperse in a liquid lubricant is usually a solid. The dispersion ... will not settle out when left standing. In order to develop thickening, the solid and the lubricating liquid had best have some affinity for each other. This affinity also helps keep the dispersion stable." Environmentally friendly lubricants and greases are already in the market. These products are highly desired in total loss lubricants like railroads, as their accidental spillage doesn't invoke alarm and cause any harm to the environment. Dwivedi et al. described the preparation of total vegetable oil-based grease using castor oil. Florea et al. have studied the effect of different base fluids on the properties of biodegradable greases. A suitable composition of grease is desired with good performance properties capable of use in multifunctional products. Despite the overwhelming importance of biodegradable greases, very little is known about the relationship between their composition and performance properties.