RT Journal Article
T1 Simultaneously Improving the Eco‑friendliness and Tribological Performance of Lithium Grease by Cellulose Nanocrystal Additive
A1 Li, Jingwen
A1 Du, Chen
A1 Amann, Tobias
A1 Delgado Canto, Miguel Ángel
A1 García Morales, Moisés
A1 Yuan, Chengqing
A1 Li, Ke
K1 Eco-friendly lubricant
K1 Cellulose nanocrystal
K1 Metal thiophosphate additives
K1 Anti-friction and anti-wear ability
K1 Extreme-pressure capacity
AB The development of eco-friendly lubricating additives attracts more and more research attention. However, their tribological performance remains a challenge compared to conventional metal thiophosphate additives in the industry. This study investigated the use of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as an eco-friendly additive to partially replace conventional metal thiophosphate additives in a commercial lithium grease. The friction tests showed that compared to the Full grease containing the standard content of molybdenum dialkyl dithiophosphate (MoDTP) and zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP), the Half grease (i.e., the content of MoDTP and ZDDP was halved based on the Full grease) performed superior anti-friction and anti-wear ability by incorporating 0.5 wt% CNC nanoparticles. Surface analysis of the friction pairs revealed that CNC nanoparticles facilitated lubrication through a mending effect on the worn surfaces. Moreover, the function of CNCs became even more effective under high loads, resulting in an excellent extreme-pressure capacity. This study suggests that CNCs are a promising bio-based additive that can simultaneously improve the eco-friendliness and tribological performance of lubricating greases.
PB Springer
SN 1023-8883
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10272/27905
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10272/27905
LA eng
NO Li, J., Du, C., Amann, T. et al. Simultaneously Improving the Eco-friendliness and Tribological Performance of Lithium Grease by Cellulose Nanocrystal Additive. Tribol Lett 74, 10 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-025-02099-5
NO El estudio analiza el uso de nanocristales de celulosa (CNCs) como aditivo ecológico para mejorar grasas lubricantes comerciales. Los resultados muestran que, al sustituir parcialmente los aditivos metálicos tradicionales (MoDTP y ZDDP) por una pequeña cantidad de CNCs, la grasa obtiene mejor comportamiento antifricción y antidesgaste, especialmente bajo altas cargas, gracias a un efecto de “reparación” sobre las superficies dañadas. La investigación demuestra que los CNCs son una alternativa sostenible y eficaz para mejorar el rendimiento tribológico de las grasas lubricantes.
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 1 jun 2026