JP2011057914A - Lubricating grease composition, and rolling bearing with the same enclosed therein - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lubricating grease composition which is excellent in low torque performance, and to provide a rolling bearing with a low rotational torque. <P>SOLUTION: The lubricating grease composition comprises a base oil and a thickener, wherein the base oil is a saturated fatty acid triglyceride comprising an ester of a saturated fatty acid and glycerin, and the thickener is a dextrin fatty acid ester composed of a fatty acid and dextrin, or an inulin fatty acid ester composed of fatty acid and inulin. There is provided the rolling bearing which has the lubricating grease composition enclosed therein. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a novel lubricating grease composition, and more particularly to a novel lubricating grease composition that can be suitably used for lubrication of a rolling bearing, and a rolling bearing in which the novel lubricating grease composition is enclosed.

  Conventionally, a lubricating grease composition comprising a thickener and a base oil has been used for lubrication in sliding parts, rotations or rolling parts of various mechanical devices. A typical example of a device having a sliding / rotating or rolling part is a rolling bearing which is one of the rolling devices. In recent years, rolling devices, in particular, rolling bearings, have been required to reduce torque at the time of starting and rotating from the viewpoint of energy saving of mechanical devices. On the other hand, as a lubricating grease composition, there is an increasing demand not only for a rolling device but also for a so-called environmentally friendly one. Ultimately, it is carbon neutral at the time of production and disposal, and it is possible to suppress energy loss at the time of use, and that which does not emit extra carbon dioxide is required.

  However, as long as it is used in a mechanical device, it is required to have various performances that meet the required specifications for various mechanical devices, including durability that can be used for a sufficient period.

  So far, a large number of so-called biodegradable lubricating grease compositions and lubricating grease compositions produced from plant-derived raw materials have been developed, and some have been put into practical use. The applicant of the present invention has also been diligently developing as shown in Patent Document 1, but there is a strong demand for improvement in torque performance particularly when used in a rolling device.

JP 2009-185243 A

  The present invention provides a lubricating grease composition having a composition closer to carbon neutral than before and excellent in low torque performance when applied to sliding and rolling devices of various mechanical devices. With the goal. In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a rolling bearing which is excellent in low torque performance and can be applied as a sliding / rolling device for various mechanical devices.

  A first invention for achieving the above object is a lubricating grease composition comprising at least a base oil and a thickener, wherein the base oil is a saturated fatty acid triglyceride comprising an ester of a saturated fatty acid and glycerin. The contrast agent is a dextrin fatty acid ester composed of a fatty acid and dextrin, or an inulin fatty acid ester composed of a fatty acid and inulin. Since both base oil and thickener can be obtained from natural or plant-derived raw materials, it has an excellent composition in terms of carbon neutrality and biodegradability, and is composed of a combination of such base oil and thickener. The grease composition is excellent in low torque performance when applied to a sliding / rolling device such as a rolling bearing.

  The second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the ratio of the thickener is 12 to 35% by mass with respect to the total amount of the lubricating grease composition. When the ratio of the thickener is 12 to 35% by mass, when applied to a sliding / rolling device such as a rolling bearing, leakage from the sliding / rolling portion can be suppressed. Can be used over a wide range. If the ratio of the thickener is less than 12% by mass, the shear stability as a lubricating grease composition is affected, and when applied to a sliding / rolling device such as a rolling bearing, It may be softened by the shearing action and excessively leaked, which may not be suitable for long-term use. On the other hand, if the proportion of the thickener exceeds 35% by mass, the proportion of the base oil used for lubrication becomes too small, and the balance may be poor. Preferably, the ratio of the thickener is 12 to 28% by mass. More preferably, it is 12-25 mass%, Most preferably, you may be 15-25 mass%.

  A third invention is a saturated fatty acid triglyceride in which the base oil is an ester comprising a saturated fatty acid having 6 to 12 carbon atoms and glycerin in the first or second invention, and the thickener has 6 to 24 carbon atoms. It is a dextrin saturated fatty acid ester composed of a saturated fatty acid and dextrin, or an inulin saturated fatty acid ester composed of a saturated fatty acid having 6 to 24 carbon atoms and inulin. If the saturated fatty acid constituting the base oil has 5 or less carbon atoms, the heat resistance as the base oil may be weakened, and if it exceeds 12, the viscosity of the base oil may be too high. However, saturated fatty acids having a carbon number in the range of 6 to 12 can be mixed and used.

  If the saturated fatty acid constituting the thickener has a carbon number of 6 or less, the thickening performance as a thickener may be reduced, and even if the carbon number exceeds 24, the same applies. Here, as long as the saturated fatty acid has 6 to 22 carbon atoms, those having different carbon numbers can be mixed and applied.

  Furthermore, as shown in the third invention, the base oil and the thickener are obtained by setting the fatty acid constituting the base oil to 6 to 12 carbon atoms and the fatty acid constituting the thickener to 6 to 24 carbon atoms. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a composition that exhibits excellent performance as a grease composition for lubrication. As for the interaction, although there is an unknown part in principle, a so-called chain matching effect or the like can be considered.

  Moreover, in 3rd invention, Preferably, it is preferable that the carbon number of the fatty acid which comprises a base oil shall be 8-12, and the carbon number of the fatty acid which comprises a thickener shall be 8-22. More preferably, the fatty acid constituting the base oil has 8 to 10 carbon atoms, and the fatty acid constituting the thickener has 12 to 18 carbon atoms. Within this range, it is possible to use raw materials that are superior in performance as a lubricating grease composition and that are relatively inexpensive, leading to cost reduction.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the rolling bearing which is one of sliding devices and rolling devices such as linear guides, ball screws, and sliding bearings, the lubricating grease composition according to the first to third aspects of the invention is enclosed. It is a feature. This rolling bearing exhibits excellent low torque characteristics. Further, the enclosed grease is the lubricating grease composition of the first to third inventions, and basically does not contain any harmful substances for human animals. Therefore, it can be particularly suitably used for food production machines, agricultural machines, and the like.

  The lubricating grease composition of the present invention can reduce energy loss in sliding parts and rolling parts by applying it to sliding devices and rolling devices in various mechanical devices, and the rolling bearing of the present invention is excellent. It shows low torque performance.

It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the rolling bearing which concerns on this invention. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the rolling bearing rotational speed and rotational torque in the Example and comparative example of this invention.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

(Base oil)
The viscosity of the saturated fatty acid triglyceride used as the base oil is preferably 8 to 120 mm ² / s at 40 ° C. If the viscosity of the base oil is 8 mm ² / s or less at 40 ° C., the heat resistance will be inferior. If it exceeds 120 mm ² / s, the shear resistance of the base oil itself will increase, and if it is a rolling bearing, the starting torque There is a risk of increasing the rotational torque. The preferred viscosity of the saturated fatty acid triglycerides, 8~50mm ² / s at 40 ° C., more preferably 10~35mm ² / s, most preferably 10 to 20 mm ² / s.

  Further, saturated fatty acid triglyceride is a mixture of saturated fatty acid triglyceride composed of saturated fatty acid and glycerin having 8 carbon atoms and saturated fatty acid triglyceride composed of saturated fatty acid and glycerin having 10 carbon atoms, or carbon in one molecule of saturated fatty acid triglyceride. It is preferable that the saturated fatty acid ester part of number 8 and the saturated fatty acid ester part of carbon number 10 are mixed. The saturated fatty acid preferably has a linear structure.

  More preferably, in the saturated fatty acid portion of the saturated fatty acid triglyceride that is the base oil, the proportion of the one having 8 carbon atoms and the proportion of the one having 10 carbon atoms are in a molar ratio of 60 (C8): 40 (C10). ~ 90: 10. Most preferably, it is set to 70: 30-80: 20. Within such a range, a lubricating grease composition having not only low torque performance but also excellent chemical and mechanical performance such as heat resistance and durability can be obtained.

  In the base oil, other animal and vegetable oils, mineral oils, and synthetic oils can be mixed and used as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired.

(Thickener)
The fatty acid constituting the dextrin fatty acid ester or the inulin fatty acid ester is preferably a saturated fatty acid. Specifically, the saturated fatty acid moiety is hexanoic acid, heptanoic acid, octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, dodecanoic acid. Tetradecanoic acid, pentadecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, heptadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, nonadecanoic acid, icosanoic acid, docosanoic acid, tetradocosanoic acid and the like can be used. Particularly preferably, pentadecanoic acid (15 carbon atoms), hexadecanoic acid (16 carbon atoms), or heptadecanoic acid (17 carbon atoms) is used. These fatty acids preferably have a linear structure.

  It should be noted that the thickener can also be used by mixing with other thickeners as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. However, from the viewpoint of carbon neutral and the like, it is preferable to use a mineral or inorganic thickener such as carbon black, silica powder, bentonite or the like.

  Here, dextrin is a saccharide in which several α-glucoses are polymerized by glycosidic bonds, and is generally obtained by hydrolysis of starch. Inulin is also a kind of polysaccharide, specifically, CAS No. 9005-8-5.

(Other additives)
In the lubricating grease composition of the present invention, additives that are used in ordinary lubricating grease can be blended within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention. Specifically, antioxidants, rust inhibitors, extreme pressure agents, friction modifiers, pH adjusters, and the like can be used.

(Example)
Examples will be described below.

  Lubricating grease compositions having the compositions of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 shown in Table 1 were prepared by the following procedure, and the bearing rotational torque was measured by the following procedure. The measurement results are shown in Table 1 and FIG. The lubricating grease composition of the present invention exhibited excellent low torque performance.

  15 g of hexadecanoic acid dextrin was blended with 85 g of saturated medium-chain fatty acid triglyceride, and the mixture was heated and stirred until the dextrin hexadecanoic acid was dissolved. After complete dissolution of dextrin hexadecanoate, it was poured into an aluminum vat that had been previously cooled with water and cooled with running water. The lubricating grease composition solidified in a gel state was applied to a three-roll mill to obtain a lubricating grease composition of Example 1.

  Next, 12 g of lithium 12-hydroxystearate was blended with 88 g of saturated medium chain fatty acid triglyceride, and the mixture was heated and stirred until the lithium 12-hydroxystearate was dissolved. After lithium 12-hydroxystearate was completely dissolved, it was poured into an aluminum vat that had been previously cooled with water and cooled with running water. The lubricating grease composition solidified in a gel state was applied to a three-roll mill to obtain a lubricating grease composition as Comparative Example 1.

  These lubricating grease compositions of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were sealed in sealed deep groove ball bearings (made by NSK: 6305VV) having an outer diameter of 62 mm and an inner diameter of 17 mm, respectively, so that the volume of the bearing internal space was 25%. The bearing rotational torque was measured.

  In the bearing torque test, under the load conditions of radial load 98N and axial load 196N, the rotational speed was sequentially increased from the start of rotation, and the bearing rotational torque at a predetermined rotational speed was measured.

  The present invention can be suitably used as a lubricating grease composition and a rolling device.

1 Rolling bearing 2 Lubricating grease composition

Claims (4)

  A lubricating grease composition comprising a base oil and a thickener, wherein the base oil is a saturated fatty acid triglyceride comprising an ester of a saturated fatty acid and glycerin, and the thickener is a dextrin fatty acid ester comprising a fatty acid and a dextrin, or It is an inulin fatty acid ester composed of a fatty acid and inulin.   The lubricating grease composition according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the thickener is 12 to 35 mass% with respect to the total amount of the lubricating grease composition.   The base oil is a saturated fatty acid triglyceride which is an ester composed of a saturated fatty acid having 6 to 12 carbon atoms and glycerin, and the thickener is a dextrin saturated fatty acid ester composed of a saturated fatty acid having 6 to 24 carbon atoms and dextrin, or 6 carbon atoms. The lubricating grease composition according to claim 1 or 2, which is an inulin saturated fatty acid ester comprising -24 saturated fatty acids and inulin.   A rolling bearing comprising the lubricating grease composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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