JP2008231293A - Lubricant composition and lubrication system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a semi-solid lubricant composition that exhibits excellent lubricity, such as high extreme pressure and stable friction characteristics in a thin film state by applying an extremely small amount of oil to a lubricated sliding portion, and this lubricant Providing a lubrication system using the composition in a transmission element mechanism.
The liquid base oil is 10 to 99.9% by mass, the amide compound is 0.1 to 90% by mass, the solid lubricant is 1.0 to 20% by mass, or the organomolybdenum compound is Mo in amount of 0.0005. Lubricant composition containing ˜5% by mass and being semi-solid at room temperature, and transmission of such lubricant composition including bearings, gears, moving screws, linear motion tables, cams, belts, chains, wire ropes, etc. Lubrication system used for element mechanism.
[Selection figure] None

Description

  The present invention relates to a lubricant composition that is semi-solid at room temperature, and particularly relates to a lubricant composition having high extreme pressure properties and stable friction characteristics. The present invention further relates to a lubrication system using the lubricant composition in a transmission element mechanism.

  In recent years, environmental friendliness and energy saving have become important key technologies. In particular, there are many environmental issues such as reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, power saving, energy saving, and effective use of resources. The target fields are various, such as various production industry activities and transportation systems.

  Various industrial machines such as rolling mills, plastic working machines, machine tools, injection molding machines, press machines, forging machines, etc. are strongly required to save energy in addition to high-precision processing and high reliability. Energy saving operation is also required for compressors and vacuum pumps. In addition, transportation systems represented by automobiles, construction machinery, agricultural machinery, trains, airplanes, ships, and the like are also required to have comfortable and stable travel and navigation, as well as fuel saving and energy saving. In addition, mechanical systems such as home appliances, OA equipment, and precision machines have been developed in consideration of further energy saving.

  In such a mechanical system, a transmission element mechanism such as a bearing, a gear, a moving screw, a linear motion table, a cam, a belt, a chain, and a wire rope is incorporated in various ways depending on the application. In addition, a system in which these are appropriately combined is also used. There are various types of rolling bearings and sliding bearings. There are various types of gears (parallel gears such as spur gears and helical gears), cross shaft gears such as face gears, staggered gears such as screw gears and hypoid gears, worm gears, planetary gears, and differential gears. It is done. Typical examples of the moving screw include a sliding screw and a rolling screw. Specific transmission element mechanisms include rolling mills and plastic processing machines used in the metal processing field including steelworks, including bearings, table rollers, chain drives, gear couplings, and machine tools. Injection molding machines, press machines, forging machines, grinding machines, etc. have precision drive mechanism parts such as bearings, motion screws, gears, belts and chains. In automotive powertrain systems, constant velocity joints, universal joints, bearings, around the engine, actuators, starters, gears, alternators, bearings, and around the steering, electric power steering, racks and pinions such as overrunning, tilt telescopic , Suspension ball joint mechanism, braking device and chassis lubrication, electrical parts and electrical mechanisms include door handles, door checks, door hinges, door lock actuators, door latches, key cylinders, electric mirrors, seat belts Various transmission element mechanisms are used as appropriate for seats, window regulators, various switches, and the like. Motorcycles and bicycles have chain drive parts and bearings. Construction machines such as excavators, wheel loaders, bulldozers, and cranes have guide bushes, gears, and bearings. Agricultural machines, mowers, chainsaws, and the like have bearings, gears, and chain drive units. In addition, the railway system has a transmission gear and a rail track switching mechanism, and various bearings and gears are also provided in aircraft and ships. Furthermore, various audiovisual information equipment using CD, DVD, magnetic tape, digital tape, etc. as recording media, and office automation equipment such as portable devices, printers, facsimiles, copying machines, air conditioners, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, electronic Bearings, gears, linear motion screws, chain drives, hard disk drives in computers, shutter mechanisms for film cameras, digital cameras, lens drivers, watch gears in home appliances such as ranges, washing machines, and health massage machines The mechanism is also an example of a transmission element mechanism.

These transmission element mechanisms are applied with various lubricating oils, lubricants, greases, solid lubricants, and lubrication methods combining these according to applications. In particular, grease is less likely to leak oil, and products having required performance according to each application have been developed and put into practical use. Also disclosed is a thermoreversible gel-like composition containing a mineral oil-based and / or synthetic liquid lubricating base oil, bisamide and / or monoamide, and further a friction modifier (Patent Document 1). ).
However, in recent years, there has been a strong demand for higher performance, smaller size, and longer life of the above mechanical system, and lubricants can be further improved in performance, in particular, lubricated without any problems even with extremely small amounts of oil. It has been demanded.
WO2006 / 051671

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and the object of the present invention is to apply a very small amount of oil to a lubricated sliding part, and to show excellent lubricity such as high extreme pressure and stable friction characteristics even in a thin film state. A semi-solid lubricant composition, and a lubrication system using the lubricant composition in a transmission element mechanism.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventors of the present invention have arrived at the present invention as a result of diligent research on a lubricating base oil, chemical substances that retain lubricity, additives, and the like, and combinations thereof.

That is, the present invention is the following lubricant composition and lubrication system.
(1) 10 to 99.9% by mass of liquid base oil, 0.1 to 90% by mass of amide compound, 1.0 to 20% by mass of solid lubricant, or 0 as the amount of molybdenum (Mo) of organic molybdenum compound A lubricant composition characterized by containing .0005 to 5% by mass and being semi-solid at room temperature.

(2) The lubricant composition according to (1), wherein the liquid base oil is at least one selected from poly-α-olefin oligomers and fatty acid esters.

（式（１）〜（３）において、Ｒ１、Ｒ２、Ｒ３、Ｒ４、Ｒ５及びＲ６は、それぞれ独立して、炭素数５〜２５の飽和又は不飽和の鎖状炭化水素基であり、Ｒ２は水素であってもよい、Ａ１及びＡ２は、炭素数１〜１０のアルキレン基、フェニレン基、又は炭素数７〜１０のアルキルフェニレン基から選択される炭素数１〜１０の２価の炭化水素基である。） (3) The lubricant composition according to (1) or (2), wherein the amide compound is at least one compound represented by the following general formulas (1) to (3):

(In the formulas (1) to (3), R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 are each independently a saturated or unsaturated chain hydrocarbon group having 5 to 25 carbon atoms; A1 and A2, which may be hydrogen, are divalent hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms selected from an alkylene group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a phenylene group, or an alkylphenylene group having 7 to 10 carbon atoms. .)

(4) The lubricant composition according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the solid lubricant is at least one selected from molybdenum disulfide, graphite, boron nitride, and fluororesin.
(5) The lubricant composition according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the organic molybdenum compound is at least one of molybdenum dithiocarbamate and molybdenum dithiophosphate.

(6) A lubrication system using the lubricant composition according to any one of (1) to (5) in a transmission element mechanism.
(7) The lubrication system according to (6), wherein the transmission element mechanism includes at least one of a bearing, a gear, a moving screw, a linear motion table, a cam, a belt, a chain, and a wire rope.

  According to the lubricant composition of the present invention, by applying a small amount to a lubricated sliding portion, a stable thin film is formed during sliding, and excellent lubricity such as high extreme pressure and low friction characteristics is exhibited for a long period of time. This is a special effect. Also, because it is a semi-solid lubricant composition at room temperature, it is not only a substitute for general-purpose grease, but also transmission element mechanisms such as bearings, gears, motion screws, linear motion tables, cams, belts, chains, wire ropes, etc. It can be used effectively as a lubricant for automobile power steering.

In the present invention, the liquid base oil is 10 to 99.9% by mass, the amide compound is 0.1 to 90% by mass, the solid lubricant is 1.0 to 20% by mass, or the organic molybdenum compound is 0.0005 as the amount of Mo. It is a lubricant composition that contains ~ 5% by mass and is semi-solid at room temperature, and when applied to a transmission element mechanism that requires lubrication, it becomes liquid when desired lubrication and becomes a desired lubricating performance. To demonstrate. It is especially useful for low-speed, high-load services where extreme seizure problems are a concern, and services that require extreme pressure lubrication. This makes it difficult for seizure to occur. In addition, the lubricant composition of the present invention, when the sliding portion of the transmission element mechanism starts to move, the temperature of the sliding portion rises, changes from a semi-solid state to a liquid state, enters the narrow sliding portion, and lubricates. Although it works as an agent composition, the part where the frictional heat does not propagate away from the sliding part maintains a semi-solid state, so there is no need to worry about so-called oil leakage, and the surroundings can always be kept clean.
Here, “normal temperature” means an ordinary temperature in the room, specifically, a temperature environment of 50 ° C. or less, more generally about −10 to 30 ° C.

[Liquid base oil]
As the liquid base oil used in the present invention, mineral oil (also referred to as mineral oil), synthetic oil, or a mixed oil thereof can be used. The physical properties of the liquid base oil are not particularly limited, but those having a kinematic viscosity at 40 ° C. of 5 to 5000 mm 2 / s are preferable, those of 10 to 1000 mm 2 / s are more preferable, and 20 to 700 mm 2 / s are more preferable. It is. Furthermore, the viscosity index is 90 or more, preferably 95 to 250, the pour point is −10 ° C. or less, preferably −15 to −70 ° C., and the flash point is preferably 150 ° C. or more.

  As mineral oil, crude oil fraction obtained by atmospheric distillation and further vacuum distillation is used to remove solvent, solvent extraction, hydrocracking, solvent dewaxing, hydrodewaxing, hydrorefining. In addition, a refined lubricating oil fraction obtained by treating with appropriate combinations of lubricating oil refining means such as sulfuric acid washing and clay treatment can be suitably used. Refined lubricating oil fractions having different properties obtained from a combination of various raw materials and various purification means may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

  Synthetic oils include poly-α-olefin (PAO), poly-α-olefin oligomers such as ethylene-α-olefin oligomers, alkyl naphthenes, alkyl naphthalenes, glycols, fatty acid esters, silicone oils, and fluorinated oils. Can be mentioned. Of these, poly-α-olefins and fatty acid esters are excellent in terms of viscosity characteristics, oxidation stability, material compatibility, and cost, and can be preferably used. These synthetic oils can be used alone or in combination of two or more as long as the above physical properties are satisfied. Furthermore, the above mineral oil and synthetic oil can be mixed and used at an arbitrary mixing ratio. At this time, a plurality of mineral oils and synthetic oils may be used.

  Poly-α-olefins are chemically inert, have excellent viscosity characteristics, have a wide range of viscosities, and are preferable in terms of cost. The poly-α-olefin is obtained by polymerizing olefin oligomers such as 1-decene, 1-dodecene, or 1-tetradecene, and appropriately blending these polymers for viscosity adjustment within a polymerization degree range of 2 to 10. It can be preferably used.

  Fatty acid esters are also commercially available as compounds with various molecular structures, each having unique viscosity characteristics (high viscosity index, low pour point), and higher flash point than hydrocarbon base oils of the same viscosity. There is a base oil. The fatty acid ester can be obtained by a dehydration condensation reaction of alcohol and fatty acid, but in the present invention, a diester, a polyol ester, or a complex ester is mentioned as a suitable liquid base oil component in terms of chemical stability. be able to.

  As the diester, an ester of a dibasic acid having 4 to 14 carbon atoms and an alcohol having 5 to 18 carbon atoms is preferably used. Specific examples of the dibasic acid include adipic acid, azelaic acid, sebacic acid, undecanedioic acid, dodecanedioic acid, and the like, and adipic acid, azelaic acid, and sebacic acid are preferable. The alcohol is preferably a monohydric alcohol having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, particularly a monohydric alcohol having a branch in a hydrocarbon group having 8 to 10 carbon atoms. Specific examples include 2-ethylhexanol, 3,5,5-trimethylhexanol, decyl alcohol, lauryl alcohol, oleyl alcohol and the like.

  Examples of polyol esters include neopentyl glycol, trimethylol ethane, trimethylol propane, trimethylol butane, di- (trimethylol propane), tri- (trimethylol propane), pentaerythritol, di- (pentaerythritol), tri Esters of hindered alcohols such as-(pentaerythritol) and fatty acids having 1 to 24 carbon atoms are preferred. In the fatty acid, the number of carbon atoms is not particularly limited, but among the fatty acids having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, those having 3 or more carbon atoms are preferable from the viewpoint of lubricity, and those having 4 or more carbon atoms are more preferable. Those having 5 or more carbon atoms are more preferable, and those having 7 or more carbon atoms are particularly preferable. Specifically, pentanoic acid, hexanoic acid, heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, undecanoic acid, dodecanoic acid, tridecanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, pentadecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, heptadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, nonadecanoic acid, Examples of such fatty acids may include linear fatty acids and branched fatty acids, and fatty acids (neoic acids) in which the α carbon atom is a quaternary carbon atom. May be. Among these, valeric acid (n-pentanoic acid), caproic acid (n-hexanoic acid), enanthic acid (n-heptanoic acid), caprylic acid (n-octanoic acid), pelargonic acid (n-nonanoic acid), caprin Acid (n-decanoic acid), oleic acid (cis-9-octadecenoic acid), isopentanoic acid (3-methylbutanoic acid), 2-methylhexanoic acid, 2-ethylpentanoic acid, 2-ethylhexanoic acid and 3,5,5 5-Trimethylhexanoic acid is preferably used.

  Further, a complex ester synthesized from a dibasic acid, a polyhydric alcohol and a monovalent carboxylic acid or a monohydric alcohol is also preferably used. Mineral oil is a more general-purpose base oil that is well balanced in terms of cost, viscosity characteristics, and oxidation stability. Of these base oils, poly-α-olefins can be used as the most excellent base oil in terms of performance and cost.

式中、Ｒ１及びＲ２は、それぞれ独立して、炭素数５〜２５の飽和又は不飽和の鎖状炭化水素基であり、さらに、Ｒ２は水素であってもよい。

式（２）及び（３）において、Ｒ３、Ｒ４、Ｒ５及びＲ６は、それぞれ独立して、炭素数５〜２５の飽和又は不飽和の鎖状炭化水素基であり、Ａ１及びＡ２は、炭素数１〜１０のアルキレン基、フェニレン基又は炭素数７〜１０のアルキルフェニレン基から選択される炭素数１〜１０の２価の炭化水素基である。なお、アルキルフェニレン基の場合、フェニレン基とアルキル基及び／又はアルキレン基の２個以上とが結合したかたちの２価の炭化水素基であってもよい。 [Amide compound]
The amide compound used in the present invention is a fatty acid amide compound having one or more amide groups (—NH—CO—), a monoamide having one amide group represented by the following formula (1), and the formula (2 ) And bisamide having two amide groups represented by (3) can be preferably used.

In the formula, R 1 and R 2 are each independently a saturated or unsaturated chain hydrocarbon group having 5 to 25 carbon atoms, and R 2 may be hydrogen.

In the formulas (2) and (3), R3, R4, R5 and R6 are each independently a saturated or unsaturated chain hydrocarbon group having 5 to 25 carbon atoms, and A1 and A2 are carbon numbers. It is a C1-C10 bivalent hydrocarbon group selected from a 1-10 alkylene group, a phenylene group, or a C7-10 alkylphenylene group. In the case of an alkylphenylene group, it may be a divalent hydrocarbon group in which two or more of a phenylene group and an alkyl group and / or an alkylene group are bonded.

The monoamide compound is represented by the above formula (1), but a part of hydrogen constituting R1 and R2 may be substituted with a hydroxyl group. Specific examples of such monoamide compounds include saturated fatty acid amides such as lauric acid amide, palmitic acid amide, stearic acid amide, behenic acid amide, and hydroxystearic acid amide, and unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid amide and erucic acid amide. Examples thereof include amides, and substituted amides with saturated or unsaturated long-chain fatty acids and long-chain amines such as stearyl stearamide, oleyl oleate, oleyl stearate, stearyl oleamide, and the like.
Among these monoamide compounds, R1 and R2 in the formula (1) are each independently an amide compound of a saturated chain hydrocarbon group having 12 to 20 carbon atoms and / or at least one of R1 and R2 has 12 carbon atoms. It is preferable that it is an amide compound of -20 unsaturated chain hydrocarbon groups, and a mixture of both amide compounds is more preferable. A monoamide compound in which the unsaturated chain hydrocarbon group is an oleyl group having an unsaturated bond having 18 carbon atoms is preferred. Specifically, oleic acid amide and oleyl oleic acid amide are preferable, and a thin film is formed and held on the sliding portion to ensure an effective thin film retaining property for solving the seizure trouble.

The bisamide compound is a compound represented by the above formula (2) or (3) in the form of a diamine acid amide or a diacid acid amide. In the hydrocarbon groups represented by R3, R4, R5 and R6, and A1 and A2 in formulas (2) and (3), part of hydrogen may be substituted with a hydroxyl group (—OH).
Specific examples of the amide compound represented by the formula (2) include ethylene bis stearic acid amide, ethylene bis isostearic acid amide, ethylene bis oleic acid amide, methylene bis lauric acid amide, hexamethylene bis oleic acid amide, and hexamethylene. Examples thereof include bishydroxystearic acid amide and m-xylylene bisstearic acid amide. Specific examples of the amide compound represented by the formula (3) include N, N′-distearyl sebacic acid amide.

  Among these bisamide compounds, as in the case of the monoamide compound, R3 and R4 in formula (2) and R5 and R6 in formula (3) are each independently an amide of a saturated chain hydrocarbon group having 12 to 20 carbon atoms. It is preferable that at least any one of a compound and / or R3 and R4 and R5 and R6 is an amide compound of an unsaturated chain hydrocarbon group having 12 to 20 carbon atoms, and a mixture of both amide compounds is more preferable. Further, a bisamide compound in which the unsaturated chain hydrocarbon group is an oleyl group having an unsaturated bond having 18 carbon atoms is preferable for ensuring thin film retention. Examples of such compounds include ethylene bisoleic acid amide and hexamethylene bisoleic acid amide.

  When the amide compound is uniformly mixed with the liquid base oil, it forms a gel-like composition at room temperature. This composition and a solid lubricant or an organomolybdenum compound described later are uniformly blended to prepare a semi-solid (gel-like) lubricant composition at room temperature of the present invention. Therefore, the amide compound works as a semi-solid compound that makes the liquid base oil semi-solid (gelled), and in a situation where the lubricant composition exhibits the inherent lubricating properties, it melts by frictional heat and becomes a liquid. It will work as a lubricant composition. Considering that it is used in a semi-solid state at normal temperature and in a liquid state at high temperature, the amide compound preferably used has a melting point of preferably 50 to 200 ° C., more preferably 80 to 180 ° C., and a molecular weight of 100. -1000 is preferable, More preferably, it is 150-800.

  In order to prevent seizure in a severe lubrication environment at sliding parts where only a small amount of oil can be used due to mechanical system design restrictions, the oil adheres firmly to the sliding surface. Must hold the oil film. For this purpose, an oil agent having adhesiveness is required. However, in the present invention, it has been found that the adhesiveness increases when the hydrocarbon group of the amide compound, which is a semi-solidified compound, is an unsaturated chain. When the adhesion increases, it can be applied to the sliding surface in a thin film, and it becomes difficult to cause an oil film breakage even in a severe lubrication environment, and the lubrication performance is improved. The unsaturated chain hydrocarbon group is preferably a bisamide compound which is an alkenyl group having an unsaturated bond having 12 to 20 carbon atoms, particularly an oleyl group having an unsaturated bond having 18 carbon atoms.

  The amide compound is blended so that it is contained in the lubricant composition that is semi-solid at the finished normal temperature in an amount of 0.1 to 90% by mass. If the amount of the amide compound is less than 0.1% by mass, a gel-like composition cannot be formed at room temperature. On the other hand, if it exceeds 90% by mass, it becomes too hard and difficult to handle. It is not preferable. A more preferable blending amount is 1 to 80% by mass.

[Solid lubricant and organic molybdenum compound]
In the lubricant composition of the present invention, in order to realize high lubricity, 1.0 to 20% by mass of a solid lubricant or 0.0005 to 5% by mass of an organomolybdenum compound as Mo amount is blended. It is particularly preferable to blend both.
Examples of the solid lubricant that can be used in the lubricant composition of the present invention include layered structure molybdenum disulfide, graphite and boron nitride, and fluorine resins such as polyimide and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
A solid lubricant is mix | blended so that 1-20 mass%, Preferably 2-10 mass% is contained in the lubricant composition of this invention. If the content is less than 1% by mass, there is no point in blending with a solid lubricant, and even if blended in excess of 20% by mass, the effect of lubricity commensurate with the amount of increase cannot be obtained, and the base oil can be stably added. Cannot be distributed.

  These solid lubricants can be used with no particular restrictions on the particle diameter as long as they are in the form of fine particles and can be uniformly dispersed in the base oil. However, in order to stably disperse without settling, 0.01 to 100 μm, A particle size of 0.1 to 10 μm is more preferable. Further, those obtained by previously uniformly dispersing these solid lubricants in a diluent oil and a diluent solvent can be used as appropriate. Of these solid lubricants, the layered structure compound, particularly molybdenum disulfide, is more preferable because the lubricating coating formed on the sliding portion effectively contributes to low friction characteristics in a severe lubricating region.

  Examples of the organic molybdenum compound that can be effectively used in the lubricant composition of the present invention include molybdenum dithiocarbamate (MoDTC) and molybdenum dithiophosphate (MoDTP). These compounds can be used alone or in combination of two or more. In particular, when an inorganic molybdenum compound and an organic molybdenum compound are used in combination, a greater effect of improving lubricity can be obtained. Therefore, it is preferable to use molybdenum disulfide in combination with MoDTC and / or MoDTP. In this case, the mixing ratio of the inorganic molybdenum compound and the organic molybdenum compound is preferably 0.5: 1 to 150: 1, more preferably 1: 1 to 20: 1, based on the molybdenum atom.

  The inorganic molybdenum compound and the organic molybdenum compound are preferably 0.02 to 20% by mass, particularly preferably 0.1 to 10% by mass, based on the molybdenum atom, in the finished lubricant composition that is semi-solid at room temperature. Blend to be included. If the blending ratio is less than 0.02% by mass, the effect of improving lubricity cannot be obtained. On the other hand, even if blended exceeding 20% by mass, the effect of improving lubricity commensurate with the blending cannot be obtained. It may be adversely affected by too much addition, such as not being stably dissolved in the base oil.

[Preparation of Lubricant Composition]
The lubricant composition that is semi-solid at room temperature of the present invention is not particularly limited, but by uniformly mixing the liquid base oil, amide compound, solid lubricant and organic molybdenum compound in the above blending ratio. Can be prepared. For example, liquid base oil, amide compound, solid lubricant and organomolybdenum compound are weighed in predetermined amounts, respectively, and liquid base oil and amide compound (semi-solidified compound) are heated to a melting point or higher so that the solid lubricant and It can be obtained by adding an organomolybdenum compound and stirring to be uniform and then cooling to a semi-solid state. Since molybdenum disulfide is a powdered solid, it is difficult to uniformly mix with liquid oil. In particular, molybdenum disulfide is an inorganic compound that is insoluble and inert to oil, and is difficult to disperse uniformly in the liquid. Therefore, liquid base oil or organic molybdenum compound is uniformly mixed with the amide compound heated to the melting point or higher, and then molybdenum disulfide is kneaded into the semi-solid composition obtained by cooling to mix each component uniformly. A lubricant composition that is semi-solid at room temperature may be prepared.

  In the composition of the present invention, additives such as well-known extreme pressure agents, corrosion inhibitors, antiwear agents, rust inhibitors, antioxidants, and antifoaming agents can be appropriately blended. Extreme pressure agents, zinc dialkyldithiophosphates, sulfur compounds, phosphorus compounds as antiwear agents, thiadiazole derivatives, benzotriazole and their derivatives as corrosion inhibitors, fatty acid partial esters, metal sulfonates, phosphorus compounds as rust inhibitors Examples thereof include phenolic and amine compounds as antioxidants, silicone compounds as antifoaming agents, PMA polymers, pour point depressants, and PMA polymers as viscosity index improvers. The various additives can also be used in the form of a so-called additive package in which several kinds are mixed in advance.

  When applied to a mechanical mechanism (sliding part) that requires a lubricating action, the lubricant composition that is semi-solid at room temperature of the present invention changes its state to liquid by frictional heat during sliding and penetrates into the sliding part, A thin film is formed on the surface of the solid constituting the sliding part such as metal or resin to lubricate the sliding part. When the sliding stops, the temperature decreases, and the lubricant composition in the liquid state returns to a semi-solid state (gel state) again. In addition, the lubricant composition of the present invention has excellent friction characteristics such as a high seizure load and a low friction coefficient, and further maintains this excellent friction characteristics over a long period of time. It is suitable for extreme pressure services, and can also be suitably used for sliding parts where it is difficult to replenish lubricants or for sliding parts of devices that do not open once assembled. Furthermore, the lubricant composition of the present invention can avoid contamination due to oil leakage because the gel (semi-solid state) structure is reconstructed even when repeatedly subjected to temperature rise and cooling stress associated with use and non-use.

  Therefore, in addition to being able to be used satisfactorily as a substitute for conventional grease, for example, it is suitable for transmission element mechanisms such as bearings, gears, moving screws, linear motion tables, cams, belts, chains, wire ropes, etc. It can be preferably used. Particularly preferred applications include transmission gears composed of worm gears, planetary gears, and the like, and various transportation machine systems, as well as power steering of automobiles, and the like.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[Liquid base oil]
The following three types of liquid base oils were used to prepare lubricant compositions for Examples and Comparative Examples.
Base oil A: Commercially available poly-α-olefin (PAO; Mobil SHF-400: Viscosity grade VG400)
Base oil B: Mineral oil of VG100 (500 neutral oil manufactured by Japan Energy)
Base oil C: fatty acid ester (Priolube 2087, manufactured by Unikema)
Table 1 shows the physical properties of these three types of liquid base oils. These liquid lubricating base oils are pre-mixed with a predetermined amount of additives such as antioxidants and antiwear agents, and have basic performance (antioxidation, wear prevention, etc.) as a lubricating oil. .

[Amide compound]
The following amide compounds were used for blending into a liquid base oil and making it semi-solid.
Amide A: Ethylene bisoleic acid amide (Nippon Kasei, Sripacks O), melting point 119 ° C.
Amide B: N-stearyl stearamide (Nippon Kasei Nikka Amide S), melting point 95 ° C.

[Solid lubricant]
The following two types of compounds were used as the solid lubricant.
MoS2: Molybdenum disulfide, particle diameter 1 μm, Mo amount 60% by mass,
PTFE: polytetrafluoroethylene fine particles KD-300AS (manufactured by Kitamura), particle diameter 0.3 μm, mineral oil dilution, PTFE concentration 40%
[Organic molybdenum compounds]
MoDTC: Adeka Sakura Lube 515 (manufactured by ADEKA), Mo amount 10% by mass, kinematic viscosity (40 ° C.) 700 mm 2 / s

[Preparation of Lubricant Composition]
Base oil A (PAO) and base oil B (mineral oil) are used as the liquid base oil, amide A (ethylenebisoleic acid amide) and amide B (N-stearyl stearic acid amide) are used as the amide compound, and MoS2 ( Test oils (lubricant compositions) of Examples 1 to 10 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were prepared by the following procedure using molybdenum disulfide) and MoDTC (molybdenum dithiocarbamate).
In a stainless steel beaker, weigh out a predetermined amount of liquid base oil, amide compound and molybdenum compound at a ratio (mass%) to the finished sample oil shown in the upper part of Table 2 so that about 100 ml of the sample oil is obtained. Using a desktop electromagnetic heater, the mixture was stirred while being heated above the melting point of the amide compound (melting point + 20 ° C.). After judging the uniform dissolution by observation of the appearance, about 100 ml of the uniform solution was transferred to a heat-resistant glass container (inner diameter 60 mm × height 90 mm), allowed to cool, and Examples 1 to 10 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 A semi-solid lubricant composition was prepared at room temperature.

  A commercially available lithium (Li) grease conventionally used as a semi-solid lubricant composition was evaluated as a comparative object (Comparative Example 2). This Li grease contains a Mo-based additive (7% as Mo), and the consistency classification of the grease corresponds to consistency number 2 (mixed consistency range 265 to 295).

[Evaluation methods]
An evaluation test (measurement of seizure load and friction coefficient) of each lubricant composition and Li grease of Examples and Comparative Examples was performed according to the method described below. The results are shown at the bottom of Table 2.
(1) FALEX seizure test Using the FALEEX tester described in ASTM D3233, the seizure load at the block / pin combination was measured. The material of the V-shaped block and the pin is AISI steel. Measurement was started at a rotational speed of 300 rpm, a continuous load, and room temperature. The general evaluation is measured with all the blocks / pins immersed in the test oil. In this evaluation, the test oil is applied only to the V-shaped part (triangular prism) of the two V-shaped blocks. The seizure load for a small amount of sample oil was recorded. The test oil was not replenished during the test.

(2) HFRR test The coefficient of friction was measured using an HFRR tester (HFRR D-826, manufactured by PCS Instruments) specified in JPI-5S-50-98 (Petroleum Society Standard, Diesel Oil-Lubricity Test Method). . The ball has a diameter of 4 mm and the material is SUJ-2. The disk is 9 mm in diameter and 5 mm in thickness, and the material is SUJ-2. The test oil was applied very thinly to the disk surface so that the amount applied was 0.0003 g / cm 2. In the test, reciprocal friction was performed at a load of 300 gf, an amplitude of 50 Hz, an amplitude of 1.0 mm, and a temperature of 25 ° C. for 10 minutes.

  In Examples 1 to 10, the seizure load in FALEX is 1500 to 2100 LBF (pounds), and shows high extreme pressure performance. On the other hand, in Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the seizure load was lower than that in the Examples. Moreover, in the HFRR test, although the friction coefficient of Examples 1-10 showed a stable value of 0.12-0.14, in the comparative example, seizure occurred without waiting for the friction time of 10 minutes. From the above results, it was found that even in the case of an extremely small amount of oil agent, the example shows a high extreme pressure property and forms a strong friction film even when applied in a thin film form.

  As is apparent from the above, the semi-solid lubricant composition at room temperature according to the present invention forms a thin film state with a very small amount of use compared to general-purpose grease, and exhibits high extreme pressure properties and stable friction characteristics. . In particular, stable friction characteristics (low friction coefficient) contribute to energy saving. Therefore, energy saving can be realized by applying it to a mechanical system consisting of a transmission element mechanism such as a bearing, gear, moving screw, cam, belt, chain, wire rope, etc. It can be expected to contribute to the long life of the system.

Claims (7)

  10 to 99.9% by mass of liquid base oil, 0.1 to 90% by mass of amide compound, 1.0 to 20% by mass of solid lubricant, or 0.0005 to 5% of molybdenum (Mo) as an organic molybdenum compound. A lubricant composition comprising 5% by mass and being semi-solid at ordinary temperature.   The lubricant composition according to claim 1, wherein the liquid base oil is at least one selected from poly-α-olefin oligomers and fatty acid esters. The lubricant composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the amide compound is at least one compound represented by the following general formulas (1) to (3):

(In the formulas (1) to (3), R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 are each independently a saturated or unsaturated chain hydrocarbon group having 5 to 25 carbon atoms; A1 and A2, which may be hydrogen, are divalent hydrocarbon groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms selected from an alkylene group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a phenylene group, or an alkylphenylene group having 7 to 10 carbon atoms. .)   The lubricant composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the solid lubricant is at least one selected from molybdenum disulfide, graphite, boron nitride, and fluororesin.   The lubricant composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the organic molybdenum compound is at least one of molybdenum dithiocarbamate and molybdenum dithiophosphate.   A lubrication system using the lubricant composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5 for a transmission element mechanism.   The lubrication system according to claim 6, wherein the transmission element mechanism includes at least one of a bearing, a gear, a moving screw, a linear motion table, a cam, a belt, a chain, and a wire rope.