AXEL News & Blog

Background
Our Caliac thickener is made by a reaction process where both lithium hydroxide and either calcium hydroxide or calcium carbonate are allowed to react with fatty acids, usually 12-hydroxy-stearic acid. The ratio between the Li- and the Ca- components can be varied to achieve different properties from the thickener. The flexibility of the thickener system allows tailoring towards high load-carrying capacity and/or extreme water resistance. The Caliac thickener has properties in common with both the lithium thickener and the anhydrous calcium thickener. Typical treat rate for a NLGI 2 grease: 7 - 11 %

Background
Our Alassca thickener can be described as a combination of a lithium complex soap and sarcosylic calcium gel. The well-known lithium complex part forms the backbone of the thickener system and provides increased oil bleed and lubricity, and lowers total thickener content. This is important for successful use at lower temperatures. The attachment of the calcium gel to the lithium complex soap increases surface affinity and, thereby, the efficiency of these active components, providing resistance to extreme pressure, water, and corrosion. The thickener system is durable and contributes to surface separation, which means less reliance on the very high viscosity of the oil phase, in opposition to traditional aluminum complex and inorganic clay thickeners.

At the 2024 NLGI Annual Meeting, AXEL’s Prof. Johan Leckner presented a paper co-authored with Gabriel Calderon-Salmeron and Prof. Sergei Glavatskih of the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. The paper illustrates how friction losses in electrical motor bearings can be accurately measured under a wide range of speed conditions.

AXEL’s Lithium Complex Made with Love…for the Planet

The earlier success of our Calcium soap thickened products triggered ambitious plans at AXEL to provide biodegradable, non-toxic, highly renewable raw material containing Lithium Complex products for versatile applications.

Biodegradable lubricants of all types have been available for decades, but a combination of factors linked to poor performance, high cost and lack of incentive to use them has contributed to their limited growth as a product segment. Today, as improved technology has enhanced product performance and awareness of the urgent need to reduce our impact on the planet has grown, the time for change may finally have arrived.

On the 14th & 15th September, ACIs’ 2016 European Base Oils & Lubricants Summit will be taking place at the Hilton Warsaw Hotel & Convention Centre in Warsaw, Poland.