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Grahams Blog
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Sticky stuff
Sticky stuff !
Lubricating grease is made to stay in place, whether it be in a bearing or a gear or whatever type of machine element you can imagine. That's what makes it different from a fluid oil. To do that, we give it a "consistency" by gelling it with some kind of thickener, a multi-phase system giving it solid body properties under the force of gravity. In order to move it, we need to increase the shear stress up to a so-called yield point in excess of which, the material will flow. However, in some cases, if we do not do our job properly or perhaps only to meet a given test method compliance, like water spray off for instance, this might not be enough and we have to make it "sticky" as well. Additive suppliers offer us "tackiness improvers" to help us on our way. Being a compulsive "lexophile" (a lover of words), I tried to find out what they were actually offering us (from a linguistic perspective, that is!). Definitions vary but some of the explanations of tackiness offered were "the property of being cohesive and sticky" or "slightly adhesive or gummy to touch, sticky". Now, wait a minute, what is it they are saying, cohesive, adhesive, gummy? Cohesion, according to the same sources, is the physical property of a substance caused by the intermolecular attraction between like molecules within a body, acting to unite them. Adhesion, on the other hand is the attraction between unlike molecules providing a tendency for them to cling together. Adsorption or dispersive adhesion is when two materials are held together by van der Waal's forces. So what is it exactly we get when we buy a tackiness improver? And what is it we want? Do we want our greases to be adhesive (stick to the metal surfaces) or cohesive (stick to themselves, like chewing gum) or both? I don't think chewing gum is a very good friction modifier, do you?
But no, hang on, I've found another definition. Tackiness can also mean "tastelessness by virtue of being cheap and vulgar". We can make our greases cheap and vulgar, perhaps. But these tackiness improvers aren't cheap. So maybe all we're doing is making our greases vulgar. Sticky stuff, this grease business! Now you see it, now you don't
You've probably been there yourself, you know, the mystery of the missing polymer. It was there when you started ; it's gone when you really need it. A new chapter in the continuing story of grease wizardry needs writing. A perfect case for Sir Half-a-Cone and Oil, as my old friend, Big Al, would have said. Elementary, my dear Watson. Every new potion needs to be studied through the looking glass. It's no longer enough to establish whether or not it's good enough. But will it still be there tomorrow? It's this REACh thing again, isn't it ? Not for polymers as such, but anyhow. So now we need a product steward, and not only a product manager. How do we ensure future availability of raw materials for new and innovative greases ? It used to be enough to validate solubility in mineral oil (naphthenics, of course). Now we're being pushed towards the renewable option and previously soluble sticky stuff can pop out quite unexpectedly, like a monkey's brain in a jar of vinegar. We've learned the lesson the hard way. Three years of advanced product development, expensive eco-tests, field trials. And then the letter. "We regret to inform you that ..." Should we have known ? OK, maybe, but there used to be alternatives. Plants open and plants close. Some suppliers supply other suppliers. So things can suddenly disappear in a cloud of smoke for a whole multitude of reasons. And now, there's REACh. "We're not going to pay all that money for registration and testing only for the European market". You can just hear them, can't you ? And wouldn't we do the same for Mordor. For the Shire, it's OK. One man's sin is another man's moral. So what's the moral of this story ? Well, as we would say in dear old Scotland, "Tak a bogle upstream, tae mak shure thir's nae deed sassenach, yi ken". So upstream's the word. The key to the future is backwards. Madagascan logic ? Bye Bye Black Sheet
A Newtonian fluid from Naphtha Was gelled by a soap called Alassca No moly, no graphite Not black, Rather off-white, Gears, they ran great Ever after. Living next door to Chavez
There are many (good) reasons for attending the annual meeting of the NLGI. Technical papers, panel discussions, committee meetings, education programmes, the CLGS exam, social events and, in my opinion, most importantly, opportunities for networking. At this year's meeting in Colonial Williamsburg I had the pleasure of meeting with many of our customers, present and potential, with suppliers, with competitors, end users and OEMs, universities, governmental authorities, consultants and, of course many old friends. One of the most exciting features of such a meeting is the international perspective and I really enjoyed meeting people from all different parts of the world, not only from Western Europe and the United States but also from India, Japan, Australia, the Ukraine .. and Venezuela. What's it like running a grease plant in South America today? I also heard a new buzz phrase, "the Chavez effect" where, in the USA, companies and individuals are reacting to the political "anti-Bush" climate in South America through a boycott of not only products but also of any company and or brand names owned by, or in any way associated with, the Chavez regime. And this is actually causing a significant loss of business and market shares. So, in our world of constant divestment and mergers within the lubricants industry, what will the next company to be closed down or up for sale? Could it be a refinery .. or even a grease plant? Keep your eyes and ears open for the next chapter of "grease, the soap". Anybody willing to make a bet? Go(w) with the flo(w)
A greaseman from Drizzle named John, Went home whilst the pumps were still on, Oil poured down the road, To the Mersey, it flowed, And the scrubbing went on until dawn. My categories
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