Abstract:
In the preparation of alkali and alkaline earth metal soap grease by the rapid and uniform cooling of the hot grease, the latter is forced from the heating and mixing zone directly into a cooled zone having a thickness of not more than about 4 inches where it is cooled statically and uniformly for a period sufficient to form a gel structure of desired texture throughout. The cooling zone may consist of a number of tubes of from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches diameter cooled by air, water, or brine so as to reduce the temperature of the grease from about 400 DEG of 425 DEG F. to about 150 DEG F., the cooling time being from 1/4 to 10 hours. The grease is then passed to a homogenizer. The grease may comprise any of the alkali or alkaline earth soaps of any fatty oils or fish oils, whether hydrogenated or not, naphthenic acid, rosin oils, or synthetic or oxidized waxes or free fatty acids, and may be mixed either with any mineral lubricating oil stock or with synthetic oils such as polymerized alkylene oxides or alkyl esters of organic acids. In particular a major proportion of a mineral lubricating oil, a synthetic lubricating oil (such as 2-ethyl hexyl sebacate), or a mixture of such oils may be incorporated with a minor proportion of a lithium, sodium, or barium stearate, palmitate, or hydroxy stearate, such as lithium hydroxy stearate. Oxidation inhibitors such as N.N1-di-butyl-p-phenylene diamine or tetramethyldiamino diphenyl methane, and corrosion inhibitors such as hexylamine, octylamine, decylamine, dodecylamine, octadecylamine, or an alkyl substituted oxazoline may be added. In an example, a grease is formed of a mineral oil containing from 7 to 10 per cent lithium stearate, from 0.1 to 5.0 per cent of calcium naphthenate, from 0.1 to 5.0 per cent of an oxidation inhibitor, and from 0.1 to 5.0 per cent of a corrosion inhibitor. According to the flow diagram, Fig. 1, the hot grease mixture is conducted from a tank 1 through a heat-exchanger 5 to a homogenizer 6, where it is worked at a temperature of about 200 DEG F., and then pumped through a heater 7 kept at about 400 DEG to 500 DEG F. It then passes into a number of long cooling tubes 10 of the stated diameter, or into annular spaces 23, Fig. 2, or flat tubes 24, Fig. 4, when it remains until it has gelled. The grease is then discharged to a storage tank 12 from which it is discharged through a homogenizer 13 to packing containers 26.
Abstract:
Lubricating grease is prepared by (a) mixing a hydrophobic lubricating oil with an aqueous suspension of a water-insoluble dye, chosen from the indanthrene compounds, the indogen compounds and the phthalocyanine compounds, (b) passing the mixtures so formed over a surface having a skin temperature of 300-350 DEG F. in the form of a film 0.001-0.02 inch thick, shearing the film on the surface by means of blades travelling at a rate of 1,000-10,000 ft./min. at the point of contact with the film mixture, the residence time of the mixture on the surface being 1-30 secs., (c) passing the mixture to a heat-treating zone where the mixture is heated for a period of 0.25-4 hours at a temperature of 250-550 DEG F., and (d) subjecting the substantially anhydrous mixture to a shearing action. Lubricating oils mentioned are mineral oils, silicones, chlorinated silicones, siloxanes, aliphatic dicarboxylic esters such as bis(2-ethyl hexyl) sebacate, polyoxyalkylene compounds, polyphenyl ethers (including diphenyl ether), diphenyl, phosphate or silicate esters, phosphonates, phosphinates, and fluorocarbons (including chlorofluorocarbons). Indanthrene compounds mentioned are indanthrone, flavanthrone, pyranthrone, violanthrone, di-and tri-chloro-indanthrone, and metal derivatives thereof. The indogen compounds may carry substituents such as hydroxy, carboxy or nitro groups or halogen atoms, but the compounds specified are indigo, iso-indigo, 3-keto-indoline, isatide and isatin. The phthalocyanine compounds include metal-free phthalocyanine, metal phthalocyanines and chlorinated derivatives of either of these. The aqueous suspension of the dye may contain some relatively volatile material such as alcohols, esters or ketones. In the examples, greases are prepared from (1) methylphenyl silicone polymer oil and indanthrone and (2) bright stock mineral oil and indigo. Specification 802,896 is referred to.