Lubricant

What does the abbreviation PTFE in the name of a lubricant mean?
PTFE is the short name of polytetrafluoroethylene, also known as fluoroplastic. Another name for polytetrafluoroethylene is Teflon. But that is a trade mark, all rights to which belong to DuPont, so nobody else may use the word “Teflon” in the name of their products without the permission of this corporation. Polytetrafluoroethylene is famous for having the lowest coefficient of friction among polymers; in other words, it is the most slippery. In addition, polytetrafluoroethylene is very chemically resistant and is practically not wetted by water.

Read more → PTFE protective lubricant

What is a liquid wrench?
This name has become a household word for a class of lubricants whose main purpose is the ability to penetrate the smallest gaps of threaded joints that have “seized” together, to soften the rust binding them, to lubricate the friction surfaces where possible and to make it possible to undo a nut or bolt that seemed to be “welded” solid. When creating “liquid wrenches”, therefore, developers give priority to exactly the penetrating ability of these compositions, often deliberately sacrificing lubricating properties.

Read more → Liquid wrench with molybdenum disulphide

What properties should a penetrating lubricant have?
The properties a penetrating lubricant must have are quite varied and some even contradict one another. For example, in order to provide good penetrating properties high fluidity is needed, whereas in order to provide good lubricating properties low fluidity is needed instead. It is also important that a penetrating lubricant displaces water and softens rust

Read more → Synthetic penetrating lubricant

What makes graphite grease special?
The characteristics of graphite grease are determined by the properties of the graphite powder it contains. Graphite is distinguished by the fact that its molecules bond well to metal oxides and bond weakly to one another. Thanks to this, graphite creates a slippery film on the surface that withstands high loads and at the same time is not rubbed off the metal surface. Moreover, even if the grease begins to break down under the action of high loads and temperature, the graphite remaining on the surface of the rubbing parts continues to perform its function, acting as a dry lubricant. Graphite grease can therefore act both as a separating lubricant, preventing parts from “sticking” to one another, and as a friction lubricant, significantly reducing the friction force between parts. Because graphite holds well on the metal surface and has dirt-repellent properties, the grease also creates a kind of anti-corrosion coating, protecting the surface from atmospheric influences. Graphite has high electrical conductivity, so graphite grease can be used to protect battery terminals from corrosion without fear that the grease itself will create high electrical resistance.

Read more → Graphite grease

What are the main requirements for an aluminium anti-seize lubricant?
Such a lubricant is called a separating lubricant and its main purpose is to ensure reliable separation of parts that are in contact with one another under high forces, at high temperatures and under the action of aggressive media, for example road chemicals. At the same time the relative movement of the parts themselves may be very small (brake pad and caliper)

Read more → Aluminium anti-seize lubricant

Why is low flow when heated important for high-temperature lubricants?
One of the main properties of high-temperature lubricants is the ability to keep their consistency when heated, without thinning and running out of the friction zone. Cheap imitations of high-temperature lubricants are made by mixing a grease such as «Litol» with copper powder.

Read more → High-temperature copper grease