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Knowing A Little More About Usage Of Graphite Lubricant: Ideal Lubricant To Reduce Friction In Different Purposes
Graphite is a version of carbon, that is silvery black in colour. Graphite is one of the popular materials used as solid lubricant. The lamellar structure of graphite (the nature to flake), in the form of dry powder, makes it perfect to decrease friction. Graphite can also work as a liquid based lubricant. The lubrication film gives resistance to wear and tear and also seizure resistance.
Being a dry lubricant, the powdered graphite reacts with vapour and the molecular bonding doesn't occur, leaving it dry and slippery. However, it does not bond well with the surface and therefore keeps falling off, increasing the need to be applied often. Solid graphite lubricant is tolerant to temps of about 900 degree F. Higher temperatures than this leads to oxidation of graphite.
The liquid graphite lubricant is of various kinds. The graphite grease is produced to stick to the surface, where the grease will stop the graphite from falling off the work surface. Another mixture of graphite lubricants with liquid base is such that the liquid will evaporate when the mixture is painted on the surface, leaving the graphite to work to decrease friction.
As a dry lubricant, graphite could be utilised in some situations where wet lubricants may cause hazard as in electric fittings or when lubricating substances such as wood. Moreover, graphite grease can tolerate more heat than natural grease or any other lubricants.
Graphite may be used as an additive in lubricating oil to increase the thermal tolerance. They are also used as ingredient of polymer based compound anti-friction coatings and form the second phase particles of metal based compound anti-friction coatings. They're used as molds for continuous casting and solid lubricant in metal forming.
Graphite is also used in continuous casting molds. The molds are fabricated from iso-statically pressed graphite. The low friction between the mold surface and solidifying metal ensures smooth extraction of the casting. The crystal structure of graphite offers low friction without the requirement of extra lubrication.
Graphite is known as organic and artificial. Natural graphite is derived from mining. The refined graphite is consists of carbon, sulfur, SiO2 and Ash. The crystallizing quality of graphite is determined by the higher content of carbon, and more the lubricity and resistance to oxidation. Synthetic graphite is sintered from high temperature and has extremely high carbon content of up to 99.5-99.9%, and is thus extremely good as a lubricant.
While the conventional automotive oils can't withstand the high temps, graphite can function as lubricants in automotive engines which reach temps as high as 1,250 degree F. The commercially available graphite lubricant is a colloidal dispersion of billions of microscopic particles of graphite. When this is placed in the crankcase of an engine, it functions with the motor oil to decrease friction. It also penetrates efficiently into parts where oil can not reach, keeps oil from thickening, enhances compression and aids energy consumption and fuel economy.
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