New Greases Control Noise, Free Motion in High-Shear Components.

Business/Technology Editors & Automotive Writers

FAIRHAVEN, Mass.--(AutomotiveWire)--Dec. 5, 2001

The Fluorocarbon Gel 868 series by Nye Lubricants, Inc. is a new family of PTFE-thickened damping greases designed for high-shear, metal-on-metal components that have to operate smoothly and quietly for extended periods.

Damping greases are specialty lubricants. They reduce wear and seal out dust and moisture like traditional greases, but their primary function is to control motion and noise in mechanical and electromechanical devices. For example, the "velvet feel," silent operation, and the fact that the lens doesn't coast are all the work of a damping grease on the focusing threads of binoculars, zoom lenses, and other optical instruments.

For more than a decade, Nye's NyoGel 774 damping greases have been used by manufacturers in many industries as an economical way to add a high-quality feel and sound to many low-shear devices, including microscopes, plastic molded switches, stereo tuners, and more than 30 automotive components -- all relatively low to moderate shear applications. Recently, Nye engineers noticed that after extended, high-shear durability testing, the most viscous of the NyoGel 774 greases did not maintain desired damping characteristics.

Searching for a more robust damping grease, Nye engineers discovered that when the same high molecular weight base oils used in the NyoGel 774 series were mixed with PTFE, the new grease retained its damping characteristics after 153 hours of continuous high shear, which lead to the introduction of the Fluorocarbon Gel 868 series.

Though only recently released, the Fluorocarbon Gel 868 series has already been specified for document and photo printers, gearing in tilt-steering columns, and automotive tie rods. A Tier 1 automotive switch manufacturer has also selected a light grease from the series for plastic switches, noting that the PTFE grease gave the switches a "silkier feel."

Fluorocarbon Gel 868 greases are smooth, off-white, and come in a variety of viscosities, from very light to very heavy. The viscosity of the base oil in the very light grade is 1,250 cSt at 25 degrees C; the base oil in the very heavy version is 50,000 cSt at 25 degrees C. Very light damping greases are used, for example, to control the feel and sound of the "return" key on a computer keyboard; very heavy damping greases would serve the same function in an automotive suspension system. The operating temperatures for the new damping greases range from -40 degrees C to +125 degrees C. They can be used as replacements for most applications that now use NyoGel 774s.

For more information about Fluorocarbon Gel 868 series damping greases, contact Nye Lubricants, 12 Howland Rd., Fairhaven, Mass. 02719. Telephone: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail].

Nye Lubricants is an engineering company dedicated to formulating high quality synthetic lubricants. Its products are specified in a full range of industries, including automotive, aerospace, appliance, aviation, electronics, medical instrumentation, office automation, paperboard manufacturing, photonics, recreational equipment, semiconductor manufacturing, telecommunications, and textiles. Founded in 1844, Nye maintains regional engineering offices throughout the United States as well as a network of distributors in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America.