JP6605869B2 - Elevator rope grease, elevator rope, traction elevator and maintenance method for traction elevator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to grease for an elevator rope, an elevator rope, a traction type elevator, and a maintenance method for the traction type elevator.

  In recent years, a traction type elevator without a machine room is used for an elevator for a low-rise building. Traction elevators can be installed in narrow spaces, which were difficult to install in the past because the design layout of the elevator tower was increased by eliminating the use of a machine room. For this reason, the spread of the apparatus is progressing when the apparatus is newly installed and updated.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a traction type elevator. 1 is a passenger car, 2 is a counterweight (balanced weight), 3 is a sheave connected to a hoisting machine (not shown), 4 is a rope (wire rope), 5a and 5b are respectively hanging a passenger car and a counterweight A suspension pulley, 6 is a pulley fixed to the top, and 7 is a hoistway. One end of the rope 4 is fixed to the top of the hoistway 7 and is routed in the order of the car suspension pulley 5a, the top pulley 6, the sheave 3, the top pulley 6, and the counterweight suspension pulley 5b. It is fixed at the top. The tension difference generated by the car 1 and the counterweight 2 is balanced with the frictional force generated between the rope 4 and the sheave 3 via the rope 4.

  As the elevator rope, for example, a rope defined by JIS G 3525 is generally used. The rope has a structure in which about 6 or 8 strands are arranged around a heart rope made of synthetic fiber or natural fiber, and these are twisted. The strand is a twist of a plurality of steel wires. When tension is applied to the rope, the steel wire strands compress the core rope in order to reduce the friction between the steel wires and wear, and to form an oil film between the rope and sheave (maintaining lubricity). The rope surface is coated with viscous oil or grease-like oil. In the elevator of FIG. 1, when the tension of the rope 4 is increased so that the contact surface pressure (Hertz surface pressure) at the contact portion between the rope 4 and the sheave 3 is increased, the oil on the surface of the rope 4 causes the elastohydrodynamic lubricating film at the contact portion. The power of the hoisting machine is transmitted to the rope 4 through the contact portion. This is a kind of drive system called a traction drive. When the rope 4 moves, the car 1 and the counterweight 2 are driven, and the elevator goes up and down (the car 1 goes up and down).

  Recently, the application of a rope having a small rope diameter has been studied. By reducing the diameter of the rope, the sheave diameter and the winding angle are reduced, and the elevator can be further miniaturized. On the other hand, reducing the diameter of the rope reduces the contact area between the rope and the sheave, leading to a reduction in the power transmission (traction) of the rope. The driving force (traction force) of the rope generated by traction is represented by the product of the contact surface pressure of the rope and sheave and the traction coefficient of oil (oil film). In order to obtain a traction force against a reduction in the contact area, it is necessary to increase the contact surface pressure of the rope-sheave contact portion or to change to an oil having a high traction coefficient.

  Here, with the thinning of the rope, the contact surface pressure of the contact portion increases, while the tensile strength of the rope decreases. Although the contact surface pressure increases with the weight of the car, etc., the load on the rope also increases, so it is necessary to adjust it considering the safety factor of the rope. In addition to reducing the size of the apparatus, from the viewpoint of energy saving and longer life, the weight reduction of the car and the like is also being studied, and there are many technical restrictions on the method of increasing the contact surface pressure. Therefore, there is a demand for application of oil, grease, and the like that can provide excellent traction with respect to narrowing of the contact area.

  As an example of a traction type elevator using a high traction rope, Patent Document 1 discloses that a single but combination of polybutene and liquid polyisobutylene is used as a base, and this is fixed with a thickening agent, thereby requiring a required dropping point and consistency. A traction type elevator apparatus is disclosed, wherein at least the rope is coated with a soft solid oil agent or a grease oil agent. Patent Document 2 discloses a grease composition used for a traction drive mechanism (a planetary roller type traction drive mechanism used as a transmission device in a machine tool or the like), which is an α-alkylstyrene dimer hydride. Discloses a traction grease composition in which a thickener is dispersed in a base oil composed of at least one compound represented by a predetermined formula.

  Patent Document 3 has a discotic mother nucleus and three or more side chain groups extending radially from the discotic mother nucleus in the molecule, and at least one of the discotic mother nucleus and / or the side chain group. An atom selected from the group consisting of oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, silicon and sulfur is directly connected to at least one side chain group of the three or more side chain groups. A thickener comprising a discotic compound containing a long chain group connected in a chain or branched chain with 20 atoms or more is disclosed.

  Patent Document 4 discloses a grease composition containing at least one discotic compound having a discotic mother nucleus, at least one thickener, and a base oil, and having a miscibility of 480 or less at 40 ° C. ing.

JP 58-176298 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-8058 JP 2008-195799 A JP 2008-195800 A

  In order to ensure the safety of the elevator and reduce the number of times of maintenance and inspection of the elevator, it is desired that the elevator rope has high wear resistance in addition to high traction characteristics. In order to realize the high wear resistance of the elevator rope, it is conceivable to provide elevator rope oil or grease having a high holding force (lubricating property) between the rope and the sheave between the rope and the sheave.

  The polybutene and liquid polyisobutylene contained in the grease of Patent Document 1 have excellent traction characteristics (high traction coefficient), but are straight-chain hydrocarbons and are susceptible to molecular deformation under high surface pressure, resulting in a thin oil film. There is a characteristic that tends to be As a result, oil film breakage is likely to occur, and as a result, wear tends to proceed on the contact surface between the rope and sheave, and the life of the rope may be shorter than when a general-purpose mineral oil-based traction grease is used. Moreover, if the oil film between the rope and the sheave becomes thin, the power of the hoisting machine may not be transmitted well to the rope, which may cause braking failure of the elevator.

  The grease disclosed in Patent Document 2 is used as a transmission for machine tools, transmissions, and the like, and is used in a high temperature region of 200 ° C. or higher. That is, there is a problem that even if it is used for an elevator rope that operates at room temperature to about 100 ° C., high traction performance cannot be exhibited.

  The greases disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4 are used for sliding parts of machine tools and parts such as internal combustion engines and machine tools, and exhibit low friction and wear resistance (high lubricity). It is intended and does not use a base oil with high traction characteristics. That is, there is a possibility that the high traction characteristics and the high wear resistance required for the elevator rope grease are insufficient.

  As described above, according to the conventional technology, it is not sufficient to provide the elevator rope with high wear resistance in addition to high traction characteristics, and further improvement has been desired.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an elevator rope grease capable of obtaining an elevator rope having both high traction characteristics and high wear resistance, an elevator rope using the elevator rope grease, a traction type elevator, and It is to provide a maintenance method for a traction type elevator.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a base oil and a thixotropic agent, optionally including a thickener, and the thixotropic agent has a hydrophilic group and a hydrophobic group in one molecule. A polycyclic naphthene compound which is a compound and dissolves in the base oil to form a solid composition, the composition exhibits thixotropic properties, and the base oil is represented by the following general formula (1) When the thickener is not included, the base oil alone has a kinematic viscosity at 40 ° C. of 40 mm ² / s or more and 110 mm ² / s or less, and when the thickener is included, the base oil And a rope oil containing the thickener having a kinematic viscosity at 40 ° C. of 40 mm ² / s to 110 mm ² / s .

  Further, the present invention relates to an elevator rope including a strand formed by combining a plurality of steel wires and a heart rope, and a plurality of the strands that are more aligned around the heart rope around the heart rope. There is provided an elevator rope characterized by applying or impregnating the strand with the above-described elevator rope grease according to the present invention.

  The present invention also includes a rope, a hoist that winds up the rope, a counterweight connected to the rope, and a riding car that is connected to the rope and is driven by the rope being wound up. The traction type elevator is provided, wherein the rope is the elevator rope according to the present invention described above.

  The present invention also includes a rope, a hoist that winds up the rope, a counterweight connected to the rope, and a riding car that is connected to the rope and is driven by the rope being wound up. In the maintenance method of the elevator provided, the grease for elevator ropes according to the present invention described above is applied to the rope, and the maintenance method of the traction type elevator is provided.

  According to the present invention, an elevator rope grease capable of obtaining an elevator rope having both high traction characteristics and high wear resistance, and maintenance of an elevator rope, a traction type elevator, and a traction type elevator using the elevator rope grease A method can be provided.

It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a traction type elevator. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the cross section of the elevator rope which concerns on this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments taken up here, and can be appropriately combined and improved without departing from the scope of the invention.

[Grease for elevator rope]
As described above, the elevator rope grease according to the present invention includes a base oil and a thixotropic agent. The base oil contains a naphthene compound (polycyclic naphthene compound) having a plurality of cyclic hydrocarbons in the molecular structure, and the thixotropic agent is dissolved in the base oil to form a solid composition. Is.
And a compound (thixotropic agent) that has a structure capable of forming hydrogen bonds in the molecular structure and forms a semi-solid composition having thixotropic properties by dissolving in oil or the like. The elevator rope grease according to the present invention may further include a thickener, a thickener such as wax, or an additive for imparting a function such as rust prevention.

  Hereinafter, each component of the grease for elevator rope according to the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as “thixotropic grease”) will be described in detail. In the present specification, a base oil or a high-viscosity oil obtained by thickening a base oil with a thickener is a “rope oil”, an oil that contains a base oil and a thixotropic agent and becomes solid without shear. Is referred to as “grease (thixotropic grease)”.

(1) Base oil In the present invention, the base oil can be used without particular limitation as long as it can be used as a constituent of a thixotropic grease that is applied to an elevator rope and is liquefied by contact with a sheave. The best form is a polycyclic naphthene compound. The polycyclic naphthene compound means a series of compounds having a plurality of cyclic hydrocarbons in the molecular structure. Specifically, it is at least one compound represented by the following general formula (1).

  In general formula (1), n represents the integer of 0-4. X, X ′ and X ″ are monocyclic or a cyclic hydrocarbon having a bridge structure, R and R ′ are a direct bond or an alkylene group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, Q is a hydrogen atom, and an alkylene having 1 to 3 carbon atoms Group or cyclic hydrocarbon is shown. X, X ′, X ″, R, R ′, and Q are each independently selected, and the side chain may have an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms or a cyclic hydrocarbon.

  The compound represented by the general formula (1) has a plurality of cyclic hydrocarbons such as a cyclohexyl skeleton, and has a very bulky molecular structure (large steric hindrance) due to hydrocarbons or direct bonds between the rings. It is. Since the compound has a large shear resistance and can maintain the thickness of the oil film even when the surface pressure increases, high traction characteristics and high wear resistance can be realized.

  Examples of the polycyclic naphthene compound represented by the general formula (1) include various types, and preferred examples include at least one kind represented by the following general formulas (2) to (7). .

In the formula, R _{1 to} R ₇ are composed of hydrocarbon groups represented by general formulas (8) to (10), in which R ₁ ′ to R ₁₂ ′ are hydrogen, an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, Each is independently selected from a ring cyclohexyl group or a cyclohexyl group having a bridge structure. n1~n15 represents an integer of 0 to 9 or 0 to 11 depending on the structure of the cyclic _hydrocarbon, Q 1 _{to Q 15} is a cyclohexyl group having an alkyl group, monocyclic cyclohexyl or crosslinked structure having 1 to 3 carbon atoms Are independently selected. If n1~n15 is an integer of 2 or more, the plurality of _Q 1 _{to Q 15,} are each independently selected. Q ₁ ′ to Q ₃ ′ are each independently selected from a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, a monocyclic cyclohexyl group, or a cyclohexyl group having a crosslinked structure.

In the compounds of the general formulas (2) to (7), the alkyl groups represented by R ₁ ′ to R ₁₂ ′ and Q _{1 to} Q ₁₅ are specifically a methyl group, an ethyl group, an n-propyl group, and i. -Propyl group. R ₁ ′ to R ₁₂ ′ are more preferably hydrogen or a methyl group, and particularly preferably a carbon atom adjacent to the cyclohexyl group is methylated. The compounds of the general formulas (2) to (7) may be used singly or as a mixture in an arbitrary combination and ratio.

  Preferable examples of the general formulas (2) to (7) are compounds containing 2 to 4 cyclic compounds, specifically bicyclohexyl, 1,2-dicyclohexylpropane, 1,2-dicyclohexyl-2-methyl. Propane, 2,3-dicyclohexylbutane, 2,3-dicyclohexyl-2-methylbutane, 2,3-dicyclohexyl-2,3-dimethylbutane, 1,3-dicyclohexylbutane, 1,3-dicyclohexyl-3-methylbutane, 2 , 4-Dicyclohexylpentane, 2,4-dicyclohexyl-2-methylpentane, 2,4-dicyclohexyl-2,4-dimethylpentane, 1,3-dicyclohexyl-2-methylbutane, 2,4-dicyclohexyl-2,3- Dimethylbutane, 2,4-dicyclohexyl-2,3-dimethylpentane 2,4,6-tricyclohexyl-2,4-dimethylheptane, 2,4,6-tricyclohexyl-2-methylhexane, 2,4,6-tricyclohexyl-2,4,6-trimethylheptane, 2, 4,6,8-tetracyclohexyl-2,4,6,8-tetramethylnonane, bicyclo [2.2.1] hept-2-ene, 2-methylenebicyclo [2.2.1] heptane, 2- Methylbicyclo [2.2.1] hept-2-ene, 2-methylene-3-methylbicyclo [2.2.1] heptane, 3-methylene-2-methylbicyclo [2.2.1] heptane, 2 , 3-dimethylbicyclo [2.2.1] hept-2-ene, 2-methylene-7-methylbicyclo [2.2.1] heptane, 3-methylene-7-methylbicyclo [2.2.1] Heptane, 2 7-dimethylbicyclo [2.2.1] hept-2-ene, 2-methylene-5-methylbicyclo [2.2.1] heptane, 3-methylene-5-methylbicyclo [2.2.1] heptane 2,5-dimethylbicyclo [2.2.1] hept-2-ene, 2-methylene-6-methylbicyclo [2.2.1] heptane, 3-methylene-6-methylbicyclo [2.2. 1] heptane, 2,6-dimethylbicyclo [2.2.1] hept-2-ene, 2-methylene-1-methylbicyclo [2.2.1] heptane, 3-methylene-1-methylbicyclo [2 2.1] heptane, 1,2-dimethylbicyclo [2.2.1] hept-2-ene, 2-methylene-4-methylbicyclo [2.2.1] heptane, 3-methylene-4-methyl Bicyclo [2.2.1] heptane 2,4-dimethylbicyclo [2.2.1] hept-2-ene, 2-methylene-3,7-dimethylbicyclo [2.2.1] heptane, 3-methylene-2,7-dimethylbicyclo [ 2.2.1] heptane, 2,3,7-trimethylbicyclo [2.2.1] hept-2-ene, 2-methylene-3,6-dimethylbicyclo [2.2.1] heptane, 3- Methylene-2,6-dimethylbicyclo [2.2.1] heptane, 2-methylene-3,3-dimethylbicyclo [2.2.1] heptane, 3-methylene-2,2-dimethylbicyclo [2.2 .1] Heptane, 2,3,6-trimethylbicyclo [2.2.1] hept-2-ene, 2-methylene-3-ethylbicyclo [2.2.1] heptane, 3-methylene-2-ethyl Bicyclo [2.2.1] heptane, - and methyl-3- ethylbicyclo [2.2.1] hept-2-ene and the like.

  All of the compounds represented by the general formulas (2) to (7) have a molecular structure containing a plurality of alicyclic hydrocarbons, and have a structure in which the rings are directly bonded or bridged by hydrocarbons. For this reason, since the steric hindrance of the molecule is large, deformation hardly occurs even under a high pressure, and an oil film having a sufficient thickness for the contact between the rope and the sheave is formed. On the other hand, some base oils have low viscosity, and the oil sticking to the contact portion is weak. Therefore, the oil film is cut during power transmission from the sheave, and the rope is worn. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the structure of the oil film at the contact portion, and a measure for increasing the viscosity of the base oil is necessary.

  The production method of the compounds of the general formulas (2) to (7) is not particularly limited, and a known or arbitrary method is adopted. For example, a method of producing α-methylstyrene, styrene or the like by dimerization reaction or trimerization reaction, followed by hydrogenation, or a method of producing naphthenic synthetic lubricating oil. Moreover, although a tetramer compound etc. which are produced | generated in the process of manufacture may be included, since a multimer with a high molecular weight may be obtained as a solid, a dimer or a trimer compound is more preferable.

  Moreover, as another example of polycyclic naphthenes, the hydrogenated product (hydrogenated product) of the cyclic | annular monoterpene more than a dimer and the hydrogenated product of the cyclic | annular monoterpene derivative more than a dimer are mentioned. Examples of the cyclic monoterpenes and derivatives thereof (cyclic monoterpenoids) include various types. Mentadienes, cyclic hydrocarbons having a crosslinked structure, and mixtures thereof are preferable. it can. These are hydrocarbons having isoprene as a structural unit, and are known to have structural isomers and enantiomers (d-form, l-form) depending on the molecular structure. The mentadienes and cyclic hydrocarbons having a crosslinked structure have relatively high reactivity for multimer synthesis. Moreover, since it has many cyclic structures, a base oil with a large steric hindrance can be formed. Furthermore, the above-mentioned compounds are also known as biological substances produced by plants, insects, fungi, etc., and because they are compounds derived from natural products, they are advantageous in terms of resource saving in that they can be produced from non-petroleum-based raw materials. .

  Mentadiene is a compound having a structure in which methyl and isopropyl groups are substituted at the 1,2-position, 1,3-position or 1,4-position of the cyclohexane ring, and further has two carbon-carbon double bonds. is there. Specific examples include limonene, isolimonene, α-terpinene, β-terpinene, γ-terpinene, terpinolene, α-ferrandolene, β-ferrandolene and enantiomers thereof. In addition, derivatives in which a substituent such as an alkyl group or a hydroxyl group is introduced are also exemplified.

  Examples of the cyclic hydrocarbons having a crosslinked structure include α-pinene, β-pinene, camphene, bornylene, fenchen, sabinene, and enantiomers thereof. The same applies to derivatives into which substituents such as alkyl groups and hydroxyl groups are introduced.

  Moreover, the mixture containing the cyclic monoterpenes and derivatives thereof shown above can be used as a base oil in the same manner. Specific examples include essential oils such as dipentene, which is a mixture of isomers of p-mentadiene, and turpentine, which is a mixture of α-pinene and β-pinene. In the range shown in the present invention, the raw material for the base oil is not particularly limited.

  The dimer or higher cyclic monoterpenes and derivatives thereof in the present invention are compounds (multimers) obtained by multimerization of cyclic monoterpenes or cyclic monoterpenoids, and one kind of multimer may be used. A mixture containing a plurality of multimers (for example, a mixture containing a limonene multimer and an α-terpinene multimer) may be used. Moreover, it is good also as a multimer which consists of a different kind of cyclic monoterpenes and cyclic monoterpenoids. For example, α-pinene (cyclic monoterpenes) and β-pinene (cyclic monoterpenes) in large quantities, and limonene (cyclic monoterpenes) and derivatives thereof (cyclic monoterpenoids) in large quantities It may be. In addition, the multimer is not particularly limited as long as it is a dimer or more, and a mixture containing multimers having different number of units (number of monomers constituting the multimer) (for example, a mixture of dimer and trimer) ), But a multimer having a high molecular weight may be obtained as a solid. When it is obtained as fixed, it can be used by adjusting the viscosity by dissolving it in a solvent or the like, but in that case, the base oil may be diluted and the traction characteristics may be lowered. Therefore, dimer or trimer compounds are more desirable. The number of multimeric units depends on the position of the double bond of the monomer before the multimerization reaction.

  The cyclic monoterpenes or derivatives thereof are subjected to a multimerization reaction in the presence of a catalyst to obtain a multimer. The catalyst used for the multimerization reaction is not particularly limited, but an acidic catalyst is generally used. Specific examples include hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, aluminum chloride, iron (II) chloride, tin (II) chloride, zeolite, silica, alumina, cation exchange resin, and heteropolyacid. In the reaction vessel, a cyclic monoterpene or a derivative thereof and the catalyst are added to carry out a multimerization reaction. Further, a solvent such as n-hexane, cyclohexane, toluene or 1,2-diethoxyethane may be used for the purpose of dispersing the catalyst. Moreover, you may add reaction regulators, such as ester, ketones, or glycols, as needed.

  Next, a dimer or higher cyclic monoterpene or derivative thereof obtained above is subjected to a hydrogenation reaction, and a dimer or higher cyclic monoterpene hydrogenated product or a dimer or higher cyclic monoterpene Obtain a hydrogenated product of the derivative to obtain the desired base oil. The hydrogenation reaction can be performed by a general method. For example, a hydrogenation reaction (catalytic hydrogenation) can be performed by circulating and heating hydrogen gas in the presence of a metal catalyst (nickel, ruthenium, palladium, platinum, rhodium, iridium, etc.) suitable for the hydrogenation reaction. it can. Depending on the molecular structure, the hydrogenation reaction can also be carried out using hydride reduction using art-type hydride complexes such as lithium aluminum hydride, sodium borohydride, lithium triethylborohydride or lithium borohydride. Usually, it is carried out by heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenation using a metal catalyst, but depending on the position of the double bond in the starting material, this method is difficult to reduce, and hydride reduction (homogeneous hydrogenation) is more reactive. In some cases, it is preferable to select a method suitable for the hydrogenation reaction depending on the molecular structure of each compound.

  The above-described base oil according to the present invention is a compound having a plurality of cyclic hydrocarbons and having a very bulky molecular structure (large steric hindrance) due to the rings being bonded directly or via hydrocarbons. . By using the compound as a base oil, an elevator rope having both high traction characteristics and high wear resistance and a traction elevator using the same can be obtained.

  Further, the base oil according to the present invention includes mineral oil (paraffin oil, naphthenic oil) in addition to a synthetic naphthenic compound for the purpose of compatibility of a thixotropic agent described later, base oil viscosity and rope grease stability, traction adjustment, and the like. ), A synthetic ester oil, a synthetic ether oil, a synthetic hydrocarbon oil or a mixed oil appropriately blended, or these may be used as a base oil. These can be selected according to the design specifications of the elevator.

(2) Thixotropic agent The elevator rope grease according to the present invention is obtained by adding a thixotropic agent to solidify the base oil. A thixotropic agent is a compound having a hydrophilic group and a hydrophobic group in one molecule. When dissolved in a base oil, the molecules form a structure by hydrogen bonding in the solution, and a solid composition (grease) With the characteristics that form. The grease according to the present invention has a thixotropic property in which the hydrogen bond of the thixotropic agent is cut and softened easily by applying a shearing force between the rope and the sheave, and becomes a highly viscous liquid composition. This facilitates the formation of an oil film that protects the contact surface between the rope and the sheave, leading to improved wear resistance of the rope. Moreover, since the structure by hydrogen bonding is formed again by removing the shear stress and becomes a solid composition, the adhesion to the rope is maintained and the wear resistance of the rope is improved.

  The thixotropic property of the grease according to the present invention is observed under temperature conditions that can be taken by the elevator hoistway, such as around room temperature (25 ° C.) without requiring heating, and has high adhesion to the rope surface. And oil film stabilization at the rope-sheave contact surface. This is a feature not found in elevator rope grease using conventional wax as a thickener. Although some metal soap-based greases have thixotropic properties, they are not suitable for an elevator rope manufacturing process, which will be described later, due to many restrictions on heating and melting and cooling processes.

  The grease according to the present invention ensures traction characteristics and adhesion by steadily softening by shearing and forming an oil film even in a low temperature environment such as a decrease in the operating environment temperature due to a downsizing of the elevator or in a cold region. Can do.

  As described above, in the present invention, by using a polycyclic naphthene compound as a base oil, the oil is solidified with a small amount of addition as compared with a case where a chain hydrocarbon such as mineral oil or polybutene containing paraffin is used as a base oil. It showed a tendency to become solid. This is because the polycyclic naphthene compound has a steric hindrance due to its bulky molecular skeleton, making the thixotropic agent less compatible than mineral oil and chain hydrocarbons, and forming a structure due to hydrogen bonds. It is estimated to be. Moreover, since it solidifies with a small amount of thixotropic agent, the thixotropic grease of the present invention can be used without impairing the traction characteristics of the base oil. In addition, the thixotropic grease according to the present invention can obtain a grease having thixotropic properties with good reproducibility regardless of the conditions of heating and melting and cooling, and is therefore highly compatible with an elevator rope manufacturing process.

  The thixotropic agent according to the present invention can be used without particular limitation as long as it is soluble in the base oil and solidifies the base oil. Examples of thixotropic agents include fatty acid amides, fatty acid diamides, fatty acid triamides, fatty acid tetraamides, oxidized polyolefins and hydrogenated castor oil. The type and content (mixing ratio) of these thixotropic agents must be determined in consideration of the influence on the traction coefficient of the rope oil and the sticking property (adhesiveness) to the rope.

  Of the above-mentioned thixotropic agents, fatty acid amides and fatty acid diamides are particularly suitable because they have excellent compatibility with polycyclic naphthene compounds and excellent structure formation by hydrogen bonding. Specifically, it is a compound represented by the following general formulas (11) and (12).

In the compounds of the general formulas (11) and (12), R _{1 ″} is hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, R _{3 ″} is a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, R _{2 ″} , R _{4 ″} and R _{5 ″} are hydrocarbon groups having 4 to 24 carbon atoms. These side chains may have a substituent such as an alkyl group, a hydroxyl group, or a phenyl group for the purpose of compatibility with the base oil and promotion of structure formation by hydrogen bonding. Particularly preferred are those having a hydroxyl group in the side chain of R _{2 ″} , R _{4 ″} and R _{5 ″} . The compounds of the general formulas (11) and (12) may be used singly or as a mixture in any combination and ratio. In general formulas (11) and (12), for R1 ″, 2 ″, 4 ″, 5 ″ (hydrocarbon group), there is almost no change in grease characteristics due to increase or decrease in carbon number, Is preferably 12-22. R _{3 ″} (diamine structure) is preferably 2 to 6. By controlling the structure of the thixotropic agent (the number of carbon atoms of the hydrocarbon group), it is possible to control the grease characteristics (easiness of hardening of the grease, ease of softening, creep recovery characteristics, etc.).

Preferable examples of the general formulas (11) and (12) are reaction products of monoamines or diamines and fatty acids. Monoamines include methylamine, ethylamine, propylamine, butylamine, 2-butylamine, 2-methylpropylamine, tert-butylamine, pentylamine, 2-pentylamine, 3-pentylamine, 2-methylbutylamine, 3-methylbutylamine, Neopentylamine, hexylamine, heptylamine, octylamine, nonylamine, decylamine, undecylamine, laurylamine, tridecylamine, myristylamine, pentadecylamine, palmitylamine, margarylamine, stearylamine, nonadecylamine, arachidylamine , Heicosylamine, beheramine, tricosylamine, cyclohexylamine, phenylamine and the like. Examples of the diamine include ethylenediamine, 1,2-propanediamine, 1,3-propanediamine, 1,4-butanediamine, 1,3-pentanediamine, 1,5-pentanediamine, 1,6-hexanediamine, 2- Methyl-1,5-pentanediamine, 1,7-heptanediamine, 1,8-octanediamine, hexahydro-o-xylylenediamine, hexahydro-m-xylylenediamine, hexahydro-p-xylylenediamine, 1,2 -Phenylenediamine, 1,3-phenylenediamine, 1,4-phenylenediamine and the like. Examples of fatty acids include butyric acid, valeric acid, pivalic acid, hydroangelic acid, isovaleric acid, isocaproic acid, enanthic acid, caprylic acid, pelargonic acid, capric acid, undecylic acid, lauric acid, tridecylic acid, myristic acid, pentadecylic acid , Palmitic acid, margaric acid, stearic acid, nonadecyl acid, arachidic acid, heicosyl acid, behenic acid, tricosyl acid, lignoceric acid, hydroxystearic acid and the like. These isomers and derivatives such as carboxylic acid halides, carboxylic acid anhydrides and active esters are also included. Among these, a reaction product of hydroxystearic acid and ethylenediamine or 1,6-hexanediamine is particularly preferable.

  The optimum blending ratio of the thixotropic agent is preferably 0.5 to 25% by mass and more preferably 1 to 10% by mass with respect to the total weight of the thixotropic grease. If it is less than 0.5% by mass, the base oil cannot be solidified, and if it exceeds 20% by mass, the base oil becomes thin and the traction characteristics deteriorate. In order to easily solidify the oil in a small amount, it is desirable to select the blending conditions in consideration of the design surface pressure of the elevator, the effect on the traction coefficient, the ease of grease production, and the like. The immiscible penetration and dropping point of the thixotropic grease are preferably 200 to 400 and a dropping point of 30 to 110 ° C. in consideration of workability and long-term adhesion to the rope. The immiscibility penetration and dropping point are controlled mainly by the type of thixotropic agent, the blending ratio, the compatibility and the like.

  The grease according to the present invention has the property of being liquefied by heating and solidified by cooling. As a method of applying the thixotropic grease to the rope, the thixotropic grease can be heated, melted, and immersed in, applied to, and sprayed onto the rope, the steel wire strand, and the rope. In addition, at the time of making the rope, grease can be impregnated and applied to the rope by heating and melting at a twisting port (voice port) of the core rope and the steel wire strand.

  In addition, by using the thixotropic property of thixotropic grease, for example, by adding a mechanism that the blocky thixotropic grease directly contacts the surface of the moving part, such as an elevator rope or sheave during lifting, It is also possible to directly transfer thixotropic grease onto the surface of the rope or sheave.

(3) Thickener The base oil (polycyclic naphthene compound) according to the present invention described above exhibits high traction characteristics, while rope oil may have low viscosity when the base oil alone is used. When the viscosity is low, the sticking (adhesion) of oil to the contact portion becomes weak, and the oil film is cut off during power transmission from the sheave, and the rope is likely to wear. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the structure of the oil film at the contact portion, and a measure for increasing the viscosity of the base oil is necessary. In the present invention, a thickener can be appropriately used to increase the viscosity of the base oil.

  Here, among polycyclic naphthene compounds and derivatives thereof, a multimer having a large molecular weight may be obtained as a highly viscous liquid or solid. In particular, a compound having a tetramer or higher is often a solid and difficult to use as a base oil alone, but a polymer having a large molecular weight has high solubility in base oil and high traction characteristics. By mixing with a trimer compound, a tetramer or higher compound serves as a thickener, and only the base oil component can serve as a thickener. In addition, a thixotropic grease can be constructed without using a thickener by setting the conditions such that the contact surface pressure is low, or a compound that has sufficient viscosity as a single substance is used for the base oil to prevent oil film breakage. It is also possible to do. Therefore, the thickener is not an essential component in the present invention, and can be used if necessary according to the operating conditions of the elevator rope such as the base oil component and the contact surface pressure.

  The thickener preferably has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 500 or more and 100,000 or less. By adding such a thickening agent, even a low-viscosity base oil has sufficient stickiness to the contact area, and it is also sufficient for contact between the rope and sheave that receives a high contact surface pressure like an elevator Can maintain a good oil film thickness. This provides a thixotropic grease with excellent traction characteristics and wear resistance.

  In general, thickeners with a higher molecular weight have a greater thickening effect and increase in viscosity when added in a small amount, but when subjected to high contact surface pressure, the main chain of the molecule tends to be broken. Therefore, thickeners having a large molecular weight are not often used in the technical field. However, it is considered that the above-described base oil has a large steric hindrance and a thick oil film. Thereby, since an oil film becomes a buffer material and the damage to a thickener is reduced, molecular weight can be enlarged. On the other hand, the thicker the molecular weight, the lower the solubility. Therefore, the desirable weight average molecular weight of the thickener is 1,000 or more and 100,000 or less, more preferably 5,000 or more and 50,000 or less. More preferably, 30,000 or more and 30,000 or less.

  As the thickener, normal paraffin, isoparaffin such as poly-α-olefin, polycyclic naphthene compound such as cyclopentadiene-based petroleum resin, aromatic hydrocarbon or copolymer thereof can be used. Any material having a weight average molecular weight of 1,000 to 100,000 and dissolved or dispersed in the base oil may be used. In particular, polycyclic naphthene compounds such as cyclopentadiene and isoparaffins such as polyisobutylene are more preferable because they exhibit traction characteristics equivalent to base oil.

  Moreover, although content of a thickener can be suitably adjusted according to design specifications etc., it is preferable that it is 1-40 mass% of thixotropic grease. If it is less than 1% by mass, the effect of the thickener cannot be obtained, and if it exceeds 40% by mass, it will be difficult to uniformly dissolve in the base oil, and the components of the base oil will become thin. The traction characteristics of functional grease may be reduced. Moreover, when using as rope oil, it is preferable that content of a thickener is 5-60 mass% with respect to base oil. If it is less than 5% by mass, the effect of the thickener cannot be obtained, and if it exceeds 60% by mass, the viscosity may be too high. By changing the molecular weight and the addition amount of the thickener, the viscosity of the rope oil can be arbitrarily adjusted.

(4) Thickener, etc. Thickener that is not an essential component of the grease according to the present invention, but depends on the immiscibility, dropping point, thixotropic property, etc. of the thixotropic grease required for the design of the elevator. Can be added as appropriate. Thickeners can be used without particular limitation as long as they can be mixed in thixotropic greases. Examples of thickeners include mineral oil waxes (such as microwax (microcrystalline wax), paraffin wax and petrolatum), and synthetic hydrocarbons. Wax (coal cracking gas synthesized by Fischer-Tropsch method), olefin derivative polymer wax (polyethylene wax, α-olefin wax), fatty acid derivative wax (amide wax, ketone wax), mineral wax (montanic acid) Waxes), animal waxes (dense wax, whale) and plant waxes (carnauba wax, hollow). The type and content of these waxes must be determined in consideration of the influence on the traction coefficient, thixotropic properties, and stickiness to the rope. The optimum content of the thickener is desirably the same as that of the thixotropic agent, and is 0.5 to 25% by mass, more preferably 1 to 10% by mass of the thixotropic grease.

  In addition, additives can be added to the above-described rope oil and grease in order to impart functions such as rust prevention, oxidation prevention, and wear suppression as long as the traction coefficient is not lowered. Examples of the rust preventive agent include metal salts of sulfonic acid compounds and amines. Examples of antioxidants include, for example, phenol-based antioxidants such as 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol, amine-based antioxidants such as alkylated diphenylamine, and organic sulfur-based compounds such as zinc dialkyldithiophosphate. There is an antioxidant. Examples of wear inhibitors include, for example, fine graphite, molybdenum disulfide, zinc dialkyldithiophosphate and polytetrafluoroethylene powder. In addition, compatibility regulators for thixotropic greases and oil agents for metal interfaces include anionic surfactants (such as sodium fatty acid), nonionic surfactants (such as sorbitan fatty acid esters), and zwitterionic surfactants (alkyl). Amino fatty acid salts and the like) can also be used.

[Elevator rope]
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an elevator rope. As shown in FIG. 2, the elevator rope 4 includes a steel wire strand (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “strand”) 9 formed by combining a plurality of steel wires (10a, 10b, and 10c) with synthetic fibers or It is made up of a plurality of cords, centering on the heart rope 8 made of natural fibers. In FIG. 2, six strands 9 are arranged around the core rope 8, but eight strands 9 may be arranged.

  By arranging the thixotropic grease according to the present invention on the surface of the rope 4 (the surface 11 of the strand 9 in FIG. 2), the oil film thickness and the stickiness sufficient for the contact between the rope and the sheave of the elevator can be obtained. And a rope having excellent traction characteristics and wear resistance can be obtained. In the present invention, the effect of the present invention can be obtained if at least the surface of the strand 9 is coated with a thixotropic grease, but by impregnating the thixotropic grease according to the present invention also on the surface or inside of the heart rope 8, When the rope is used, the thixotropic grease is sequentially supplied from the core rope 8 to the surface of the strand 9, and the performance (traction characteristics and wear resistance) of the rope can be maintained over a long period of time. Further, if the thixotropic grease is also impregnated into the strand 9, more rope oil or thixotropic grease can be retained, and thus the performance of the rope can be maintained for a longer period.

  Further, the cord rope 8 is impregnated with rope oil, and the strand 9 is coated or impregnated with thixotropic grease having a viscosity higher than that of the rope oil, so that the rope fluid having high fluidity is efficiently passed from the cord rope 8 to the strand 9. On the other hand, the strand 9 that comes into contact with the external device can be given high stickiness, and therefore it is preferable to use rope oil and thixotropic grease for the cord 8 and the strand 9 separately. Of course, thixotropic grease may be disposed on the inside of the cord 8, the surface, the inside of the strand 9 and all of the surface. In this case, the same thixotropic grease is used, which is advantageous in terms of productivity.

  As a method of applying thixotropic grease to an elevator rope, the thixotropic grease is heated and melted, and is immersed, applied, and sprayed onto the cord rope 8, the steel wire strand 9, and the rope 4 in the same manner as the rope oil. Can do. Further, at the time of making the rope, the thixotropic grease can be impregnated and applied to the rope by heating and melting the thixotropic grease at the twisting port (voice port) of the core rope 8 and the steel wire strand 9. The thixotropic grease of the present invention can be made into a grease regardless of the conditions of heat melting and cooling, has excellent reproducibility of thixotropic properties, and can be used in a wide range of manufacturing processes.

As a result of intensive studies on the viscosity of the rope oil, the kinematic viscosity at 40 ° C. is preferably 40 mm ² / s or more, and more preferably 50 to 1,000 mm ² / s. If the viscosity of the rope oil is increased, the sticking property is increased, but the supply of the rope oil from the core rope 8 to the strand 9 is less likely to occur. Therefore, the rope oil is appropriately selected according to the specifications of the rope and the elevator. The rope oil can be applied to the rope by dipping, applying, and spraying the rope oil on the rope and the rope, as in the case of thixotropic grease. Moreover, it is also possible to supply oil directly to the rope at room temperature as maintenance oil for the elevator rope.

[Traction elevator]
In the traction type elevator according to the present invention, the rope 4 of the traction type elevator shown as an example in FIG. 1 is the above-described elevator rope according to the present invention. Since the traction type elevator according to the present invention has a high traction coefficient of the thixotropic grease, it is possible to reduce the size of the device and make the rope finer than the conventional elevator. Moreover, since the wear resistance of the elevator rope is high, the number of rope replacements can be reduced.

  In addition, by using the thixotropic property of the thixotropic grease according to the present invention, the thixotropic grease can be continuously supplied to the surfaces of elevator parts such as ropes and sheaves. This utilizes the property that thixotropic grease is softened by shearing, and the thixotropic grease can be directly transferred to the surface of the elevator part. As long as the thixotropic grease has an appropriate consistency and mixing consistency and includes a mechanism that comes into direct contact with the elevator parts, it can be used without particular limitation. As a result, it is possible to reduce maintenance frequency and maintenance work steps, suppress wear of elevator ropes, etc., and extend the life of the elevator. The installation position of the mechanism is not particularly limited, and can be used in consideration of the design specifications of the elevator, ease of maintenance, and the like.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The evaluation methods for rope oil and thixotropic grease are described below.

(1) Measurement of kinematic viscosity, consistency and dropping point of rope oil The kinematic viscosity (40,100 ° C.) of rope oil was measured based on JIS standard (JIS K2283). Further, the penetration of the thixotropic grease (immiscibility penetration, penetration consistency and immiscibility penetration after 30 minutes of measurement) and the dropping point were measured based on JIS standards (JIS K2220). Moreover, the viscosity index was evaluated based on the JIS standard (JIS K 2283) from the values of kinematic viscosity at 40 ° C. and 100 ° C. of the rope oil. Also, the viscosity grade was evaluated based on ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 3448 from the value of the kinematic viscosity at 40 ° C. of the rope oil.

  The “immiscible penetration” is a value obtained by measuring the hardness of the grease with a specified jig without destroying the shape of the grease, and indicating the hardness of the grease when left standing. The “mixing penetration” is a value obtained by mixing grease 60 times per minute with a specified jig and measuring the hardness of the grease, and is a value indicating the hardness of the grease when subjected to shear. Further, “immiscible penetration after measurement of blending consistency (after 30 minutes)” is a value indicating the hardness recovery characteristics (creep recovery characteristics) of the grease after shearing. The lower each, the harder it becomes.

(2) Measurement of traction coefficient of rope oil and thixotropic grease The traction coefficient was measured using a ball-on-disk test apparatus. This test apparatus has a mechanism for rotating both the ball and the disk, and can arbitrarily change the sliding speed and the rolling speed. The measurement conditions were a load of 30 N (Hertz surface pressure: 0.82 GPa), a rolling speed of 500 mm / s, a temperature of 30 ° C., a sliding speed of 0 to 1000 mm / s, and the traction coefficient was measured by changing the sliding speed. The maximum value (μmax) was taken as the traction coefficient of the sample. A high carbon chromium bearing steel material (SUJ2 steel material) of JIS standard (JIS G 4805: 2008) was used for the material of the rotating body.

(3) Falex Wear Test An extreme pressure test of rope oil was performed using a Falex friction and wear test apparatus with reference to ASTM (America Society for Testing and Materials) -D2670. The material of the test piece is carbon steel (journal pin (φ6.35 mm): nickel chrome steel (SAE3135), V block: sulfur free-cutting steel (AISI1137)). The measurement was performed under the conditions (rotational speed: 290 min-1, temperature: 70 ° C., leveling operation: 89 N, 5 min, main measurement: 445 N, 3 h). The amount of wear was calculated by calculating the total wear depth of the pin and block from the scale change of the ratchet of the load mechanism.

(4) Gel filtration chromatography measurement The weight average molecular weight (Mw) of the thickener was measured with a gel filtration chromatography (GPC: Gel Permeation Chromatography) apparatus (solvent: tetrahydrofuran, polystyrene standard).

(Synthesis of base oils 1 to 3)
In a 10-liter glass reaction vessel (hereinafter referred to as “L”), 5 kg of α-methylstyrene and 100 g of 12-tungstic acid as a catalyst are placed, and the reaction is performed by heating and stirring at 50 ° C. for 1 hour. After cooling in a 20 ° C. water bath, the solid catalyst was filtered off. This filtrate was put in a 200 L autoclave, and further 100 kg of cyclohexane and 500 g of a hydrogenation catalyst (supporting 5% by mass of Pd) of an activated carbon carrier containing Pd (hereinafter, this catalyst is referred to as “Pd / C hydrogenation catalyst”), After sealing, hydrogenation was performed at a hydrogen pressure of 60 kg / cm ² (G) and 180 ° C. for 8 hours, and the mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature, and the catalyst was filtered off.

  When the obtained product was analyzed by gel filtration chromatography, the dimer component (2,4-dicyclohexyl-2-methylpentane: base oil 1) was 48.2% by mass, the trimer component (2, 4, 6-tricyclohexyl-2,4-dimethylheptane: base oil 2) was produced in an amount of 32.3% by mass, and tetramer component (base oil 3) was produced in an amount of 9.7% by mass. The whole reaction solution was subjected to a rotary evaporator to distill off the monomer (cyclohexane) and light components, and then each component was separated by distillation under reduced pressure.

(Synthesis of thixotropic agent 1)
In a 3 L glass reaction vessel, 30 g of ethylenediamine and 300 g of 12-hydroxystearic acid were dissolved in m-xylene, 15 g of iron (III) chloride hexahydrate was added as a catalyst, and the mixture was heated to reflux for 10 hours. After the product was filtered off, the product was isolated and purified by recrystallization. When the obtained product was analyzed by gel filtration chromatography, fatty acid diamide (N, N′-ethylene-bis-12-hydroxystearic acid amide: thixotropic agent 1) was obtained.

(Examples 1 to 3, Comparative Example 1)
For base oils 1 to 3, a rope oil to which solid polyisobutylene (weight average molecular weight 9,000) was added as a thickener was prepared, and thixotropic agent 1 was further added to prepare a thixotropic grease. Table 1 shows the blending ratio of the rope oil and the thixotropic grease and the results of the characteristic evaluation. In the composition of Table 1, “%” means “% by mass”.

  In any of the examples, a thixotropic grease having a traction coefficient equivalent to that of rope oil and excellent in power transmission performance was obtained. In addition, it is considered that the thixotropy imparting agent has an appropriate immiscibility, and the rope surface has high stickiness. In addition, the thixotropic grease softened by mixing returns to its original hardness (consistency) in about 30 minutes and exhibits excellent performance in terms of creep recovery characteristics against shear.

  Further, as Comparative Example 1, a result of using a red rope grease which is a general elevator rope grease is shown. Red rope grease is a grease mainly composed of wax and does not contain a thixotropic agent. The thixotropic greases of Examples 1 to 3 had a traction coefficient more than twice that of Comparative Example 1, and exhibited extremely superior traction performance compared to conventional elevator rope greases. In addition, the immiscible penetration was almost the same, but the results differed greatly in the blending just after applying shear (immiscibility after measurement of blending). In Examples 1 to 3, the consistency is increased, suggesting thixotropy. This facilitates the formation of an oil film that protects the contact surface between the rope and the sheave, and is thought to lead to improved wear resistance. On the other hand, in Example 1, the penetration degree did not change. Since the structure does not change due to shearing, the grease is considered to be present on the contact surface while being hard, and there is concern about the occurrence of wear due to oil film breakage. Thus, compared with the conventional elevator rope grease, the thixotropic grease according to the present invention is a specification specialized for high traction and oil film formation, and is considered to be significantly different from the conventional grease specification.

(Comparative Example 2)
For the purpose of comparison with the rope oil used in Example 1, polyisobutene (polyisobutylene) oil (weight average molecular weight 700) was prepared. About the rope oil of the said Example 1, the base oil 1, and the polyisobutene oil of the comparative example 2, the kinematic viscosity (40 degreeC and 100 degreeC) of rope oil was measured, and the viscosity index and the ISO viscosity grade were evaluated. Further, the traction coefficient (30 ° C.) and the wear amount of the rope oil were measured. Table 2 shows the evaluation results.

  Here, the rope oil used in Example 1 and the polyisobutene oil of Comparative Example 2 are both VG100 in ISO viscosity grade (ISO 3448), and the traction coefficient was high for both oils. From the result of the Rex wear test, the base oil 1 alone stopped the apparatus due to seizure, and the comparative example 2 caused more than double wear compared to the rope oil used in Example 1. Although the base oil 1 is the base oil of the rope oil of Example 1, since the viscosity of the oil alone is low, the sticking property to the interface of the test piece is low, and it is estimated that seizure occurs due to the oil film breakage. This shows that it is essential to increase the viscosity of the rope oil in order to maintain the oil film stably and firmly against the surface pressure.

  On the other hand, although the polyisobutene oil of Comparative Example 2 had viscosity, the amount of wear increased. Although polyisobutene oil shows stickiness to the interface, the molecular structure of polyisobutene is linear, and the oil film is considered to be thinner than Example 1. For this reason, it is considered that the oil film was easily cut under the condition of high surface pressure, and the amount of wear increased.

  From the above results, it was proved that the rope oil using the base oil shown in the examples achieves both high traction and high wear resistance.

(Example 4)
For Example 4, a rope oil was prepared using base oil 1 and styrene elastomer (styrene-ethylene copolymer, styrene copolymer ratio: about 70%, weight average molecular weight: 80,000) as a thickener, and A thixotropic grease was prepared by adding thixotropic agent 1. Table 1 shows the blending ratio of rope oil and thixotropic grease and the physical property evaluation results. As shown in Table 1, even when thickeners having different molecular structures were used, high traction properties, thixotropic properties, and creep recovery properties were exhibited.

(Examples 5 and 6)
Examples 5 and 6 show a thixotropic grease composed of only a base oil and a thixotropic agent without adding a thickener. Table 1 shows the blending ratio of rope oil and thixotropic grease and the physical property evaluation results. Similar to the thixotropic greases of other examples, high traction, thixotropic properties, and creep recovery characteristics were exhibited. Since Examples 5 and 6 contain a large amount (40% or more) of base oil 3 that is a tetramer component, this tetramer component serves as a thickener, and rope oil has the same viscosity as the other examples. It is thought that it showed.

(Examples 7 to 10)
In Examples 7 to 10, the content of the thixotropic agent in Example 1 is changed. Table 3 also shows the evaluation results of the composition and characteristics of the thixotropic grease. It was shown that the mixing and immiscible penetrating properties change depending on the amount of the thixotropic agent added, and the thixotropic property can be controlled. Moreover, the high traction characteristic was maintained similarly to the other Examples. It was shown that the consistency, thixotropic property, and creep recovery property of the thixotropic grease can be flexibly changed according to the required performance of the rope by adding the thixotropic agent.

(Examples 11 to 12)
In Examples 11 to 12, the thixotropic grease of Example 1 is obtained by adding microwax (melting point: 88 ° C.) having a main skeleton of a branched hydrocarbon or a saturated cyclic hydrocarbon as a thickener. Table 3 also shows the evaluation results of the composition and characteristics of the thixotropic grease. By adding wax, the penetration and blending properties decreased, and the creep recovery properties tended to increase. This is presumably because the addition of wax formed a network structure in the entire thixotropic grease and increased the oil retention. Moreover, since the addition amount was small, the performance reduction of the traction which was a concern at the time of wax addition was not seen, but the outstanding performance was maintained. Similar results were obtained for paraffin wax (melting point: 69 ° C.) and synthetic hydrocarbon wax (melting point: 102 ° C.).

(Examples 13 and 14)
Examples 13 and 14 are obtained by adding VG-100 grade mineral oil (naphthenic oil) and synthetic oil (polyisobutene oil) to the base oil of Example 1. Table 3 also shows the evaluation results of the composition and characteristics of the thixotropic grease. In order to solidify the thixotropic grease, it is necessary to add 5% or more of a thixotropic agent, suggesting that the compatibility is different from that of the base oil of Example 1. Further, although the content of the thixotropic agent was less than that in Example 1, the consistency and blending consistency were higher than in Example 1, and a soft grease was obtained. It is presumed that mixing the above-mentioned oil with the polycyclic naphthene compound changed the compatibility of the thixotropic agent, the strength of hydrogen bonds, etc., and changed the consistency of the thixotropic grease. It was shown that the consistency of blending varies depending on the blending ratio of the base oil and can be adjusted to be a thixotropic grease suitable for the rope design conditions.

(Synthesis of thixotropic agent 2)
In a glass reaction vessel, 150 g of 12-hydroxystearic acid methyl esterified in an acid catalyst was amidated using concentrated aqueous ammonia (25 to 28%), and the product was extracted and then isolated by recrystallization. Purified. When the obtained product was analyzed by gel filtration chromatography, fatty acid amide (12-hydroxystearic acid amide: thixotropic agent 2) was obtained.

(Synthesis of thixotropic agent 3)
In a 3 L glass reaction vessel, 100 g of stearylamine and 100 g of stearic acid were dissolved in m-xylene, 15 g of iron (III) chloride hexahydrate was added as a catalyst, and the mixture was heated to reflux for 10 hours. After the product was filtered off, the product was isolated and purified by recrystallization. When the obtained product was analyzed by gel filtration chromatography, fatty acid amide (N-stearyl stearamide: thixotropic agent 3) was obtained.

(Synthesis of thixotropic agent 4)
In a 3 L glass reaction vessel, 30 g of ethylenediamine and 300 g of behenic acid were dissolved in m-xylene, 15 g of iron (III) chloride hexahydrate was added as a catalyst, and the mixture was heated to reflux for 10 hours. After the product was filtered off, the product was isolated and purified by recrystallization.
When the obtained product was analyzed by gel filtration chromatography, fatty acid diamide (N, N′-ethylene-bis-behenamide: thixotropic agent 4) was obtained.

(Synthesis of thixotropic agent 5)
In a 3 L glass reaction vessel, 30 g of 1,6-hexanediamine and 300 g of 12-hydroxystearic acid are dissolved in m-xylene, and 15 g of iron (III) chloride hexahydrate is added as a catalyst for 10 hours. Heated to reflux. After the product was filtered off, the product was isolated and purified by recrystallization. When the obtained product was analyzed by gel filtration chromatography, fatty acid diamide (N, N′-hexamethylene-bis-12-hydroxystearic acid amide: thixotropic agent 5) was obtained.

(Examples 15 to 18)
Examples 15 to 18 are modified from the thixotropic agent of Example 1. Table 4 also shows the evaluation results of the composition and properties of the thixotropic grease. Examples 15 and 16 composed of monoamine and Example 17 composed of diamine having no hydroxyl group had higher miscibility and immiscibility compared to Example 1 and showed a tendency to have excellent creep recovery characteristics. Example 18 having a large number of carbon atoms of diamine showed a tendency to have a low miscibility and a high immiscibility compared to Example 1. These are presumed to be due to changes in the properties of the thixotropic grease due to the influence of the phase separation between the thixotropic agent and the base oil, the strength of hydrogen bonding between the thixotropic agents, and the like. Since all maintain high traction, the physical properties of the thixotropic grease can be controlled by selecting a thixotropic agent according to the rope design conditions.

(Synthesis of base oil 4)
1000 g of α-methylstyrene dimer, 5000 g of cyclohexane and 10 g of Pd / C hydrogenation catalyst were put in a 10 L autoclave equipped with a stirrer and sealed. The inside of the autoclave was kept at 0.1 MPa with hydrogen and stirred at room temperature (25 ° C.) for 18 hours. Thereafter, the autoclave was opened, the Pd / C hydrogenation catalyst was filtered off, and the cyclohexane was distilled off to obtain 1125 g of 2-methyl-2,4-diphenylpentane.

Next, 1000 g of 2-methyl-2,4-diphenylpentane and 100 g of AlCl ₃ were placed in a 10 L three-necked reaction vessel equipped with a calcium chloride tube, a condenser tube, and a dropping funnel. While stirring, 2000 g of diisobutylene was dropped from the dropping funnel over 30 minutes, the temperature was raised to 60 ° C., and the mixture was stirred for 3 hours. While cooling the reaction vessel in an ice bath, 3000 g of distilled water was added dropwise over 30 minutes to decompose AlCl ₃ . Then, the organic layer was separated by standing and dehydrated with anhydrous Na ₂ SO ₄ to obtain 3000 g of a mixture containing an alkylated 2-methyl-2,4-diphenylpentane and a multimer of diisobutylene. Obtained.

  The total amount of this reaction solution, 30000 g of cyclohexane, and 300 g of N-113 nickel-based hydrogenation catalyst were put in an autoclave, sealed, and subjected to nuclear hydrogenation at a hydrogen pressure of 6.1 MPa and 200 ° C. for 2 hours. The cyclohexane was distilled off. The reaction solution was distilled by vacuum distillation to obtain 1600 g of a fraction (hydrogenated compound of 2-methyl-2,4-diphenylpentane: base oil 4) at 2 mmHg and 165 to 180 ° C.

The base oil 4 is a mixture of a plurality of substances, and the main substances contained in the base oil 4 are the base oil A, the base oil B, the base oil C, and the base oil D. In the base oil component 4, the total content of the base oil A and the base oil B is 20% by mass, and the total content of the base oil C and the base oil D is 60% by mass.
Base oils A to D are the following substances, respectively.
Base oil A: exo-2-methyl-exo-3-methyl-endo-2-[(endo-3-methylbicyclo [2.2.1] hept-exo-2-yl) methyl] bicyclo [2.2 .1] Heptane base oil B: exo-2-methyl-exo-3-methyl-endo-2-[(endo-2-methylbicyclo [2.2.1] hept-exo-3-yl) methyl] bicyclo [2.2.1] Heptane base oil C: endo-2-methyl-exo-3-methyl-exo-2-[(exo-3-methylbicyclo [2.2.1] hept-exo-2-yl ) Methyl] bicyclo [2.2.1] heptane base oil D: endo-2-methyl-exo-3-methyl-exo-2-[(exo-2-methylbicyclo [2.2.1] hept-exo -3-yl) methyl] bicyclo [2 2.1] heptane

(Synthesis of base oil 5)
Into a 2 L stainless steel autoclave, 561 g of crotonaldehyde and 352 g of dicyclopentadiene were charged, and the reaction was carried out by stirring at 170 ° C. for 3 hours. After the reaction solution was cooled to room temperature, 18 g of Raney nickel catalyst was added, and hydrogenation was performed at 150 ° C. for 4 hours at a hydrogen pressure of 9 kg / cm ² (G). After cooling, the catalyst was filtered off, and the filtrate was distilled under reduced pressure to obtain 500 g of a 105 ° C./20 mmHg fraction.

  Next, 20 g of γ-alumina was added, and a dehydration reaction was performed at a reaction temperature of 285 ° C. to obtain 450 g of a product. Further, 8 g of boron trifluoride diethyl ether complex and 400 g of a dehydration reaction product were placed in a 1 L four-necked flask, and a dimerization reaction was performed at 20 ° C. for 4 hours while stirring. This reaction mixture was washed with dilute aqueous NaOH solution and saturated saline solution, 12 g of Ni / diatomaceous earth catalyst for hydrogenation was added to a 1 liter autoclave, hydrogen pressure 30 kg / cm 2 (G), reaction temperature 250 ° C., reaction time 6 hours. The hydrogenation reaction was carried out. After completion of the reaction, the catalyst was removed by filtration, and the filtrate was distilled under reduced pressure to obtain a mixture (base oil 5) of 200 g of the target dimer hydride.

(Synthesis of base oils 6-8)
In a 10 L glass reaction vessel, 1 kg of D-limonene, 100 ml of 1,2-diethoxyethane, and 100 g of cation exchange resin as a catalyst were added and reacted by heating and stirring at 50 ° C. for 6 hours. The mixture was cooled in a 20 ° C. water bath, and the solid catalyst was filtered off. Using a rotary evaporator, the solvent and unreacted raw materials are recovered, 500 g of the reaction solution is put into a 1 L autoclave, 50 g of nickel catalyst for hydrogenation is put in, and after sealing, hydrogen pressure is 50 kg / cm 2 (G) at 160 ° C. for 4 hours. The mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature, and the catalyst was filtered off.
When the obtained product was analyzed by gel filtration chromatography, the dimer component (base oil 6) was 51.2% by mass, the trimer component (base oil 7) was 35.3% by mass, and the tetramer component. (Base oil 8) was produced at 13.5% by mass. The entire reaction solution was distilled under reduced pressure to separate each component.

(Synthesis of base oil 9)
In a 10 L glass reaction vessel, 1 kg of β-pinene, 200 mL of cyclohexane, 100 mL of 1,2-diethoxyethane, and 100 g of cation exchange resin as a catalyst were added and reacted by heating and stirring at 40 ° C. for 6 hours. After cooling, the mixture was cooled in a 20 ° C. water bath, and the solid catalyst was filtered off. Using a rotary evaporator, the solvent and unreacted raw materials are recovered, 500 g of the reaction solution is put into a 1 L autoclave, 50 g of nickel catalyst for hydrogenation is put in, and after sealing, the hydrogen pressure is 50 kg / cm ² (G) at 120 ° C. for 4 hours. Hydrogenation was performed, the mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature, and the catalyst was filtered off. When the obtained product was analyzed by gel filtration chromatography, a dimer component (base oil 9) was produced. All reaction solutions were distilled under reduced pressure to collect only the dimer component.

(Synthesis of base oil 10)
A 10 L glass reaction vessel was charged with 1 kg of camphene, 200 mL of cyclohexane, 100 mL of 1,2-diethoxyethane, and 100 g of cation exchange resin as a catalyst, and reacted by heating and stirring at 50 ° C. for 6 hours. Then, it cooled in the 20 degreeC water bath, and the solid catalyst was separated by filtration. Using a rotary evaporator, the solvent and unreacted raw materials are recovered, 500 g of the reaction solution is put into a 1 L autoclave, 50 g of nickel catalyst for hydrogenation is put in, and after sealing, the hydrogen pressure is 50 kg / cm ² (G) at 110 ° C. for 4 hours. Hydrogenation was performed, the mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature, and the catalyst was filtered off. When the obtained product was analyzed by gel filtration chromatography, a dimer component (base oil 10) was produced. All reaction solutions were distilled under reduced pressure to collect only the dimer component.

(Synthesis of base oil 11)
A 10 L glass reaction vessel was charged with 1 kg of terpinolene, 200 mL of cyclohexane, 100 mL of 1,2-diethoxyethane, and 100 g of a cation exchange resin as a catalyst, and reacted by heating and stirring at 60 ° C. for 6 hours. Then, it cooled in the 20 degreeC water bath, and the solid catalyst was separated by filtration. Using a rotary evaporator, the solvent and unreacted raw materials are recovered, 500 g of the reaction solution is put into a 1 L autoclave, 50 g of nickel catalyst for hydrogenation is put in, and after sealing, the hydrogen pressure is 50 kg / cm ² (G) at 120 ° C. for 4 hours. Hydrogenation was performed, the mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature, and the catalyst was filtered off.
When the obtained product was analyzed by gel filtration chromatography, a dimer component (base oil 11) was produced. All reaction solutions were distilled under reduced pressure to collect only the dimer component.

(Synthesis of base oils 12 to 14)
In a 10 L glass reaction vessel, 1 kg of dipentene (isomer mixture of p-mentadienes), 100 ml of 1,2-diethoxyethane, and 100 g of cation exchange resin as a catalyst were heated at 60 ° C. for 6 hours. After stirring and reacting, the mixture was cooled in a 20 ° C. water bath, and the solid catalyst was filtered off. Using a rotary evaporator, the solvent and unreacted raw materials are recovered, 500 g of the reaction solution is put in a 1 L autoclave, 50 g of nickel catalyst for hydrogenation is put, and after sealing, the hydrogen pressure is 50 kg / cm ² (G) at 160 ° C. for 4 hours. Hydrogenation was performed, the mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature, and the catalyst was filtered off. When the obtained product was analyzed by gel filtration chromatography, the dimer component (base oil 12) was 66.3%, the trimer component (base oil 13) was 21.3%, the tetramer component (base oil). 12.4% of oil 14) was produced. The entire reaction solution was distilled under reduced pressure to separate each component.

(Synthesis of base oil 15)
In a 10 L glass reaction vessel, 1 kg of turpentine oil (90% α-pinene, 5% β-pinene, 5% others), 200 mL cyclohexane, 100 mL 1,2-diethoxyethane, and 100 g cation exchange resin as a catalyst. The mixture was heated at 40 ° C. for 6 hours and stirred to react, then cooled in a 20 ° C. water bath, and the solid catalyst was filtered off. Using a rotary evaporator, the solvent and unreacted raw materials are recovered, 500 g of the reaction solution is put into a 1 L autoclave, 50 g of nickel catalyst for hydrogenation is put in, and after sealing, the hydrogen pressure is 50 kg / cm ² (G) at 120 ° C. for 4 hours. Hydrogenation was performed, the mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature, and the catalyst was filtered off.
When the obtained product was analyzed by gel filtration chromatography, a dimer component (base oil 15) was produced. All reaction solutions were distilled under reduced pressure to collect only the dimer component.

(Examples 15 to 26)
Examples 15 to 26 are obtained by changing the base oil of Example 1 to other polycyclic naphthene compounds. Table 5 shows the composition of the thixotropic greases of Examples 15 to 26, and Table 6 shows the evaluation results of the characteristics of Examples 15 to 26. As in Example 1, all showed high traction coefficient, thixotropic properties, and creep recovery characteristics.

(Examples 27 to 29)
In Example 27, the base oil in Example 1 was changed to a compound (naphthenic oil) other than the polycyclic naphthene compound, and in Examples 28 and 29, the content of the thixotropic agent in Example 1 was changed. It is a thing. Table 7 shows the evaluation results of the compositions and properties of the thixotropic greases of Examples 27 to 29. As in Example 1, all showed high traction coefficient, thixotropic properties, and creep recovery characteristics.

  Moreover, about the rope which distribute | arranged the rope oil or grease shown to the said Example, it can use for the elevator shown in FIG. One end of the rope is fixed to the top of the hoistway, and the rope is in the order of the suspension pulley of the car, the pulley fixed to the top, the sheave connected to the hoist, the pulley fixed to the top, and the suspension pulley connected to the counterweight. It has a structure in which the other end is fixed at the top of the hoistway. This is a traction type elevator having a mechanism in which a rope is driven through a sheave by rotation of a hoist and a counterweight and a car are driven. Since the elevator rope according to the present invention exhibits a performance that achieves both high traction characteristics and high wear resistance, the elevator rope has particularly excellent performance with respect to a decrease in traction due to thinning of the rope and a decrease in rope life due to wear. Demonstrate.

  Furthermore, by adding additives in a range that does not affect the traction coefficient of rope oil and grease, functions such as rust prevention, oxidation prevention, and wear suppression can be added, and the equipment can be downsized and maintenance can be saved. It is possible to satisfy the required performance.

  In addition, by using the thixotropic property of the thixotropic grease according to the present invention, the thixotropic grease can be continuously supplied to the surfaces of elevator parts such as ropes and sheaves. By adding a mechanism that allows the thixotropic grease to come into direct contact with the elevator parts, the thixotropic grease can be supplied to the surface of the rope or the like while the elevator is being used. Further, since the thixotropic property of the grease is used, a process such as heating as in the conventional elevator rope grease is unnecessary, and can be realized by a simple device. As a result, it is possible to reduce maintenance frequency and maintenance work steps, suppress wear of elevator ropes, etc., and extend the life of the elevator.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it has been demonstrated that an elevator rope grease capable of obtaining an elevator rope having both high traction characteristics and high wear resistance can be provided. Moreover, it was shown that by using the elevator rope grease according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an elevator rope having both high traction characteristics and high wear resistance, and a traction type elevator using the same. Furthermore, it has been shown that a maintenance method for a traction type elevator using the elevator rope oil or the elevator rope grease according to the present invention can be provided.

  Note that the above-described embodiments have been specifically described in order to help understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to having all the configurations described. For example, a part of the configuration of one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and the configuration of another embodiment can be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Further, a part of the configuration of each embodiment can be deleted, replaced with another configuration, or added with another configuration.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Ride car, 2 ... Counterweight (balance weight), 3 ... Sheave connected to hoisting machine, 4 ... Rope, 5a ... Suspension pulley that suspends the car, 5b ... Suspension pulley that suspends the counterweight, 6 ... pulley fixed on top, 7 ... hoistway, 8 ... core rope, 9 ... strand, 10a, 10b, 10c ... steel wire, 11 ... grease (surface of strand 9).

Claims (15)

A base oil and a thixotropic agent,
Optionally including a thickener,
The thixotropic agent is a compound having a hydrophilic group and a hydrophobic group in one molecule, is dissolved in the base oil to form a solid composition, and the composition exhibits thixotropic properties.
The base oil includes at least one polycyclic naphthene compound represented by the following general formula (1),
When the thickener is not included, the kinematic viscosity at 40 ° C. of the base oil alone is 40 mm ² / s to 110 mm ² / s ,
Grease elevator ropes, characterized in that if it contains the thickening agent kinematic viscosity of 40 ° C. rope oil containing the base oil and the thickener is less than 40 mm 2 / ^s or more 110 mm 2 / ^s.

(In the formula, n represents an integer of 0 to 4. X, X ′ and X ″ are monocyclic or cyclic hydrocarbons having a bridge structure, R and R ′ are direct bonds or alkylene having 1 to 3 carbon atoms. Group, Q represents a hydrogen atom, an alkylene group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms or a cyclic hydrocarbon, and X, X ′, X ″, R, R ′ and Q are alkyl groups having 1 to 3 carbon atoms in the side chain, or (It may have a cyclic hydrocarbon, and each is independently selected.)   The elevator rope grease according to claim 1, wherein the elevator rope grease is liquefied when a shearing force is applied and becomes solid again when the shearing force is removed. The elevator rope grease according to claim 1, wherein the base oil contains at least one polycyclic naphthene compound represented by the following general formulas (2) to (7).

(In the formula, R1 to R7 are composed of hydrocarbon groups represented by general formulas (8) to (10), wherein R1 ′ to R12 ′ are hydrogen, an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and a monocyclic cyclohexyl group. Or n1 to n15 each represents an integer of 0 to 9 or 0 to 11 depending on the structure of the cyclic hydrocarbon, and Q1 to Q15 are alkyls having 1 to 3 carbon atoms. Group, a monocyclic cyclohexyl group or a cyclohexyl group having a bridge structure, and when n1 to n15 are integers of 2 or more, each of Q1 to Q15 is independently selected. Q3 ′ is independently selected from a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, a monocyclic cyclohexyl group, or a cyclohexyl group having a crosslinked structure. The elevator rope grease according to claim 1, wherein the thixotropic agent contains 0.5 to 25% by mass of at least one compound represented by the following general formula (11) or (12).

(In the formula, R1 ″ is hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, R3 ″ is a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and R2 ″, R4 ″ and R5 ″ are carbon atoms. Each independently selected from a hydrocarbon group of 4 to 24. The side chain may have a substituent of an alkyl group, a hydroxyl group or a phenyl group )   The elevator rope grease according to claim 1, wherein the thixotropic agent is a reaction product of hydroxystearic acid and ethylenediamine or 1,6-hexanediamine. Elevator rope grease of claim 1, wherein the weight average molecular weight of the thickener is 500 to 100,000.   The elevator rope according to claim 6, wherein the thickener contains 5 to 40% by mass of at least one of linear hydrocarbon, branched hydrocarbon, saturated cyclic hydrocarbon and aromatic hydrocarbon. Grease.   The elevator rope grease according to claim 1, further comprising 0.5 to 25% by mass of a mineral oil-based hydrocarbon wax or a synthetic hydrocarbon wax as a thickener.   The elevator rope grease according to claim 1, further comprising mineral oil, synthetic ester oil, synthetic ether oil or synthetic hydrocarbon oil.   The grease for elevator ropes according to claim 1, wherein the immiscible penetration is 200 to 400, the penetration is higher than the immiscibility, and the dropping point is 30 ° C or higher and 120 ° C or lower. Including a strand formed by combining a plurality of steel wires, and a cord
The elevator rope according to claim 1, wherein the elevator rope grease is applied to or impregnated in the elevator rope in which a plurality of strands are combined around the core rope around the core rope. And elevator rope.   The elevator rope according to claim 11, wherein the core rope is impregnated with an oil containing a polycyclic naphthene compound, and the elevator rope grease is applied to or impregnated into the strand. A rope, a hoist that winds up the rope, a counterweight connected to the rope, and a riding car connected to the rope and driven by being wound up,
The traction elevator according to claim 11, wherein the rope is an elevator rope according to claim 11.   The traction type elevator according to claim 13, further comprising a mechanism for applying the elevator rope grease according to claim 1 to the rope. In an elevator maintenance method comprising: a rope; a hoist that winds up the rope; a counterweight connected to the rope; and a ride connected to the rope and driven by the rope being wound up ,
A maintenance method for a traction elevator, wherein the elevator rope grease is applied to the rope.

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