Spring 1996 Solving Design Problems With Synthetic Lubricants

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New Equipment Puts Nye On The Leading Edge of Lube R&D

A Differential Scanning Calorimeter, which determines the thermooxidative stability oforganic materials at elevated temperatures, is part of a major R&D acquisition that supportsNye’s commitment to “become one of the foremost lubricant laboratories in the country.”

element bearings. The spectrographgenerates an argon plasma into whichvarious elements can be aspirated. Inturn, it identifies the elements.

“We’ll find this useful in studying theperformance of lubricants under hydrody-namic and boundary conditions, and indetermining the effectiveness of bound-ary additives in preventing metal-to-metalcontact,” Paul said. “The spectrographallows us to identify wear debris in theparts per billion range. So, for example, ifwe’re testing a lubricant used withstainless steel bearings, and the spec-trograph finds traces of nickel, iron orchromium, we’ll know the lubricant filmruptured under the test conditions.”

Other planned acquisitions include aGel Permeation Chromatograph and aControl Stress and Control ShearRheometer.

“The chromatograph will enable us toguarantee a lubricant’s vapor pressurefrom batch to batch, an important qualitycontrol measure for aerospace applica-tions, where low volatility is required,”Paul added. “The rheometer will allow usto understand better the flow characteris-tics and gel structure of our products.”

Three new, state-of-the-art laboratorysystems strengthen analytical capabilitiesat Nye Lubricants, and enhance thecompany’s ability to design customsynthetic oils and greases.

“We made a decision to become one ofthe foremost lubrication laboratories in thecountry,” said Nye Technical Director PaulBessette. “To achieve this goal, we made acommitment to invest in sophisticated,analytical hardware that will allow us tobetter understand how lubricants work,which, in turn, enables us to improvecurrent product lines and tailor newproducts to very rigorous customerrequirements.”

The process of selecting additivepackages for lubricants will be supportedby a Differential Scanning Calorimeter(DSC), which is used to determine thethermooxidative stability of organicmaterials at elevated temperatures. Usinga high-pressure oxygen cell with the DSC,

Nye engineers can test and identify theantioxidants that behave synergisticallywith various synthetic base fluids. Thismethod of selecting additives helpsmaximize the oxidative stability of oils andgreases, which ultimately extends the lifeof the devices they lubricate.

A second piece of equipment, aThermal Gravimetric Analyzer (TGA),measures the change in weight ofmaterials at different temperatures.

“The TGA gives us another tool to lookat how materials change as a function oftemperature,” Paul said. “With it, we’ll beinvestigating the behavior of organicmatter under oxidizing and non-oxidizingconditions, which, for example, canprovide valuable insights into designingtruly clean-burning lubricants for electricswitches.”

An Inductively Coupled PlasmaEmission Spectrograph will be used toimprove lubricant formulations for rolling

Chicago Office,Product DevelopmentBring Two MoreEngineers to Nye

Brad Richardson and David Stonerecently joined the Nye team. Brad isRegional Engineering Manager in Nye’sChicago office, which serves Illinois, Iowa,Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin.David, based at Nye headquarters in

L u b e L e t t e rL u b e L e t t e r

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Brad Richardson David Stone

Fairhaven, is focusing on new productand market development.

A graduate of Milwaukee School ofEngineering, Brad brings nearly 10 yearsof design engineering experience to Nye.His credits include the design anddevelopment of a line of 80 hand-helddental instruments, the design of a deviceto test bearing load capacity, and theinvention and patenting of a water-saving,flow-control device. Brad’s previousemployers include Rockwell International,Miller Fluid Power, and, most recently,Hu-Friedy Manufacturing Company.

David is a former Project Engineer atSippican, Inc., in Marion, Massachusetts,

where he was responsible for electronicwarfare programs for the US Navy. Priorto Sippican, he was the EngineeringManager of the Microwave Tube Divisionat Varian Associates, Palo Alto, California.David received a Ph.D. in physics fromthe Massachusetts Institute of Technol-ogy in 1979. His many projects at Nyeinclude the development of dry filmlubricants and electrically conductive oilsand greases.

For our customers served by theChicago office, Brad can be reached at(847) 398-3114. David’s telephone numberis (508) 996-6721.

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Better Consistency, Faster Delivery forGrease Cartridges

New de-aeration equipment designed byNye Mechanical Engineer Jim McGown notonly improves the quality of Nye greasespackaged in Semco® cartridges, it reducesthe time it takes to remove air from even theheaviest of greases.

“Our new equipment, which has beenunder design for a couple of years, hasreally surpassed our expectations,” Jimsaid. “It degasses our Semco-cartridge-packaged products more completely andmuch faster than we had thought possible.”

The manufacture of grease normallyentrains air in the product. This poses aproblem for customers using automaticdispensing equipment, because whencartridges contain air, the proper amount ofgrease may not be applied. As a result,parts may have to be cleaned and re-lubricated manually, an unexpected, labor-

Ultra-Clean,Ozone-SafeCleaning Solvent

If you’re still looking for a replacementfor Freon-TF to clean parts and compo-nents, consider Nye Fluorosolvent 504.

Nye Fluorosolvent 504, a nonflammable,non-ozone-depleting fluoroalkane, is aneffective solvent for cleaning and dispers-ing fluorinated oils and greases.Ultrafiltered, it contains no more than oneparticle greater than 25 microns per 100milliliters of solvent, when tested to MIL-STD-1246A.

Available in pints, quarts and five gallonplastic pails, Fluorosolvent 504 is deliveredwith a list of physical properties and aCertificate of Analysis, which validates itscleanliness level. The solvent is notcompatible with hydrocarbon-basedlubricants.

Lube Lit Update

Three new application summaries havebeen added to the Nye literature library:Synthetic Oils for Rolling Element Bearings,Synthetic Greases for Rolling ElementBearings, and Synthetic Lubricants for BallScrews and Lead Screws.

The application summaries for rollingelement bearings offer a much broaderarray of lubricants than previous bearingsummaries, including very wide tempera-ture and chemically resistant bearing oils,as well as wide-temperature, low-torque,chemically-resistant, water- and salt-waterresistant, and “quiet” bearing greases.The ball and lead screw summary suggestsgreases for light, medium, and heavy dutyapplications, and introduces specialtygreases for lead screws and precisionground and high speed ball screws.

To receive the summaries, check theappropriate boxes on the enclosedLiterature Request Card and mail or fax it toNye, or call Nye at (508) 996-6721.

intensive process that slows production.“We are now duplicating this first

machine so that all our Semco cartridgeswill be de-aerated with the new equipment.It will result in a quality improvement inboth completeness and consistency ofcartridge de-aeration,” Jim added.

Because the equipment also speeds thede-aeration process, customers can nowexpect faster turn-around on orders forgreases packaged in Semco cartridges.

Nye began packaging greases in Semcocartridges more than 10 years ago, in aneffort to meet customers’ specialtypackaging requirements. Nye’s greasepackaging options also include plasticsqueeze tubes, pipettes, hand-held andauto-dispensing syringes, jars, fiberboardgrease-gun cartridges, and aluminum foilblister packs.

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Product Round-Up: Lubricants for Telecommunication Applications○

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Lubricants from Nye are used incountless telecommunication applica-tions, from gold-plated IC socket pins, toheat sinks for electronic components.This product round-up offers an overviewof Nye’s telecom lubricant collection, andsuggests“lubricant solutions” to prob-lems faced by component designers.

Lubricating electrical connectors.The lubrication of stationary, separableconnector pins and blades offersimmediate and long term benefits. A thinfilm of lubricant can reduce mating forceby as much as 80%, a critical factor inconnector assembly, especially forelectronic connectors with dozens oreven hundreds of pins. For gold-platedconnectors, lubricants also reduce noblemetal wear during mating and separation,an important consideration since thinplating is the rule of thumb.

Long term connector lubricants guardagainst oxidation and harsh environmentsfor tin-lead and gold-plated connectors.Because a lubricant seals the micro-scopic pores in thin gold plating, itprotects the base-metal substrate fromatmospheric corrosion.

A thin lubricant film also protects tin-lead connectors from fretting corrosion,that is, metal-to-metal contact caused bylow amplitude vibrations produced bynearby motion, as from fans, motors, orthe opening and closing of cabinet doors.

Keeping out the elements. Telecom-munication systems incorporate manysubsystems and components whoseperformance depends on the dielectricproperties of their materials. Outdoorsand in industrial or marine environments,

Nye’s Most Popular Stationary Separable Connector Lubricants

Nye Product Suggested Coating Contact Material Typical Applications

NyeTact 570 Thin Noble Metal Databus connectors, backplanes,rf coaxial connectors, IC socketpins, low current/low signal levelanalog connectors, power connectors

NyeTact 515 orNyeTact 502 Thin Non-Noble Metal Databus connectors, backplanes,

rf coaxial connectors, IC socket pins,power connectors

NyoGel 760G Thick All High current connectors, powerconnectors, severe atmosphere,moisture, or marine exposure

a properly selected lubricant can helpguard against in-service degradation ofthose dielectric properties.

For gasket and O-ring seals at connec-tor joints in coaxial cables or in weatherenclosures, silicone lubricants likeNyoGel 783D become back-up weatherseals. They help prevent the influx ofmoisture which can cause load mis-match, insertion loss, or even suddencatastrophic failure of a transmission linein higher wattage systems.

Within the waveguide in a microwaveconnector, Nye Fluoroether Grease 842and NyoGel 762G are exceptional waterdisplacement lubricants. In criticalapplications, these products can beultrafiltered and vacuum-treated tomaximize their dielectric strength.Fluorinated greases also ensure long-term oxidative stability across broadtemperature ranges. They also easeconnector mating and separation.

Similarly, in a fiber optic transmissionline, moisture or an air gap at the junctionof two optical fibers can cause significantsignal reflection. Nye’s fiber opticcoupling gels serve as a coupling mediumand an environmental seal betweenmating fiber optic waveguides. Thesecrystal clear gels, which have therequisite optical purity and good thermaland oxidative stability., are available overa range of refractive indices, fromn=1.3075 to n=1.6365. Custom formula-tions are available. Use of these gels,which require no catalyst or curing, canoffer dramatic cost savings over theconventional fusion splicing method.

Nye manufactures a broad array oflubricants designed to ensure optimumperformance and long life fortelecommunication components. Proven inthe field, the NyeTact series of connectorlubricants is also recommended by leadingtelecommunication laboratories.

Dissipating heat. The telecommunica-tions designer often faces a tradeoffbetween excessive heat dissipation inelectronic components and compact, cost-effective packaging. The design challengeis to lay out a low thermal impedance heatpath from the component to a heat sink,and forego more complex and costly heatpipes or powerful air cooling fans.

The heat path is comprised not only oflayers of plastics and metals in theequipment package, but also of theinterfaces between the layers in the heatsink itself. In fact, the temperature acrosssuch interfaces is often greater than thetemperature across the heat sink layers.When heat dissipation constraints aretight, the designer looks for ways to reduce— and ideally eliminate — the thermalimpedance of the heat sink interfaces.Nye Thermal Coupling Compounds 925, 926and 929 perform this function by filling theinterface gaps and providing an additionalheat path. These compounds are compat-ible with plastics, paints and varnishes,and withstand high operating tempera-tures. Non-metallic additives are availablewhere electrical conductivity is required.

For more information and samples ofNye’s telecommunication lubricants, or torequest a custom-designed lubricant, callNye or return the enclosed SampleRequest Form.

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FOUR© Nye Lubricants Inc. 1996

Australia • Austria • Belgium • Germany • Italy • Japan • Luxembourg • Netherlands • Singapore • South Korea • Switzerland • United Kingdom

P.O. Box 8927 New Bedford, Massachusetts 02742-8927 Telephone 508-996-6721 Fax 508-997-5285

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New High Speed, High Temp Bearing Grease

Nye’s new Rheoplex 6000HT can be acost-effective alternative to PFPElubricants for high speed bearingapplications.

Gunther HornFeatured at SeminarSeminar Hand-Outs Available

Gunther Horn, Director of Research andDevelopment at Advanced Metallurgy, Inc.,in Export, Pennsylvania, presented a full-dayseminar on arcing contacts in February, thelatest offering in Nye’s quarterly seminarseries.

The 1994 recipient of the Ragnar HolmAchievement Award, which honors personswho have made significant contributions tothe field of electric contacts, Mr. Horn iscurrently Vice Chairman of the IEEE TC-1Committee and serves as the AssociateEditor for the IEEE Transactions on CPMTfor Holm Conference and electrical contactrelated papers.

The invitation-only seminar was attendedby Nye employees and representatives from15 Nye customers in the automotive,telecommunication, and computer industries.

For a copy of hand-outs distributed at Mr.Horn’s presentation or for more informationabout upcoming Nye seminars, contactKevin Akin at (508) 996-6721.

Calculating the Unit Cost for Small Amounts of Grease

Nye recently introduced Rheoplex6000HT, a high-temperature synthetichydrocarbon grease designed to reducetorque and extend the life of high speedrolling element bearings.

Rheoplex 6000HT, an NLGI Grade 2grease, can be a cost-effective alternativeto fluorinated lubricants for high tempera-ture applications. Its operating tempera-ture range extends to 170°C, and complexgrease chemistry pushes its droppingpoint beyond 250°C, 50 degrees higherthan conventional synthetic hydrocarbongreases.

The new synthetic lubricant is alsofortified with film-forming, antiwearadditives that provide superior protectionfor the ball and the race under boundaryconditions. After a Four-Ball Wear Test(1200 RPM, 40 kg, 75°C, 1 hr.), the wearscar measured only 0.34 mm. Tradition-ally, wear scars under these test condi-tions range from 0.5 mm to 0.8 mm.Corrosion inhibitors further protectbearing components.

The new grease also exhibits a qualitycalled rheological channeling, enabling

the bearing to run cooler and last longer.The grease in the ball path readilybecomes semi-fluid under modestmechanical shear, reducing viscous dragand torque. The undisturbed greaseoutside the ball path remains firm andacts to seal the race.

Rheoplex 6000HT is packaged in 30ccsyringes, one-pound jars, seven- and 35-pound pails, and is available for immedi-ate delivery.

Table Notes: The dots, whose diametersare noted in millimeters, represent various“dollops” of grease. The volume of eachdollop is given in milliliters in the secondcolumn. The next two columns indicatethe amount of grease in pounds needed tolubricate 100,000 devices, if each deviceuses the amount of grease shown in the

first column. “LD” stands for low or“standard” density grease, that is, a greasewith a density close to 1 g/ml, such as mostsynthetic hydrocarbon, silicone or ester-based greases. “HD” stands for highdensity grease, that is, a grease with adensity closer to 2 g/ml, such as fluorinatedether-based greases. (Some fluorocarbon-gelled greases are intermediate in density;some hydrocarbon greases have densitieslower than 1 g/ml.) Note that the volume isequivalent to the weight of the dollop ingrams for an LD grease; an HD greasewould weigh twice as many grams. Thelast two columns list the grease cost perdevice in cents, not dollars.

Want the next issue of the Newsletter?If this is your first issue of our newsletter andyou’d like to stay on our mailing list, pleasecheck the LubeLetter box on the enclosedLiterature Request Card and return it to Nye.

Knowing the price of a pound ofspecialty grease can be misleading if youare trying to determine the incrementalcost of lubricating a particular device —because a little specialty grease can go along, long way. The table below helpsestimate the per-device cost of specialtygreases.

Amount of Grease Volume (ml.) lbs./100,000 Units Grease Cost Per Device (in Cents)Per Device (Dia. in mm.) LD HD LD@$10/lb HD@$100/lb

• 1 0.0003 0.06 0.12 0.0006¢ 0.012¢

• 2 0.0021 0.46 0.93 0.005¢ 0.09¢

• 3 0.007 1.6 3.1 0.016¢ 0.31¢

• 5 0.033 7.2 14.4 0.07¢ 1.4¢

• 10 0.26 57.8 115.5 0.58¢ 11.6¢

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