Patent ID: 7829512

Claim:
A method comprising: having a continuous grease manufacturing process wherein a saponifiable material is reacted with a complexing agent and an aqueous solution of a metal base in a reactor to produce a saponification reaction product, introducing the saponification reaction product into a flash chamber to remove water present in said saponification reaction product to form a dehydrated saponification reaction product, passing the dehydrated saponification reaction product through a shear valve, and adding a lubricating oil to the dehydrated saponification reaction product to produce a grease product, the improvement which comprises: using a complexing agent that is at least one member selected from the group consisting of dialkyl glutarate, dialkyl adipate, glutaric acid, adipic acid, and mixtures thereof, wherein alkyl has 1 to 8 carbon atoms and a flash chamber comprising a cylindrical vessel with a length to inner diameter ratio of ≧3.2:1, the vessel having a covered top end and a downwardly sloped conical shaped bottom end with an included angle ≧90° , terminating in an outlet for removal of an at least partially devolatilized reaction product; an inlet for introducing an at least partially saponified reaction product into the vessel; a conduit in communication with a vacuum source, extending into the top end of the vessel, so that under conditions of use the conduit will terminate above the level of the at least partially saponified reaction product; an inlet for introducing recycled at least partially devolatilized reaction product downwardly into the vessel, said inlet located in the top or side and directed in a downward direction into the flash chamber, so that under conditions of use the conduit will terminate above the level of the at least partially saponified reaction product; and an agitator positioned within the vessel above the conical shaped bottom end, the agitator provided with a plurality of blades oriented at 15° to 75° from vertical to force saponified reaction product downwardly under conditions of use.