In-situ construction of CaO·B2O3·4H2O before phase transformation towards synergetic improvement of lubricating properties for calcium sulfonate grease

A key prerequisite for obtaining high-performance lubrication under complicated operating conditions is to adjust the composition and structure of thickener in calcium sulfonate complex grease to face increasingly need of complex high-end equipment systems. However, how to regulate the thickening network with uniform distribution of solid particles still remain a great challenge. Herein, a novel size control method for in-situ introducing CaO·B 2 O 3 ·4H 2 O [(OH) 2 -B-O-Ca-O-B-(OH) 2 ] before phase transformation in the thickener of calcium sulfonate complex grease was outlined. A new calcium sulfonate grease (CSG with BBPT) with 3 % CaO·B 2 O 3 ·4H 2 O was optimized, whereas it could maintain uniformly size distribution in thickener. Furthermore, CSG with BBPT exhibited excellent lubricating capacity compared with traditional method under complicated conditions such as 500 N, utilizing its structural advantages to exert adsorption effect on the necking region of the surface and smoothly undergo a tribological chemical reaction with the friction surface and forms an effective thicker film. Thus, a novel preparation for CSG could provide basic theoretical and technical support for the development of new high-performance calcium sulfonate grease.