Development of Grease for Space Use

1990 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 63850034
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Developmental Scientific Research (B).
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: 機械要素
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: OKABE Heihachiro Tokyo Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Professor, 工学部・化学工学科, 教授 (00016403)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MINAMI Ichiro Tokyo Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Research Associate, 工学部・化学工学科, 助手 (00183111) ; MASUKO Masabumi Tokyo Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Assistant Professor, 工学部・化学工学科, 助教授 (60111663)
• Project Period (FY): 1988 – 1990
• Keywords: Grease / Iubricants for space use / Perfluoropolyalkylether / Friction test under reduced pressure

Research Abstract

In this research, we investigated the volatility and and frictional property of base-oil, a major component parts of grease. Volatility of lubricants was examined in vacuo with a vacuum apparatus. Among many lubricant oils, perfluoropolyalkylether type oils show minimum volatility loss desirable for the space use. Other base oils, such as mineral, alkene oligomers, polyethers show considerable volatility loss. However, frictional properties of perfluoropolyalkylether type oils are unsatisfactory under atmosphere. Frictional properties under reduced pressure was examined with a four-ball type friction tester in vacuo. Under reduced pressure, friction properties of perfluoropolyalkylether oils are slightly poorer than under atmosphere. Lubricant additives, such as friction modifier additives and/or anti wear additives, developed for mineral oils, hardly dissolve in perfluoropolyalkylether oils. Thus we examined noble additives which contains fluorine atoms in the molecular. Slight improvement in anti wear property was observed. Development of effective additives are required to prepare practical lubricant grease for space use.