Studying colloidal greases with hard nanoparticles of aluminum silicates used to reduce wear of steel friction pairs

Abstract

Electron diffraction analysis was used to study the dispersion of natural bentonite particles accompanied by the formation of nanoparticles of aluminum silicates and the rheological behavior of these colloidal systems was investigated. Based on these results, an additive to grease has been proposed, which was highly efficient in terms of improving the wear resistance of lubricated steel surfaces. This additive was produced by the chemical disintegration of modified natural aluminum silicates and their homogeneous distribution in the bulk of the grease using the resonance method. The effect of the amount of the antifriction additive to the grease on the wear resistance of steel specimens was studied. Improving the wear resistance of lubricated steel surfaces was due to the use of the antiwear additive that contained available and inexpensive components. The proposed grease is promising for lubricating the rail-wheel contact, especially in high-speed railway transport.