Development of new lubricating grease formulations using recycled LDPE as rheology modifier additive

The recovery of plastic waste but also its applicability in product development may be an incentive to industry, since the use of such plastics represents a cheaper source of raw material. The aim of the present paper is to study the feasibility of recycling polyolefins as additives to improve the rheological properties of lithium 12-hydroxystearate lubricating greases. The effects that both soap and recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE) concentration exert on the rheology of lithium lubricating greases and its relationship with grease microstructure are discussed in this work. In this way, different lubricating grease formulations were manufactured by modifying the concentration of lithium 12-hydroxystearate and content of recycled LDPE, according to a RSM statistical design. These lubricating greases were rheologically characterized through small-amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) and viscous flow measurements. In addition to these, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) observations and mechanical stability tests were also carried out. Recycled LDPE was found to be an effective additive to modify grease rheology, acting as filler in the soap entangled microstructure. The values of both apparent viscosity and viscoelastic functions in the linear viscoelastic region increase with soap and recycled polymer concentrations. However, the addition of recycled LDPE distort the microstructural network of these greases resulting greases with less relative elastic characteristics and poorer mechanical properties as LDPE content increases.     

Influence of molecular weight and free NCO content on the rheological properties of lithium lubricating greases modified with NCO-terminated prepolymers

In this work, the use of reactive diisocyanate-terminated polymeric materials as rheology modifiers of lubricating greases has been studied. Particularly, the influences that free NCO content, molecular weight and functionality of the reactive prepolymers exert on the rheological response and microstructure of lubricating greases were analyzed. With this aim, NCO-terminated prepolymers were prepared from several di and trifunctional polyols and polymeric MDI. Afterwards, the reaction between terminal isocyanate groups and the hydroxy group located in the hydrocarbon chain of the 12-hydroxystearate lithium soap, used as thickener, was promoted during processing of lubricating greases. Polymeric materials used as additives and final lubricating greases were characterized by FTIR, DSC and GPC techniques. The effectiveness of these reactive additives was tested by performing small-amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS), as well as standardized mechanical stability tests, on final greases. The rheological response was related to the microstructure of these greases, characterized by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM). From the experimental results obtained, it may be concluded that the effectiveness of these polymeric additives to modify the rheology of greases is due to the progress of the reaction between terminal isocyanate groups and the hydroxy group of lithium soap. However, a large dependence on both free NCO content and prepolymer molecular weight was found. Experimental results confirm that a balance between prepolymer molecular weight and NCO content is necessary to reach an optimal rheological modification of lithium greases. Moreover, this balance is a function of grease ageing, due to the progress of the reaction promoted.     

Linear Viscoelastic Behavior of Multiphase Dispersions

The linear viscoelastic behavior of polymer-thickened oil-in-water emulsions, polymer-thickened solids-in-liquid suspensions, and their blends is investigated using a controlled-stress rheometer. The emulsions exhibit a predominantly viscous behaviour at low values of oil concentration in that the loss modulus (G") exceeds the storage modulus (G') over most of the frequency range. At high values of oil concentration, the emulsions exhibit a predominantly elastic behavior. The ratio of storage modulus to loss modulus (G'/G") increases with the increase in oil concentration. Emulsions follow the theoretical model of J. F. Palierne (1990, Rheol. Acta 29, 204) only at low values of oil volume fraction (/=G' over most of the frequency range. The ratio G'/G" varies only slightly with the increase in solids volume fraction. The Palierne model describes the linear viscoelastic properties of suspensions accurately only at low values of solids volume fraction. At high values of solids concentration, the Parlierne model underpredicts the linear viscoelastic properties of suspensions and the deviation increases with the increase in solids concentration. The blends of emulsions and suspensions exhibit strong synergistic effects at low to moderate values of frequencies; the plots of blend modulus versus emulsion content exhibit a minimum. However, at high values of frequency, the blend modulus generally falls between the moduli of pure suspension and pure emulsion. The high-frequency modulus data of blends of emulsions and suspensions are successfully correlated in terms of the modulus ratio versus volume fraction of solids, where modulus ratio is defined as the ratio of blend modulus to pure emulsion modulus at the same frequency. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Nonlinear viscoelasticity of sorbitan tristearate monolayers at liquid/gas interface

The interfacial rheology of sorbitan tristearate monolayers formed at the liquid/air interface reveal a distinct nonlinear viscoelastic behavior under oscillatory shear usually observed in many 3D metastable complex fluids with large structural relaxation times. At large strain amplitudes (gamma), the storage modulus (G') decreases monotonically whereas the loss modulus (G') exhibits a peak above a critical strain amplitude before it decreases at higher strain amplitudes. The power law decay exponents of G' and G' are in the ratio 2:1. The peak in G' is absent at high temperatures and low concentration of sorbitan tristearate. Strain-rate frequency sweep measurements on the monolayers do indicate a strain-rate dependence on the structural relaxation time. The present study on sorbitan tristearate monolayers clearly indicates that the nonlinear viscoelastic behavior in 2D Langmuir monolayers is more general and exhibits many of the features observed in 3D complex fluids.     

Electrorheological properties of polyaniline suspensions: field-induced liquid to solid transition and residual gel structure

Polyaniline (PANI) was synthesized via oxidative coupling polymerization in acid conditions and de-doped in solution of ammonia. The electrorheological (ER) properties of the PANI/silicone oil suspensions were investigated in oscillatory shear as functions of electric field strength, particle concentration, and host fluid viscosity. Consistent with literature, the PANI ER fluid exhibits viscoelastic behavior under the applied electric field and the ER response is strongly enhanced with increasing electric field strength and particle concentration. The dynamic moduli, G' and G' increase dramatically, by 5 orders of magnitude, as the electric field strength is increased to 2 kV/mm. A viscoelastic liquid to solid transition occurs at a critical electric field strength, in the range Ec = 50-200 V/mm, whose value depends on particle concentration and host fluid viscosity. The fibrillar structure formed in the presence of the applied field has a static yield strength tau(y), whose value scales with electric field strength as tau(y) approximately E(1.88). When the field is switched off a residual structure remains, whose yield stress increases with the strength of the applied field and particle concentration. When the applied stress exceeds the yield stress of the residual structure, fast, fully reversible switching of the ER response is obtained.     

Chemical modification of methyl cellulose with HMDI to modulate the thickening properties in castor oil

This work deals with the selective incorporation of reactive isocyanate groups into methyl cellulose in order to be used as reactive thickening agent in castor oil. Resulting gel-like dispersions may have potential applications as green lubricating greases formulated from renewable resources. Two different isocyanate-functionalized methyl cellulose-based polymers were obtained by reaction of methyl cellulose with 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate. The functionalization degree, from fully functionalized to a certain number of free hydroxyl groups (58:36:6 ratio between –OMe, –NCO and free –OH groups), was controlled by modifying the reagents molar ratio. These polymers were characterized through nuclear magnetic resonance of protons (¹H-NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Thermal and rheological responses of oleogels prepared by dispersing these polymers in castor oil were studied by means of TGA analysis and small-amplitude oscillatory shear measurements. The evolution of linear viscoelasticity functions with frequency of the oleogel containing isocyanate-functionalized methyl cellulose with lower –NCO content is quite similar to that found for traditional lithium lubricating greases. In relation to long-term stability of these oleogels, the values of viscoelastic functions significantly increase during the first 7 days of ageing and then remain almost constant.     

Rheology of concentrated carbon nanotube suspensions

The rheological properties of non-Brownian carbon nanotube suspensions are measured over a range of nanotube volume fractions spanning the transition from semidilute to concentrated. The polymer-stabilized nanotubes are "sticky" and form a quiescent elastic network with a well-defined shear modulus and yield stress that both depend strongly on nanotube volume fraction with different but related critical exponents. We compare controlled-strain-rate and controlled-stress measurements of yielding in shear flow, and we study the effect of slow periodic stress reversal on yielding and the arrest of flow. Our measurements support a universal scaling of both the linear viscoelastic and steady-shear viscometric response. The former allows us to extract the elastic shear modulus of semidilute nanotube networks for values that are near or below the resolution limit of the rheometers used, while the latter provides a similar extrapolation of the yield stress. A simple scaling argument is used to model the dependence of yield stress and elastic modulus on concentration.     

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AMPHOTERIC HYDROGELS BASED ON N-CARBOXYETHYLCHITOSAN

New amphoteric hydrogels based on carboxyethylchitosans(CECH)with various degrees of substitution(DS) were prepared using different amounts of epichlorohydrin(ECH)as the crosslinking agent.The equilibrium swelling ratio (SW)was determined as functions of pH and salt concentration.The hydrogels show typical amphoteric character responding to pH change of the external medium.At isoelectric point(IEP),the hydrogels shrink.The DS value has important effect on the swelling properties of the hydrogels.When the...     

不同分子量可德胶水悬浮液的粘弹性研究

采用动态粘弹性测量研究了不同分子量的生物大分子可德胶 (Curdlan)水悬浮液 (ASC)的流变学特性 .室温下观察到ASC具有弹性 (Solid like)行为 ,储能模量G′在测量范围内轻微依赖频率 ,而损耗模量G″和损耗角正切tanδ存在最小值 .ASC粘弹性随可德胶分子量和浓度的增加而增强 .ASC的流动特性符合Herschel Bulkley模型 ;其弹性行为可以通过渗流理论的标度弹性模型来描述 .网络结构是由于可德胶颗粒聚集或絮凝而形成的 ,当可德胶含量超过临界浓度cs=0 3 %时 ,弹性模量G′与可德胶浓度存在标度关系G′=Goεt,其中标度指数t=2 5 4.     

Nanoindentation creep of nonlinear viscoelastic polypropylene

Uniaxial tensile creep tests at various applied stresses were carried out to demonstrate that PP is nonlinear viscoelastic. A novel phenomenological model consisting of springs, dashpots, stress-locks and sliders was proposed to describe the nonlinear viscoelasticity. Indentation creep tests at different applied load levels were also performed on nonlinear viscoelastic PP. It was found that the shear creep compliance varies with the applied load level when the applied load is less than 5 mN, which means the indentation creep behavior was nonlinear. To find the real reason for the nonlinearity in indentation creep tests, the elastic modulus at various indentation depths was measured using continuous stiffness measurements (CSM). By analyzing the variation of elastic modulus with indentation depth, the nonlinearity of indentation creep behavior was proved to be caused by the non-uniform properties in the surface of the specimen rather than nonlinear viscoelasticity.     

Influence of ionic charges on the bilayers of lamellar phases

The influence of ionic charges on the mesophases in the ternary system of C(12-16)E(6) (LA 070), ethylhexylglycerid (EHG), and water was studied. The charge was introduced by adding the ionic surfactant SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate). The single lamellar phase (5 wt % LA 070 and 240 mM EHG in water) yields a bluish homogeneous solution. With the addition of SDS, the samples become more and more clear. Rheology measurements indicate that increased charge density increases the storage modulus G', and the lamellar phases show typical behavior of a viscoelastic fluid with a yield stress at higher SDS concentration. SAXS measurements show that the interlamellar distance D decreases with SDS concentration. The addition of ionic surfactants suppresses the Helfrich undulations, flattens the bilayers, and decreases interbilayer spacing due to electrostatic repulsions of the ionic surfactant head groups. Furthermore, the L(alpha) phase transforms into vesicle phases as the SDS concentration is increased. Second, it is shown that with added NaCl electrolyte the phase with charged surfactant behaves again in the same way as the initial uncharged system. The addition of salt screens the electrostatic interaction, which leads to a higher flexibility of the bilayers and a decrease of the storage modulus G'. Theoretical calculations show that the shear moduli of the L(alpha) phases are much smaller than the osmotic pressure of the systems. Several models are proposed for the explanation of the shear moduli. The model due to Lekkerkerker for the electric contribution of the bending constant of the bilayer seems to yield good results for the transition to vesicles.     

冷冻/解冻制备的聚乙烯醇水凝胶的结构和流变性研究

研究了冷冻/解冻法制备的不同浓度(5wt%～25wt%)聚乙烯醇(PVA)水凝胶的结构和流变行为之间的关系.由XRD确定了凝胶中PVA的结晶度和晶粒尺寸.用应力流变仪研究了凝胶的流变行为,包括动态模量和蠕变等.在频率为1Hz和低应力的条件下,测量了凝胶的储能模量和损耗模量.在该试验条件下,PVA水凝胶的形变是完全可以回复的.低频率区和低应变区的储能模量随浓度增加而变大,但当浓度超过20wt%时,储能模量增加速率明显降低.由PVA水凝胶在1Hz时的储能模量和结晶度的数据,理论分析得到了形成PVA水凝胶的最低PVA浓度和最小结晶度.当PVA浓度低于15wt%时,储能模量主要由PVA的微晶控制,分子链间的氢键影响很小.通过低应变区储能模量的数值计算出了凝胶网孔尺寸的结构参数.同时对不同温度下PVA水凝胶的储能模量数据进行了标度分析.PVA水凝胶的蠕变行为显示,随浓度提高,凝胶的蠕变黏弹性由线性向非线性转变.     

Improvement of the resistance to oxidation of the ecological greases by the additives

This article presents the results of research aimed at improving the oxidation stability of the ecological greases addressed toward application in machines working in the food industry. In order to improve the functional properties of grease, additives that modify the thermal stability have been added. Then, the influence of the additive on the grease resistance to the oxidation was examined. The results of tests of lubricants containing different types of additives are presented. The thermal examinations of the greases were carried out with the use of scanning differential calorimetry techniques. The lubricated properties of greases were investigated with the use of a four-ball tribotester. Based on the results, the relationships between the kind of additive, the resistance to oxidation and the lubricated properties of the grease were analysed, and the relationships between thermal and antiwear properties of grease were identified. Based on the results of this research, a new formulation of grease was proposed, which meets both the ecological needs and the working conditions in the food industry.     

Effect of deacetylation rate on gelation kinetics of konjac glucomannan

Effect of deacetylation rate on the gelation behaviors on addition of sodium carbonate for native and acetylated konjac glucomannan (KGM) samples with a degree of acetylation (DA) range of 1.38-10.1 wt.% synthesized using acetic anhydride in the presence of pyridine as catalyst was studied by dynamic viscoelastic measurements. At a fixed alkaline concentration (C(Na)), both the critical gelation times (t(cr)) and the plateau values of storage moduli (G'(sat)) of the KGM gels increased with increasing DA. While at a fixed ratio of alkaline concentrations to values of DA (C(Na)/DA), the similar t(cr) and (G'(sat)) values independent of DA were observed. On the whole, increasing KGM concentration or temperature shortened the gelation time and enhanced the elastic modulus for KGM gel. The effect of deacetylation rate related to the C(Na)/DA on the gelation kinetics of the KGM samples were discussed.     

Yield stress and viscoelastic properties of high internal phase ratio emulsions

 The rheology of high internal phase ratio oil-in-water emulsions was investigated using a controlled-stress rheometer. The dispersed-phase (oil) concentration was varied from 71.24 to 89.61% by volume. Three different types of rheological experiments were conducted for each emulsion, namely: steady shear, oscillatory shear, and creep/recovery experiments. All the emulsions investigated in this study possess a yield stress. The yield-stress values obtained from different rheological experiments for the same emulsion show good agreement with each other. The yield-stress value increases exponentially with an increase in the dispersed-phase concentration. The yield-stress data of this study can be described quite well with the Princen and Kiss equation for high internal phase ratio emulsions provided that the thickness of the interdroplet films is taken into account. For any given emulsion, the storage modulus, measured in the linear viscoelastic region, is found to be constant, independent of the frequency, indicating a solid-like behaviour. The value of the storage modulus increases with an increase in the dispersed-phase concentration. The storage modulus data are interpreted in terms of the Princen and Kiss equation. Received: 23 October 1998 Accepted in revised form: 18 February 1999     

Scaling Behavior of the Rheological Properties of Montmorillonite Suspensions: Correlation between Interparticle Interaction and Degree of Flocculation

In this work we investigate some aspects of the rheological behavior of sodium montmorillonite (NaMt) suspensions in the pH range 3 to 9, of NaCl concentrations between 10(-3) and 10(-1) M, and of solid concentrations between 5 and 11% w/v. Three kinds of experiments were performed: steady-state viscometry, oscillatory test, and creep recovery. The physical quantities of interest were the yield stress sigma(y) of the suspensions, the elastic rigidity modulus G', and the instantaneous elastic compliance. Furthermore, G' was obtained from oscillatory tests in three different experiments: determination of the viscoelastic linear region, oscillograms, and the gelation process. All quantities were found to scale with the concentration of solids, C, according to a power law of the form Y=k(y)C(n). The exponents n were found to change from approximately 3 to approximately 6 when the pH was increased from 3 to 9 (at constant ionic strength 10(-2) M), although values as high as 10 were estimated when the NaCl concentration was reduced to 1 mM. Such values of n correlate well with the characteristics of the edge-to-face (E-F), edge-to-edge (E-E), and face-to-face (F-F) interparticle interactions. The minimum values of n correspond to maximum E-F attractions, whereas the largest n are associated with strong F-F repulsions. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

铝/镁混合金属氢氧化物正电胶体粒子体系的触变性

采用恒定低剪切速率方法和动态实验方法研究了铝/镁混合金属氢氧化物(MMH)悬浮体的流变性,着重考察了剪切历史和恢复时间等因素对悬浮体触变性的影响,发现MMH粒子深度的增加使得悬浮体从粘性流体变为“类固体”;恒定低剪切速率方法和动态实验方法研究悬浮体的结构恢复过程给出了不同的结果,唯象地解释了MMH悬浮体触变性产生的原因,认为触变性结构是由于粒子间的静电排斥作用而形成的,与粘土悬浮体相比,两者的流变性具有诸多相似之处,只是所带电荷符号相反。     

Peculiarities of rheological properties and flow of highly concentrated emulsions: The role of concentration and droplet size

Results of a complete study of the rheological properties of highly concentrated emulsions of the w/o type with the content of the dispersed phase up to 96% are reported. The aqueous phase is a supersaturated solution of nitrates, where the water content does not exceed 20%. Dispersed droplets are characterized by a polyhedral shape and a broad size distribution. Highly concentrated emulsions exhibit the properties of rheopectic media. In steady-state regimes of shearing, these emulsions behave as viscoplastic materials with a clearly expressed yield stress. Highly concentrated emulsions are characterized by elasticity due to the compressed state of droplets. Shear storage modulus is constant in a wide range of frequencies that reflect solid-like behavior of such emulsions at small deformations. The storage (dynamic) modulus coincides with the elastic modulus measured in terms of the reversible deformations after the cessation of creep. Normal stresses appear in the shearing. In the low shear rate domain, normal stresses do not depend on shear rate, so that it can be assumed that they have nothing in common with normal stresses arising owing to the Weissenberg effect. These normal stresses can be attributed to Reynolds’ dilatancy (elastic dilatancy). Normal stresses sharply decrease beyond some threshold value of the shear rate and slightly increase only in a high shear rate domain. Observed anomalous flow curves and unusual changes of normal stresses with shear rate are explained by the two-step model of emulsion flow. Direct optical observations show that emulsions move by the mechanism of the rolling of larger droplets over smaller ones without noticeable changes of their shape at low shear rates, while strong distortions of the droplet shape is evident at high shear rates. The transition from one mechanism to the other is attributed to a certain critical value of the capillary number. The concentration dependence of the elastic modulus (as well as the yield stress) can be described by the Princen-Kiss model, but this model fails to predict the droplet size dependence of the elastic modulus. Numerous experiments demonstrated that the modulus and yield stress are proportional to the squared reciprocal size, while the Princen-Kiss model predicts their linear dependence on the reciprocal size. A new model based on dimensional arguments is proposed. This model correctly describes the influence of the main structural parameters on the rheological properties of highly concentrated emulsions. The boundaries of the domain of highly concentrated emulsions are estimated on the basis of the measurement of their elasticity and yield stress.     

Linear viscoelastic behaviors of polybutene-1 melts with various structure parameters

The effects of weight-average molecular(Mw), molecular weight distribution(MWD), and isotacticity on the linear viscoelastic behavior of polybutene-1 melts are studied. It is observed that the linear viscoelastic region becomes slightly narrower with increasing frequency. In frequency sweeps, the transition of the polymer melts flow from Newtonian flow to power-law flow can be observed. The melts with higher Mw and/or broader MWD, as well as higher isotacticity exhibit higher complex viscosity, zero shear viscosity, viscoelasticity moduli, relaxation modulus, broader transition zone, while lower critical shear rate, non-Newtonian index, and the frequency at which elasticity begins to play an important role. The relationship of zero shear viscosity on Mw has been established, which agrees with the classical power law. Furthermore, it is found that the cross-over frequency decreases with increasing Mw and the cross-over modulus increases with narrowing MWD.     

十二烷基聚氧乙烯硫酸钠胶束体系的流变性质研究

用流变学方法研究了无机电解质KBr存在时,阴离子表面活性剂十二烷基聚氧乙烯(3)硫酸钠(SDES)水溶液中胶束的生长和结构。通过测量体系的稳态剪切粘度(η)和应力(σ)关系,得到零剪切粘度(η0)、复合粘度(|η^*|)、动态模量[储能模量(G')和损耗模量(G")、平台模量(G0)、结构松驰时间(τ)等流变学参数,并应用Cox-Merz规则和Cole-Cole图,发现在SDES/KBr体系中可以形成蠕虫状胶束网络结构,体系为假塑性流体,偏离Maxwell模型,具有非线性粘弹性,没有单一的结构松驰时间。