Alkylated naphthalene in grease formulation
Alkylated Naphthalene (AN) is an extremely stable base stock with good solvency and lubricity. It has similar properties to an ester but offers better hydrolytic stability. Thanks to their unique performance properties and very good synergies when blended with metallocene and conventional PAO base stocks, Synesstic AN helps formulators innovate next-generation greases.
Synesstic AN molecules are highly engineered to provide excellent:
- Oxidative, thermal and hydrolytic stability
- Solvency
- Lubricity
- Compatibility with most base stocks
They also are NSF H1-approved for use in food-grade applications.
Comparing AN- and PAO-based grease
In tests conducted in ExxonMobil labs, we compared the performance of a Synesstic™ 12-based grease with a blend of SpectraSyn™ 6 and 12 cPAO base stocks. Both NLGI #2 greases included the same additive rate of approximately 4% and lithium complex thickener. The chart shows the grease formulations used in tests measuring:
- Thickener efficiency
- Mechanical stability
- Fretting wear protection
- High-temperature protection
Thickener efficiency
In the tests, the Synesstic 12 grease demonstrates improved thickener efficiency, enabling a reduction of more than 30% in thickener content due to better solvency.
High-temperature protection
In the FE9 bearing test (DIN 51821), which measures performance at high temperatures, Synesstic 12 AN grease offers more than six times bearing life improvement over PAO.
Wear protection
The top priority for a grease is to protect equipment. In tests measuring wear protection, Synesstic AN demonstrates good lubricity, minimizing wear to enhance equipment performance, productivity and life.
Mechanical stability
To measure the work and roll stability of the greases, we used ASTM D217 modified and ASTM D1831. Greases using Synesstic AN showed enhanced stability compared to PAO-based greases.
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