Environment Friendly Grease

Introduction

Grease is a lubricating substance that is widely used in various industries, including automotive, manufacturing, and construction. However, traditional grease formulations can have a negative impact on the environment and human health due to their toxic chemicals and non-biodegradable components. To address this issue, eco-friendly grease formulations have been developed, which offer a safer and more sustainable alternative to conventional greases.

Eco-friendly grease is a type of lubricant that is made from renewable and biodegradable resources, such as vegetable oils, animal fats, and other plant-based materials. Unlike traditional petroleum-based greases, eco-friendly greases are free from harmful chemicals such as heavy metals, chlorine, and sulfur. These greases are also biodegradable, which means that they can be broken down naturally by microorganisms in the environment, reducing their impact on soil, water, and air quality.

Difference between eco-friendly grease and commercial grease

Benefits of using eco-friendly grease

1. Reduced environmental impact: Eco-friendly greases are made from renewable and biodegradable resources, which reduces their environmental impact. They are also free from toxic chemicals, which helps to protect the environment and human health.
2. Improved equipment performance: Eco-friendly greases provide excellent lubrication properties, which can help to improve equipment performance and lifespan.
3. Cost-effective: Although eco-friendly greases can be more expensive than traditional petroleum-based greases, they can also be more cost-effective in the long run due to their superior performance and longer lifespan.
4. Compliance with environmental regulations: Eco-friendly greases are often required by environmental regulations, especially in industries such as marine and aviation, which have strict environmental standards.

Types of eco-friendly grease formulations

1. Vegetable oil-based greases: These greases are made from vegetable oils such as canola, soybean, and sunflower oil. They offer excellent lubrication properties and are biodegradable.
2. Animal fat-based greases: These greases are made from animal fats such as beef tallow or lard. They are biodegradable and offer good lubrication properties.
3. Synthetic ester-based greases: These greases are made from synthetic esters, which are biodegradable and offer excellent lubrication properties. They are often used in extreme temperature conditions.
4. Polyalkylene glycol (PAG)-based greases: These greases are made from PAG, which is a synthetic polymer. They offer excellent lubrication properties and are often used in high-temperature applications.

Research work acknowledging eco-friendly grease performance

Ponnekanti Nagendramma and Prashant Kumar via their research work were successful in developing a potential ecofriendly lubricating grease formulation using Jatropha residual oil as base oil. The performance parameters of weld load and wear scar diameter obtained with the residual oil grease is better than that of commercial grease. 

A study put forward by Ankit Saxena and team presents a maiden combination to develop a series of greases using soybean oil as base oil, organo-montmorillonite as a thickener, and CaCO₃ nanoparticles (0–3 %w/w) as additives. In general, the developed gels exhibited equivalent characteristics to that of the commercial grease. However, the concentration of nanoparticles appeared to influence grease behavior significantly. The distribution of and the level of agglomeration among the nanoparticles were recognized as the two crucial parameters. Among all the formulations, the grease with 2% doping of CaCO₃ nanoparticles displayed the optimum properties (thixotropy and rheology) closest to that of the commercial reference grease.

The same team also presented a study which explored, for the very first time, an effort to enhance the lubricity of eco-friendly greases (based on vegetable oil and organoclay) using biopolymers like gum acacia (GA) and guar gum (GG) as additives. Two different series of greases containing 0–10% w/w of GA and GG were developed and evaluated for a standard anti-wear (AW) test on a four-ball tester. The addition of GG in greases augments AW characteristics (≈22% improvement) and frictional response (≈42% improvement) at all concentrations. The formation of a physisorbed tribofilm at the interface is attributed to the enhanced performance.