Shelf life of graphite lubricant. Graphite lubricant and its use in cars. There are also some minor drawbacks
- What is graphite lubricant?
- Graphite lubricant. Properties
- Application of graphite lubricants
- Advanced materials MODENGY and EFELE are an ideal replacement for traditional graphite lubricants!
What is graphite lubricant?
The first graphite lubricant was made from a mineral base oil thickened with graphite and calcium soap. Calcium soap provided the material with good resistance to being washed off with water. The finished product was a homogeneous black to dark brown ointment. Today, graphite lubricants are any lubricant that contains graphite, such as graphite-infused oils, anti-friction coatings, greases, etc.
Graphite lubricant has a great advantage - durability. After the oil film stops working, the hard graphite particles protect the assembly surface from boundary friction, corrosion, scuffing, seizing and contact with abrasives.
Traditional graphite lubricants operate at temperatures from -20 °C to +70 °C. They are designed for servicing loaded mechanisms made of steel or copper alloys that are prone to oxidation (threaded connections, gears, lead screws, jacks, car suspension elements, etc.).
The use of graphite lubricant in automotive equipment is especially important, for example, in order to reduce friction between leaf springs, to lubricate the parking brake cable, the retractable antenna of a car (removes interference during the operation of the radio). In everyday life, door hinges can be treated with graphite lubricant to protect metal surfaces and eliminate squeaking.
Graphite lubricant. Properties
The performance characteristics of traditional graphite lubricants meet the operating conditions of equipment and machinery produced in Russia. Compared to conventional lubricants, graphite lubricants have the following advantages:- High anti-friction characteristics
- Increased load-bearing capacity
- Provides smoother running of mechanisms
- Improves lapping of metal parts
- Conduct electricity
- Moisture resistance
- Low melting point of calcium thickener reduces upper operating temperature limit
- Due to the coarsely refined, coarsely ground graphite, the field of application is limited to open components with poor surface quality
One of the discoveries of engineers is the synergistic interaction between graphite and molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2). It is based on replacing the weaknesses of one substance with the strengths of another. Thus, graphite performs poorly in a dry environment and unsatisfactorily in inert gases. Molybdenum disulfide, in turn, shows weak properties in a humid environment.
When combining graphite powders and molybdenum disulfide, a mixture is obtained that significantly exceeds the characteristics of each of these materials separately.
Application of graphite lubricants
Graphite is an excellent anti-friction filler, so graphite lubricant is ideal for servicing large and small mechanisms.The scope of application of graphite lubricants is large. As a rule, they are used to service components and mechanisms operating under heavy loads - in oil production, automotive, construction, and agricultural equipment. In addition to protecting against wear, the lubricant prevents squeaks caused by friction of parts. In low-speed gearboxes, “graphite” softens the contact of gears by absorbing the energy of the impact interaction of the teeth.
In everyday life, graphite lubricant is used to protect garage and door hinges, locks, etc. Due to its good water resistance, the material does not require frequent replacement.
Graphite lubricant is most popular when servicing vehicle components.
- Ball joints and suspensions
- Steering knuckle bearings
- Gears and steering racks
- Threaded connections
- Battery terminals
- Cardan crosspieces on a rear-wheel drive car
- Brake caliper guides
- Anti-squeak washers in springs, etc.
It should be noted that graphite lubricant is not suitable for all vehicle components, since graphite, for example in small bearings, can cause premature wear.
Advanced materials MODENGY and EFELE are an ideal replacement for traditional graphite lubricants!
Anti-friction coating (dry lubrication) based on graphite and molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) - developed by the Modeling and Engineering company. It is manufactured using unique technologies using high quality components. MODENGY 1001 polymerizes at room temperature and works well under high loads over a wide temperature range (-180...+440 °C). Dry lubricant is not squeezed out of friction zones, prevents the adhesion of dust and abrasives, and protects against frictional wear for a long time. The coating works under high loads, under conditions of radiation and vacuum.
Application area:
- Sliding friction units in cars: guides, hinges and hinges, locks, threaded and splined connections, throttle valve
- Gears, sliding guides, chains of printing and pressing equipment
- Sliding guides for polymer processing equipment
- Lead screws and plain bearings for pipeline fittings
- Chain drives for conveyors and hoisting machines
- For cold extrusion of steel to prevent scuffing
Advantages of MODENGY 1001
- High adhesion
- Wide operating temperature range from -180 to + 440 °C
- Air curing
- Performance in dusty conditions
- Aerosol packaging
- Softens the movement of mechanisms
- Prevents contact of dust and abrasives with work surfaces
Chain oil with graphite– ideal for servicing heavily loaded components, such as chain drives operating at low speeds.
Thanks to graphite and special additives, the oil has high load-bearing and anti-corrosion properties, and also does not flow out of friction zones under the influence of centrifugal forces.
Application area:
- Chains with large links
- Highly loaded chain drives operating at low speeds
- Sliding guides operating under high loads and low speeds
- Protection of chain drives and sliding guides operating in dusty environments
Advantages of EFELE MO-749
- High load-bearing capacity
- Anti-friction fillers reduce wear of components in dusty environments
- Good anti-wear properties
- Prevents stick-slip motion
- Wide operating temperature range
- High anti-corrosion properties
- Has anti-emergency lubricant properties
Graphite lubricant is a very popular material that is used everywhere: from heavy industry to passenger cars.
Polarization allows the characteristics of graphite to be enhanced, i.e. polarizing agents are introduced into the layered structure of graphite. This is how polarized graphite is obtained. It works in humid environments, has greater adhesion to metal surfaces and is thermally stable. Today it is one of the most promising solid lubricants.
Due to its high performance properties, graphite, as an additive, can be used in almost any type of lubricants, enhancing their characteristics. Moreover, its presence in the composition practically does not increase the final cost of the product.
The car is one of the most complex technical structures. Modern models contain thousands of moving parts and structures.
The force of friction, as a constant physical impact, follows all these mechanisms throughout their operation. This not only reduces the efficiency, but also negatively affects the wear of parts. To increase the efficiency of some mechanical components of a car, various lubricants are used. One of the best on the market is graphite lubricant.
Graphite lubricant is a product of the final refining of petroleum in the form of by-products from distillation. Some car enthusiasts, knowing the exact composition of factory lubricants, try (and in some cases quite successfully) to make such material with their own hands.
To do this, you need graphite in pure powder form, solid oil and gear oil (motor oil is not suitable due to its viscosity). These ingredients are mixed in a certain proportion, which leads to the appearance of graphite lubricant.
This method was actively used during the Soviet era, when it was easier to get all the missing components than the whole product.
The video shows the area of application of graphite lubricant in a car:
Previously, graphite lubricant was actively used to lubricate car springs. However, this technology was gradually abandoned - the vast majority of models switched to racks, so the industrial use of this type of lubricant decreased.
Use in modern cars
In a car, such a lubricant is most often used to treat moving parts that are susceptible to corrosion.
What is graphite lubricant used for? Due to its properties, such a lubricant interacts well with the surface of the metal, protecting it from the effects of corrosion (however, the use of such a material as an anti-corrosion agent is ineffective due to the presence of more common and effective agents).
Application method
In terms of its consistency, such a lubricant is a thick, jelly-like substance of a dark color (usually brown or black). This composition is due to the manufacturing method by adding graphite and other substances to the oil distillation products. 
Application occurs using a brush, roller or other tool. It takes several hours for the lubricant to acquire its basic properties. During this time, the composition has time to harden, cover the part with a thick film and begin to work effectively. Therefore, immediately after applying lubricant to a part, it is not advisable to use it for its intended purpose, but wait a while (it is not recommended to immediately develop hinges when opening and closing doors or to pull the handbrake cable several times in a row). The lubricant is sold in plastic containers by weight in kg.
Manufacturers
There are several main manufacturers of these products on the market, which still enjoy some popularity among car enthusiasts:
The company's products have excellent temperature properties (the minimum temperature threshold is limited to 20 degrees below 0, the maximum is 70 degrees above 0). The cost is about 700 rubles.
You can buy graphite lubricants in our online store.
Product prices from 300 rub.
Graphite lubricant is one of the most effective types of lubricant, containing graphite in its composition and having a consistency similar to ordinary grease. It is precisely due to the content of graphite powder that this kind of product is used over a fairly wide temperature range, which can rise to +130 ° C! Also, due to its unique properties, such a lubricant is actively used in places where the load reaches its peak, for example, in particularly loaded components of industrial equipment operating under high voltage or at high speed, as well as in springs, car suspensions, and open gears and other similar mechanisms.
Scope of application of graphite lubricant
Graphite lubricants are used for:
Lubrication of moving mechanisms;
Heating components;
Good grinding of metal parts;
Radio technical contacts;
Protecting parts from carbon deposits;
Suspensions for special equipment.
In addition, graphite lubricant can be used for less specific parts. It is actively used in professional and amateur cycling for lubricating bicycle chains and in karting - for processing metal parts of the kart. An important feature of products with graphite powder is that they do not react chemically with plastic and other materials, and therefore do not have a negative effect on them.
Graphite lubricant, the price of which is not at all high due to the simplicity of the manufacturing process, is one of the best options for use in construction and agricultural machinery, as well as under extreme operating conditions, especially when the ambient temperature is more than +30 degrees Celsius . In addition, you can buy graphite lubricant almost everywhere, including in our store, since it is not a special or professional type of lubricant and is available to a wide range of the population.
In cars, the use of graphite lubricant is also quite popular - it is used to reduce the friction force between the sheets from which car springs are made, to lubricate the parking brake cable drive. What’s noteworthy is that graphite grease can also be used to lubricate the contacts. The use of such a lubricant in a car is very common due to its versatility and the ability to use it for almost any part of the car where it is necessary to reduce friction, protect against physical damage and chemical exposure.
The most popular type of lubricant today is graphite lubricant. Mehrzweckfett Graphitiert from Divinol - a mixture of mineral oils with a graphite component and various additives that add various properties to the lubricant such as frost resistance, extreme pressure properties, etc. The use of the Divinol brand is allowed at temperatures from -30 degrees to +130°C, both outdoors and in closed mechanisms, on gears, winches, bolts and other parts that require free movement.
Due to its versatility, the use of graphite lubricant is possible in almost all areas of our life, which is why it has gained popularity all over the world. In addition, it showed that the use of thick types of lubricants is much more beneficial than the use of thin lubricating oils. Its thickness allows you to apply a small amount of the mixture to the required part, and it remains there for a very long time, and due to its distance from the liquid state, it does not evaporate even with strong heating.
Helpful advice: due to its rather dense and thick consistency, graphite lubricant cannot be used for some parts as effectively as lubricating oils, which easily penetrate into any crevices. But this inconvenience is easy to get around - you just need to heat the lubricant, and then it will become quite liquid and more convenient for use. And an even more effective option (especially for the smallest and fine-mesh parts, such as a bicycle chain) would be to boil the required part in a pot of lubricant - then it will definitely be 100 percent lubricated.
Graphite grease. Characteristics
Like any other lubricant, a graphite lubricant whose characteristics are not satisfactory must have a large number of special properties, each of which will be useful in a certain situation and will allow the lubricant to do its job accurately. First of all, among its features it is worth highlighting, as mentioned above, a very wide operating temperature range at which lubricants with graphite perform their functions as well as possible. In addition, depending on the requirements, various additives and additives can be added to the lubricant to provide additional properties.
In addition, special requirements apply to lubricants for heavily loaded machinery, even at the legislative level. Thus, graphite lubricant GOST 3333-80 must have a dropping point >77 °C,<5% выделяющегося масла и <3% массовой доли воды, предел прочности на сдвиг - <100 Па при 50 °С, а также <100 Па*с вязкости при температуре в 0 °С. Смазка Divinol Mehrzweckfett Graphitiert удовлетворяет все эти требования, что обусловливает максимально эффективное ее использование во всех сферах промышленности и нашей жизни.
As a conclusion, we can say that the qualities that distinguish graphite lubricant (price, characteristics, breadth of use) are no longer repeated in any type of mechanical lubricant and have not yet been reproduced using other materials. Equally good performance at both high and low temperatures, economical use and convenience - this is exactly what we demand from lubricants and exactly what we get from a graphite lubricant.
Well, finally, we’ll give one more piece of advice: if for some reason the graphite lubricant cannot be used in its original form, then it is quite possible to replace it with copper-graphite lubricant.
Among the huge variety of various lubricants, graphite lubricant occupies not the last place. Its application has a strictly defined area, which is due to its properties.
About graphite in a nutshell...
This remedy received its name from the substance of the same name,
included in its composition. It is this that gives the lubricant certain properties. What is graphite? This substance is gray in color, although it has a variety of shades - from black to silver. Has a metallic oily sheen. It has the ability to form thin films if rubbed on a hard surface. It is used to produce lubricants used in various industries.
Graphite lubricant: features and properties
GOST 3333 80 graphite lubricant - this is how this substance is designated in the nomenclature sheets of enterprises. Colloidal graphite preparations are used for its production. In fact, such a lubricant is nothing more than thickened with calcium soap. Graphite itself, which gives the substance its name, makes up only 10%. In appearance, it is a homogeneous mass that is black or dark brown in color. Graphite lubricant is almost identical in composition to grease. The difference lies in the addition of graphite and the use of a more viscous oil, on the basis of which the substance is produced.
Graphite lubricant has the following properties:
- It does not evaporate even at a temperature of +150 degrees.
- It is not subject to corrosion, therefore it protects the processed parts from rust.
- This substance contains no more than 3% water.
- Its use is recommended at temperatures from -20 to +70 degrees. And in some springs lower temperatures are allowed - 20 degrees.
Application of graphite lubricant
Graphite lubricant is used today in many areas of production:
When choosing this lubricant, you need to be very careful, since recently cases of counterfeits have been noticed quite often. Therefore, preference should be given to products produced by well-known companies with a good reputation. It is advisable to make purchases in specialized stores. After all, the stable operation of equipment for various purposes depends on the quality of this material.
When choosing a graphite lubricant, it is worth considering that it belongs to the class of organic lubricants with a solid structure. Generally, graphite grease is not suitable for use under vacuum conditions.
During active use and to ensure functionality, water or a small amount of oxygen is required. If we consider graphite as a filler, it is worth considering that the most effective is to use such a lubricant for bearing inserts that have the form of pressed graphite inserts.
What is the maximum temperature that graphite grease can withstand?
A prerequisite, which is provided for in the requirements for graphite lubricant, is a layered texture, as well as good stability in contact with air, including thermal stability and stability, which can reach 400 - 600 degrees Celsius, the so-called. Universal graphite lubricant can be used in various fields of industry.
This type of lubricant significantly improves the technical characteristics of springs of various types and connections with a threaded structure; it can be used for open-type transmissions with a gear surface. However, like any other lubricant, graphite is provided with a special temperature regime in which it functions most effectively.
This mode can be set by the manufacturer independently and is indicated on the labeling, but in any case it must comply with GOST standards, which are established specifically for lubricants with graphite filler.
Temperature conditions for lubrication
According to the standards of GOST 3333-80, the optimal temperature for using graphite lubricant is not lower than 20 degrees Celsius and not higher than 60, however, exceptions are always established, for example, if graphite lubricant is used in springs and similar devices, then it is possible to work at temperatures lower 20 degrees Celsius lubrication efficiency.
Lubricant with the addition of graphite has increased heat resistance, which makes it universal and due to which it is very popular among consumers. If you use the lubricant at temperatures below 20 degrees, it will freeze very quickly, thus friction will increase and the effectiveness of the lubricant will correspondingly decrease.
And if used at a temperature not exceeding 70 degrees, maximum oxidation resistance is ensured and, thus, the scope of application of the lubricant is significantly expanded, including to noble metals. If you want to achieve the desired result and ensure the most efficient use of the lubricant, you must strictly adhere to the temperature regime established by GOST standards and the manufacturer.