Dynamic performance of newly developed environmentally friendly greases containing polysaccharide gums in rolling bearing

Abstract

The present study explores the performance of novel vegetable oil-based greases containing polysaccharide gums as additives. Two series of greases with varying concentrations of gum acacia (GA) and guar gum (GG) are evaluated in a rolling bearing at various speeds and loads. The vibrations and shock pulse measurements (SPM) quantified the tribo-dynamics of the developed greases against two commercial greases used as the benchmark. The vibration and SPM assessment suggest that the newly developed eco-friendly greases are at par with the commercial ones; the performance varies with the concentration and type of gum. Where a cumulative effect of rheology and gum size seems to influence the vibrations, the entrainment of gums in the contact zone governs the SPM carpet values. The developed greases show great prospects as a sustainable, potential, and commercial alternative to existing environmentally unfriendly greases.