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Lubricating greases play a vital role in reducing friction and wear under dynamic loading, but their performance is often limited by poor dispersion and compatibility of nano‐additives. In this study, graphene‐coated titanium dioxide (TiO2@G) hybrids were synthesized via carbothermal treatment and incorporated at 0.5 wt% in lithium grease, alongside pristine graphene, TiO2, and their physical mixture for comparison. Tribological and thermal behavior were evaluated using ASTM‐standard testing, profilometry, transmission electron microscopy and Hamrock–Dowson line‐contact film‐thickness modeling. The TiO2@G‐800 hybrid demonstrated an 85.7% reduction in wear scar diameter, a 22.0% decrease in operating temperature and a modest increase in calculated film thickness (∼1.5%) relative to the control. Lubrication regime analysis based on Stribeck and Tallian parameter (λ) confirmed mixed lubrication across all samples, with slightly higher λ ratios for TiO2@G‐800 and graphene, consistent with improved film retention and wear protection. The superior performance of TiO2@G is attributed to its engineered core–shell morphology, wherein the graphene sheath improves interfacial lubricity and thermal conductivity while the TiO2 core provides structural reinforcement. These findings highlight nanoscale interface engineering as a promising approach for developing next‐generation high‐performance greases with applications in energy, transportation and advanced manufacturing. Graphene‐coated TiO2 core–shell nanoparticles are introduced as multifunctional additives for lithium grease, yielding an 85.7% reduction in wear rate, a 22% decrease in operating temperature, and improved film retention under mixed lubrication. The conformal graphene sheath enhances heat spreading and mechanical reinforcement, demonstrating a promising nanoscale interface‐engineering strategy for high‐performance lubrication.

TiN-Ag composite coatings were prepared by pulsed bias arc ion plating. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were applied to analyze the compositions of the coatings. Tribological properties of the coatings were studied using an MFT-R4000 ball-on-disk friction tester in the presence of lubricating greases containing multilayer graphene. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to analyze the worn surface compositions of the lubricating films. The results show that with the decrease in Ag in the film, hardness increased but electrical conductivity decreased. The coating with 10 at% Ag content shows the best friction-reducing and anti-wear properties, which can be attributed to the moderate content of Ag embedded in the TiN crystal gap that enhanced the grain bonding force to improve the anti-wear and self-lubricating ability. Graphene can be adsorbed on the coating as a solid lubricant.

The rheological properties of lubricating greases are determined by the viscosity of the base oil, the interaction between base oil and thickener, and the interaction between thickener particles. The contribution of the oil–thickener interactions to the viscosity is well known, but the contribution of the thickener–thickener interactions has not yet been studied by employing theoretical or computational frameworks. In this paper, we use coarse-grained molecular dynamics to simulate a fibrous microstructure, and we show that the experimentally observed viscoelastic/plastic behaviour can be well reproduced. A parametric study shows that the apparent viscosity increases with increasing fibre length, fibre stiffness and thickener concentration. This is as expected, showing that this modelling approach is useful to study effects on grease rheology that are not accessible experimentally, such as impact of fibre entanglement or agglomeration.

Herein, a series of Ag coatings with different micro-dimples were fabricated on copper surfaces by laser surface texturing (LST) and magnetron sputtering. Multilayer graphene lubricating grease (MGLG) was prepared using multilayer graphene as an additive. The textured Ag coatings and MGLG were characterized. Moreover, the tribological and electrical performances of the textured Ag coatings under MGLG lubrication were investigated in detail. Results demonstrated that the textured Ag coating with an appropriate dimple diameter could exhibit improved tribological and electrical properties when compared to the non-textured Ag coating under MGLG lubrication. The characterization and analysis of the worn surfaces suggest that the synergetic effect of LST and MGLG contributes to these excellent tribological and electrical properties.

This work investigated the temperature changes inside the bulk of lubricating greases under controlled high-shear stress conditions (250–500 s −1 ). For this purpose, a newly developed temperature-measuring cell called Calidus was successfully tested. The temperature changes (Δ T ) have been related to the greases’ components (thickener, base oil-type, and composition) and the structural degradation of the lubricating greases. Furthermore, a theoretical approach was proposed for calculating the internal temperature change of lubricating greases during shear stress. All greases showed an internal temperature profile characterised by a sudden rise in Δ T within the first 4 h from starting the test and subsequent Δ T decay until it reaches the steady state value. Furthermore, it was found that greases C1 and C5, formulated with lithium and calcium soap, respectively, with different soap content (16.1 wt% and 9.7 wt%, respectively), but the same base castor oil, showed the highest value of the maximum Δ T , c.a. 3.2 K, and the most drastic drop of Δ T . These greases showed both the highest specific densities and heat capacities. In addition, they showed the lowest ratio of expended energies ( R tee ), which means more structural degradation in the stressed grease. On the contrary, the grease C3, with 13 wt% of Li-soap but the lowest base oil’s viscosity, showed the lowest maximum Δ T and the temperature profile was characterised by a moderate variation of Δ T along the test. The biogenic grease B3 developed a low-temperature change in the group of pure bio-genic greases close to grease C3.

In the present work, electrospun Kraft lignin/cellulose acetate nanostructures were produced, assessed and proposed as structuring or thickening agents of castor oil for lubricating applications. Solutions of Kraft lignins (KL) derived from different sources (eucalyptus, poplar and olive tree pruning) and cellulose acetate (CA) were prepared and used as feed for electrospinning. The rheological properties (shear and extensional viscosity), electrical conductivity and surface tension of KL/CA solutions influence the morphology of the electrospun nanofibers, which in turn is affected by the chemical structure and composition of the Kraft lignins. Electrospun KL/CA nanostructures consisting of filament-interconnected nanoparticles, beaded nanofibers or uniform nanofiber mats were able to form gel-like homogeneous fine dispersions by simply mechanically dispersing them into castor oil. The swelling of KL/CA nanofibers in the percolation network was demonstrated. The rheological, tribological and microstructural properties of these oleogels are essentially governed by the morphological characteristics of the electrospun nanostructures, i.e. fiber diameter, number of beads and porosity. Rheological properties of the resulting oleogels may be tailored by modifying the lignin source and KL:CA weight ratio. According to their rheological and tribological properties, KL/CA electrospun nanostructures-based oleogels can be proposed as a sustainable alternative to conventional lubricating greases.

The study systematizes the current state of knowledge on the morphological diversity of dispersed-phase particles in the most widely used lubricating greases, encompassing their shape, size, surface structure, and overall geometry. The extensive discussion of the diversity of grease thickener particles is supplemented with their microscopic images. Particular emphasis is placed on the influence of thickener particle morphology, the degree of their aggregation, and interparticle interactions on the rheological, mechanical, and tribological properties of grease formulations. The paper reviews recent advances in investigations of grease microstructure, with special emphasis on imaging techniques—ranging from dark-field imaging, through scanning electron microscopy, to atomic force microscopy—together with a discussion of their advantages and limitations in the assessment of particle morphology. A significant part of the work is devoted to rheological studies, which enable an indirect evaluation of the structural state of grease by analyzing its response to shear and deformation, thereby allowing inferences to be drawn about the micro- and mesostructure of lubricating greases. The historical development of rheological research on lubricating greases is also presented—from simple flow models, through the introduction of the concepts of viscoelasticity and structural rheology, to modern experimental and modeling approaches—highlighting the close relationships between rheological properties and thickener structure, manufacturing processes, composition, and in-service behavior of lubricating greases, particularly in tribological applications. It is indicated that contemporary studies confirm the feasibility of tailoring the microstructure of grease thickeners to specific lubrication conditions, as their characteristics fundamentally determine the rheological and tribological properties of the entire system.

The structure and flow behavior of lubricating greases depend on the base oil and the type and concentration of the dissolved thickener. In this study, the linear viscoelastic properties of greases were characterized by combining oscillatory shear and squeeze flow covering a broad frequency range (0.1–105 rad s−1). Multiple-particle tracking (MPT) microrheology and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided further insight into local viscoelastic properties and sample structure on a submicron-length scale. The type and viscosity of the base oil did not affect the absolute value of the complex viscosity and the filament shape formed by a given thickener. High-frequency shear modulus data, however, indicated that the thickener lithium 12-hydroxystearate formed stiffer networks/filaments in poly-α-olefins than in mineral oils. As expected, the viscosity increased with increased thickener concentrations, but microscopy and high-frequency rheometry revealed that the thickness, length, and stiffness of the individual filaments did not change. In mineral oil, the 12-hydroxystearate thickeners yielded higher viscosity than the corresponding stearates with the same metal ion. The filamentous lithium thickeners created stronger networks than the roundish aggregates formed by magnesium and zinc stearate. Network mesh sizes varying between approximately 100 nm and 300 nm were consistently determined from SEM image analysis and MPT experiments. The MPT experiments further disclosed the existence of gel-like precursors of approximately 130 µm at thickener concentrations far below the critical value at which a sample-spanning network resulting in a characteristic grease texture is formed.

This research addresses the issue of lubricant performance degradation in the main shaft bearings of wind turbines. Through multi-temperature accelerated aging tests, the static thermal degradation patterns were elucidated, and an aging model was developed. Initially, 176 samples were prepared at temperatures of 80 °C, 100 °C, 120 °C, and 140 °C using the static thermal degradation method, with 44 samples at each temperature point. Subsequently, key parameters such as the quality change rate, penetration, oil separation rate, and evaporation amount of the lubricant were systematically measured. Ultimately, the mathematical aging model of the lubricant was derived by fitting the aging kinetics model. The results indicate that as aging time and temperature increase, the degradation characteristics of the lubricant, such as quality change rate, penetration, oil separation rate, and evaporation amount, exhibit discernible patterns. The mathematical aging model was successfully fitted, with the maximum deviation generally within 20% of the error margin, meeting the established criteria. This research provides a theoretical foundation for the establishment of a lubricant condition monitoring system in wind farms. Predicting the performance inflection point of the lubricant can effectively prevent unplanned bearing shutdowns resulting from lubrication failures, thereby offering significant engineering value in enhancing the operational reliability of wind turbine units.

This paper presents the results of a study on the effect of the dispersed phase on the lubricating and rheological properties of selected lubricant compositions. A vegetable oil base (rapeseed oil) was used to prepare vegetable lubricants, which were then thickened with lithium stearate, calcium stearate, aluminum stearate, amorphous silica, and montmorillonite. Based on the results of the tribological tests of selected lubricating compositions, it was found that calcium stearate and montmorillonite have the most beneficial effect on the anti-wear properties of the tested lubricating greases, while silica thickeners (amorphous silica and montmorillonite) provide the effective anti-wear protection in compared to the lubricants produced on lithium and aluminum stearate. The lowest structural viscosity was found for grease thickened with montmorillonite. Much higher values of this parameter were observed for composition, where aluminum stearate was the dispersed phase, while the highest value of structural viscosity was observed for composition, where aerosol–amorphous silica was the thickener. The composition thickened with amorphous silica had the highest yield point value, while the composition in which montmorillonite was the dispersed phase had the lowest value. Dynamic viscosity decreases with temperature, which is characteristic of lubricants. No significant differences in dynamic viscosity were found for the lubricating compositions tested at temperatures above 50 [°C]. The most favorable rheological properties were observed for composition, which was produced using calcium stearate, as it allows the lowest dynamic viscosity at −20 [°C]. Lubricants produced with lithium stearate or aluminum stearate were characterized by higher viscosity at low temperatures. For grease, in which the lithium stearate was used as a thickener, the value of the elasticity index determines the weak viscoelastic properties of tested grease and a greater tendency to change structure under the influence of applied forces. For vegetable grease thickened with aluminum stearate, more than 15 times lower values of the MSD function were observed, and the calculated elasticity index value proves the stronger viscoelastic properties of the aluminum stearate grease in relation to grease thickened with the lithium stearate. The elasticity index value for grease thickened with amorphous silica was lower than for greases thickened with lithium and aluminum stearate, indicating its stronger viscoelastic properties in relation to these two greases. For grease composition prepared on the vegetable oil base and thickened with montmorillonite. The value of the elasticity index was lower than most of the tested grease compositions, without the composition, in which the calcium stearate was used as a thickener. Such results testify to moderately strong viscoelastic properties, which leads to the conclusion that the produced lubricant was a stable substance on changes in chemical structure under the influence of variable conditions prevailing during work in tribological joints.