MC-1000 - metal-plating grease providing anomalously low wear. The wear under MC-1000 greasing is one-tenth as much as that under greasing with popular ShRUS-4M lubricant

The type of a lubricant is determined by the field conditions: some lubricants provide low wear (Litol-24), other ones have marked antiscore characteristics and low friction coefficient (ShRUS-4M).

The ball rolls freely in a rolling bearing. The pressures are moderate (Fig. 1). Litol-24 grease shows a good performance under such conditions. But let's imagine that the load increases so that the ball rolling begins to be accompanied by slipping (Fig. 2). When rolling and slipping occur concurrently the contact surface begins to wear intensively (Fig. 3).

Thus, the traditional approach is based on the principal of a balance: one has either low wear or high resistance to scoring.

We suggest the new approach: there are not chemical additives, but ultradispersed metal powder is made a component of the grease. Under the action of temperature and pressure there continuously forms the servo-vitae-film on the contact surface (Fig. 4). The servo-vitae-film is a protective layer, which takes up a load, wears and is continuously reconditioned by the grease components. The term "servo-vitae" has its origin in Latin words meaning "to save life".


The ultradispersed Zn powder as a part of MC-1000 grease retards corrosion and provides the tribounit protection in tightness failure. Molybdenum disulfide secures good antifrictional characteristics.

 

 

Present a specific example. In the 1st bus fleet of St. Petersburg MC-1000 passed 5 schedule maintenances without change. After the tribounits inspection for damage there is only 400 grams of MC-1000 added instead of 8 kg of Litol-24. MC-1000 does not need a complete change due to the absence of the wear particles in the grease. The annual saving only on grease amounts to about 1000 roubles per bus. On the St. Petersburg scale the savings are approximately 2.5 million roubles a year. In addition, the unit life and reliability increase, that is very important as 80 % of failures happen because of wear.
 



One of the most interesting properties of MC-1000 is an ability to recondition the worn surfaces. Our colleagues from an engineer center revealed that due to the cogwheels wear the temperature of an epicyclic reduction gear had risen from 30 to 80 0C. As a result of the use of MC-1000 after the first 12 hours the temperature dropped to 60 0C, and after 24 hours it dropped to 45 0C, and noise abated. The reduction gear goes on working without repair.



The grease is covered by the patent of Russian Federation #2161177.