Patent GB-812060-A (GB)
Title: A method of producing soapless greases
Inventor: BERGEN CHARLES RICHARD
Filed: 1955-06-20
Abstract: A lubricating grease is prepared by adding a gelling agent, other than a soap, to a colloidal dispersion of an inorganic material the individual particles of which are less than 5 microns in diameter in an oleaginous liquid at a temperature within the range 20-180 DEG  C. The gelling agent may be a metal salt of an organic acidic material containing more than 8 carbon atoms in the molecule, while suitable acidic materials are the polyoxyalkylene dicarboxylic acid known as "Pluroxin E-231," diphenylcetane disulphonic acid, diglycollic acid, azelaic acid, adipic acid, pelargonic acid, levalinic acid, alkyl acid phosphates wherein the alkyl group contains 3-8 carbon atoms, alkyl benzene sulphonic acids wherein the alkyl group contains 3-12 carbon atoms, and blends of dodecylbenzene sulphonic acid and n-butyl acid phosphate.  The inorganic material may be alkaline, neutral or acidic.  The oleaginous liquid may be mineral lubricating oil, a fatty oil (e.g. corn, cottonseed, castor or sperm oil or lard oil) or a synthetic oil (e.g. a polyalkylene glycol, a high molecular weight ester or a silicone polymer). According to a modified procedure for preparing the lubricating grease, the acidic material may be reacted with a colloidal dispersion of a basic inorganic material in an oleaginous liquid at a temperature within the range 20-180 DEG  C., the reaction being such as to convert the acidic material and part of the basic inorganic material into a gelling agent other than soap. The colloidal dispersion of the basic inorganic material in the oleaginous liquid may be prepared by first forming a homogeneous mass comprising the oleaginous liquid at a temperature within the range 20-180 DEG  C., an oil-soluble surface-active agent, a basically reactive oilinsoluble inorganic compound whose cation is an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal cation, a minor proportion of water, and a mutual solvent for the oleaginous liquid and the inorganic compound, condensing in the mass discrete particles of an oil-insoluble inorganic compound of the metal present in the basically reactive inorganic compound, and then removing the residual solvent and water.  In particular, the procedure of Specification 789,820 may be employed.  The oil-soluble surface-active agent may be an organic salt added as such.  However, the corresponding acid may be added and is converted to the surface-active agent by reaction with dispersed inorganic compounds.  Instead of the colloidal dispersion of the basic inorganic material in the oleaginous liquid, there may be employed a dispersion in the organic liquid of an alkaline earth metal organic complex salt prepared according to U.S.A. Specification 2,616,904.  In the examples the preparation is described of lubricating greases containing (1) mineral lubricating oil, calcium alkylbenzene sulphonate, colloidally dispersed calcium carbonate and the calcium salt of "Pluroxin E-231" or calcium diglycollate or calcium or lithium pelargonate; (2) mineral lubricating oil, colloidally dispersed barium carbonate and barium alkylbenzene sulphonate with or without the barium salt of 2-ethylbutyl acid phosphate; (3) mineral lubricating oil, paraffin wax olefin-potassium pentasulphide reaction product, colloidally dispersed potassium carbonate and the potassium salt of 2-ethylbutyl acid phosphate or of "Pluroxin E-231"; (4) mineral lubricating oil, colloidally dispersed borax and the reaction products of borax with alkylbenzene sulphonic acid and with n-butyl acid phosphate; and (5) mineral lubricating oil, barium alkylbenzene sulphonate, tert. butyl phenol, colloidally dispersed barium bicarbonate and the barium salt of "Pluroxin E-231."