Influence of the Additives on Tribotechnical Characteristics of Greases (Review)

This article provides an overview of studies on the effect of fine solid particles on the tribotechnical properties of greases. Some antifriction (coefficient of friction) and anti-wear properties (diameter of the wear spot) of greases with the addition of particles of various sizes (microparticles and nanoparticles) and of various natures (molybdenum disulfide, nanocarbon additives, copper-based additives, superhard materials) were analyzed. Statistical data on publication activity for each type of additive on the general topic “lubrication” and on the subcategory “greases” were presented. The search depth was 20 years. Despite the differences in the nature of the reviewed materials, general trends in their development as additives for greases have been identified. In all cases, it was noted that nanoparticles were more effective than microparticles. The values of the optimal particle size and additive concentration have been identified for some materials. The main promising areas of research are the study of nanocomposites and the use of several nanoadditives to achieve a synergistic effect. The complexity and multifactorial nature of processes in the friction zone is noted, which makes it difficult to more accurately and in detail assess the effect of additives on the tribotechnical properties of lubricants. The use of artificial intelligence for processing and analyzing large amounts of tribological data is proposed as a potential solution to this problem.

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