Shear-Responsive Grease Composition for Uniform Gap Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grease compositions struggle to evenly distribute within unit type devices due to their solid state, leading to excessive application and inefficiency, and lack responsiveness to shear stress, which is necessary for energy-efficient operation.
Innovation Solution
A grease composition containing a base oil, a urea-based thickener, and a hardening agent for fat and/or fatty oil, with urea-based thickener particles having an arithmetic average particle diameter of 2.0 μm or less, ensuring high responsiveness to shear stress and easy softening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If grease composition is supplied in solid state by drum pumping, then filling can be performed, but the grease cannot spread to gaps and corners effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the grease composition to transform it between solid and liquid states. During filling, the grease is heated to become liquid for easy pumping and distribution. During storage, it cools to solid state for stability. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between ease of operation (pumping) and spreadability (liquid state enables penetration into gaps and corners).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition of the grease composition between solid and liquid states. The grease melts at elevated temperatures (liquid state) for filling and spreads effectively, then solidifies at room temperature (solid state) for stable storage. This phase transition mechanism allows the grease to exhibit both pumpability and excellent spreadability to gaps and corners without waste.
2Reliability
If excessive amount of grease is supplied to ensure adequate filling, then filling shortage is prevented, but material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the temperature parameter, the grease transforms to liquid state during filling, enabling it to flow smoothly and distribute uniformly throughout the device. This ensures adequate filling of all areas including gaps and corners without requiring excessive material, thereby preventing both filling shortage and material waste simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the liquid state of grease (analogous to hydraulic fluid) to enable smooth flow and distribution through the device during filling. The liquid grease can penetrate gaps and corners effectively, ensuring complete and adequate filling without requiring excessive material quantity, thus resolving the contradiction between filling reliability and material waste prevention.
3Adaptability or versatility
If hardening agent for fat and/or fatty oil is used, then grease composition can be liquefied by heating, but responsiveness to shear stress is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite material system combining base oil, thickener, and hardening agent for fat and/or fatty oil. This composite structure enables the grease to exhibit both liquefaction capability when heated and high responsiveness to shear stress during operation, resolving the contradiction between adaptability (phase change) and productivity (shear responsiveness).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the grease composition, particularly temperature and shear stress parameters. The hardening agent enables the grease to liquefy at elevated temperatures for filling, while the composition formulation ensures high responsiveness to shear stress during application, achieving both adaptability and productivity simultaneously.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composition liquefies at elevated temperatures, solidifies at room temperature, and exhibits high responsiveness to shear stress, allowing efficient distribution and reduced waste during application.
Implementation Method 1
by heating a solid grease composition to a certain temperature or higher to liquefy it
Implementation Method 2
liquefies when heated to a certain temperature or higher, returns to a solid state when returned to ordinary temperature
Implementation Method 3
has high responsiveness to the application of shear stress and is easily softened when shear stress is applied
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a grease composition containing a base oil (A), a urea-based thickener (B), and a hardening agent for fat and/or fatty oil (C), in which particles containing the urea-based thickener (B) in the grease composition satisfy the following requirement (I), liquefy when heated to a certain temperature or higher, return to a solid state when returned to ordinary temperature after heated to a certain temperature or higher, have high responsiveness to application of shear stress, and are easily softened when shear stress is applied.Requirement (I): an arithmetic average particle diameter of the particles on an area basis as measured by a laser diffraction and scattering method is 2.0 μm or less.