Formulation of new lubricating fluids based on glycerol and added with graphene for application in spinning machines

Abstract

The fluid market is divided into: bases, additives and finished lubricants, its origin being established by the base used: mineral (derived from petroleum); synthetic (industrially synthesized material) or renewable (vegetable). Despite the national biomass potential, the main obstacle to increasing the market share of renewable oils is the coordination between biorefineries and input producers, competing in the use of vegetable bases (such as soy) in biodiesel, further pressureing the value of the oil, making renewable source alternatives less competitive. Recently, B & M (a partner company of the research group involved in this project), through research projects, developed and patented (Brazil Patent No. PI 1104576-0, 2011) a glycerol-based hydraulic lubricating oil as a new alternative to renewable base to replace the mineral oil, being available to the Emerson Leite Researcher using a Commercial Agreement signed between the parties. The use of glycerol in its composition allows it to be water soluble and biodegradable in addition to lubrication and performance properties comparable or superior to mineral oil based products.Reducing friction and wear associated with mechanical failures in moving mechanical systems has attracted increasing attention due to adverse impacts of friction on efficiency, durability, and environmental compatibility. In this sense, there is a continuous search for new materials, coatings and lubricants (liquids and solids) that can potentially reduce friction and wear. (Berman, Erdemir, & Sumant, 2014)The additives present in lubricating oils are used to complete the properties of the base oil (without additives). They confer properties that the base does not possess naturally, reinforce its properties intrinsically, or negate adverse undesirable effects. (STACHOWIAK & BATCHELOR, 2014). Currently 90% of the sales of additives are made by companies, multinationals that owns the technological asset. as in the case of molybdenum disulfide, with low coefficient of friction, distributed only by the manufacturer, holder of the patent. While it may be an entry barrier, it opens up space for a new technology to enter the market, as there are historically no innovations in this area in terms of new materials. Recent studies show that graphene has much to offer as a solid lubricant or additive to fluid lubricant. However, despite intense efforts in graphene research for a plethora of existing and future applications, its tribological potential as a lubricant remains relatively unexplored. (Berman, Erdemir, & Sumant, 2014)This project aims to test the technical-scientific feasibility of using graphene as an additive in glycerol-based lubricating oils. The project aims to prove concept by determining the effects of the addition of graphene on the properties of the lubricating oil, based on glycerol compared to oil without addition of graphene.With the change in the base for glycerine and the graphene additive, it is expected to develop a new, renewable-based alternative to the market and to achieve a technological leap in additivation, with substantial performance gains and better or similar qualifications for the mineral base options already existing. (AU)