SOLID LUBRICANTS

(Also called dry lubricants)

Compiled by Rahul and

Gaurang
INTRODUCTION
Lubricants which are able to reduce friction
and wear of contacting surfaces sliding
against each other without the need for a
liquid oil medium despite being in the solid
phase

The reduction in friction between surfaces

inhibits the heat generated and provides
protection from damage
PROPERTIES
Thermal Stability:
These lubricants offer lubrication at
temperatures higher than mineral oil or
synthetic oil lubricants and exhibit a high
oxidation temperature with least reactivity

 Low friction and shear strength:

Most solid lubricants have a layered structure
on the molecular level with weak bonding
between layers which are able to slide relative
to each other with minimal friction
High compression strength:
Capable to withstand high loads without
sufficient direct contact between the rubbing
surfaces

Good adhesion:
This property provides a presence of the
solid lubricant on the part surface even at high
shear stresses
FORMS
Coating (film) or composite applied on the
part surface consisting of particles dispersed
throughout a matrix. Coatings provide greater
film thickness and increased wear life and are
more reliable and durable method for applying
solid lubricants

Powder form delivered to the contact plane

of the surfaces

Additives like polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE),

talc, calcium fluoride
CLASSIFICATION
1) Inorganic lubricants with lamellar
structure:

The crystal lattice of these materials has a

layered structure consisting of hexagonal rings
forming thin parallel planes which allows
sliding movement of the parallel planes

The planes are bonded to each other by weak

Vander Waals forces which determine low
shear strength
 (i) Graphite:

The
 most stable crystalline allotrope of carbon
composed of planes of polycyclic hexagonal structure

Water vapour is necessary for graphite lubrication as

the adsorption of water reduces the bonding energy
between the planes by which the sliding ability of the
planes is enhanced but is ineffective in vacuum

Synthetic graphite:
Made by heating powdered petroleum coke with 99.5-

99.9 % carbon purity.

It
 is effective at temperatures upto 450 °C continuously
and can withstand much higher temperature peaks

 
Natural graphite:
 Composed of 96−98 % carbon, sulfur, SiO 2,
and ash. It is used where minor lubricity action
is needed and a more thermally insulating
coating is required

 High thermal and oxidation stabilities at

temperatures of 500 to 6000C enable use of
this solid lubricant at high temperatures and
high sliding speeds
Strengths:
Moderate loads (< 275 MPa)
Low friction
High temperature stability

Weaknesses:
Corrosion
Vacuum detrimental to performance
(ii)Molybdenum Disulfide: 
MoS2 is mined from some sulfide-rich deposits and refined
to achieve a purity suitable for lubricants

The lubrication performance often exceeds that of graphite

and is effective in vacuum as well but the functioning
temperature is restricted to 400°C by oxidation

Molybdenum disulphide starts to oxidize significantly

above 3500C in oxygen and 4500C in air, but the main
oxidation product is MoO3, which is itself a fair high
temp lubricant. In high vacuum, the disulphide is said
to be stable to 10000C and it evaporates very slowly,
so that it has been widely used in space
Strengths:
High Load Carrying (> 700 MPa)
Low Friction
High temperature lubricant particularly in
space

Weaknesses:
Moisture detrimental to performance
(iii) Boron Nitride:
 It is a ceramic powder lubricant having high
temperature resistance of 1200ºC in an oxidizing
atmosphere

B2O3+2NH3 → 2BN+3H2O 
H3BO3+NH3 → BN+3H2O 
The resulting amorphous boron nitride contains
92–95% BN and 5–8% B2O3

 
2)Organic polymer lubricants:

The molecular structure of the materials consist of long

chain molecules parallel to each other with weak
Vander Waal's forces for sliding mechanism

Most of these lubricants exist as polymers with

effective properties to reduces friction, wear and
energy consumption of machinery
 (i)Polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE):
The macro molecules of PTFE slide easily along each
other, similar to lamellar structures but do not have a
layered structure

Operating temperatures (260°C) are lower as compared

to inorganic lubricants

PFTE is produced by free-radical polymerization of

tetrafluoro ethylene

PTFE is poorly soluble in almost all solvents , so the

polymerization is conducted as an emulsion in water.
This process gives a suspension of polymer particles
The process is typically initiated with
persulfate ,which homolyzes to generate
sulfate radicals:
[O3SO−OSO3]−2⇌ 2SO4−
The resulting polymer is terminated with
sulfate ester groups which can be
hydrolyzed to give OH end-groups
Strengths:
High chemical stability, great chemical inertness,
because of carbon fluorine bonds.
Nontoxic- useful in pharmaceutical and food
industries.

Weaknesses:
Too soft, high wear rate, low load capacity.
Poor thermal conductivity, high thermal expansion,
temperature limit(2500C).
(ii) Synthetic polymers
Most of disadvantages of PTFE can be
overcome by using fillers (glass, carbon) &
impregnating it with metal (bronze, lead)
structures

The low thermal conductivity of polymers

inhibits heat dissipation, which causes
premature failure due to melting
 APPLICATIONS
1) Spraying/brushing
A dry film lubricant is sprayed on parts that are
inaccessible for lubrication after assembly to form
a solid lubricant after the solvent evaporates

 Pastes are grease-like lubricants containing a high

percentage of solid lubricants used for assembly
and lubrication of highly loaded, slow-moving
parts

These pastes are composed of metal powders in

addition to the lubricants to prevent oxidation of
the metal parts at high temperatures above 500°C
2) Anti-frictioncoatings: 
Anti-friction (AF) coatings are “lubricating
paints” consisting of fine particles of
lubricating pigments blended with a binder

These coatings are applied where operating

pressures exceed the load-bearing capacities
of ordinary oils and greases 

They contain special rust inhibitors which offer

exceptional corrosion protection
3) Composites: 
Solid lubricants are compounded in polymers and sintered

materials for sleeve bearings ,elastomer O-rings and carbon
brushes 

PTFE particles are compounded in the plastic form a PTFE film


over the surface resulting in a reduction of friction and wear

Graphite lubricated thermo plastics have applications


operating in aqueous environments

4) Additives:
Lubricants like graphite and MoS 2 are added to fluids and
 2

greases which are often used to supplement other lubricants

References
http://www.substech.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?
id=solid_lubricants
http://www.tribology-abc.com/abc/solidlub.htm
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_lubricant 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/
abs/pii/00431648 71900482