Meeting Program Sponsored By: NLGI
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Meeting Program Sponsored By:
2
PRESIDENT’S WELCOME
Dear NLGI members and meeting attendees,
Thank you so much for taking a leap of faith
to resume our professional lives during these
unprecedented times. As we always have stated,
the NLGI meeting is truly a family reunion, and we
look forward to seeing our family again even if we
are required to wear masks indoors. We are excited
to have our meeting at the Loews Ventana Canyon
Resort in Tucson Arizona. It is truly a beautiful and majestic location that
will certainly provide an outstanding venue for the this year’s meeting. We
know that all of you will enjoy the time to reunite with your NLGI family
and all the programs that NLGI has lined up for you.
The NLGI team has planned several networking and educational opportunities. This includes outstanding
networking receptions, informative technical sessions as well as visionary presentation from our Industry
Speaker, Dr. Selda Gunsel, President of Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc.
This NLGI meeting will be unlike any other NLGI meeting prior and the NLGI team has worked diligently to
various safety protocols for all our attendees. We feel confident that it will be an outstanding meeting as well.
This year’s annual meeting will provide excellent opportunities for the attendees to network with both current
and perspective customers and suppliers. As always, the annual meeting will offer educational opportunities to
learn more about grease and the grease industry. This will include providing the next generation technological
advancements in our industry.
Please join us for various other meetings/events this week including:
Monday, September 29, 2021
• Welcome Reception, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Bill’s Grill and Cascade Terrace
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
• NLGI’s annual golf tournament will take place on Tuesday, September 28 at the mountain course with an
8:00 a.m. shotgun start. Breakfast will be provided to all golfers from 6:45 a.m. - 7:45 a.m. at the Flying V
restaurant by the golf course. If you’re not playing golf, please plan to enjoy breakfast on your own.
• NLGI’s Basic Lubricating Grease Course and NLGI’s Advanced Lubricating Grease Course will take place on
Tuesday, September 28 from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• NLGI’s Working Group meetings will take place on Tuesday, September 28 from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. The
Working Group meetings are opened to all attendees. Additionally, they are scheduled in the afternoon to
accommodate golf tournament participants. Details include:
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. – Food Grade
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. – Grease Specifications
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. – Grease Particle
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. – Biobased
• Opening General Session from 5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m., located in the Kiva Ballroom. The session will include
our annual awards presentation as well as some of the institute’s highlights that have taken place since
we’ve last seen one another. The General Session will be followed by a networking reception from
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., located on the Kiva patio.
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
• NLGI’s annual Fun Run will take place at 7:00 a.m. the Par Course. There is no charge to attend this event
and it’s open to all attendees.
• Networking breakfast will take place from 7:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom,
• Dr. Selda Gunsel, President of Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc. will kick off today’s technical content with
continued on next page…
3
PRESIDENT’S WELCOME continued…
a visionary presentation as this year’s industry speaker. Dr. Selda Gunsel comes with an extremely
impressive background. She has published extensively in the field of lubrication science, received
patents and is very well know in the industry. Dr. Gunsel has served as the STLE President and the
Chairman of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Lubricants Research Award Board. She is a
member of the Industrial Advisory Board of Penn State University and has served on the Editorial
Boards of the Journal of Lubrication Science, UK and Tribology Transactions, USA. Additionally, Dr.
Gunsel has chaired and delivered keynote addresses at many international conferences.
• Immediately following Dr. Gunsel’s presentation will be NLGI’s technical sessions. NLGI will feature
thirteen technical sessions this year. These presentations include a variety of industry topics. You won’t
want to miss them!
• To ensure we always express our gratitude to the spouses and guests, we will continue to offer our
Spouse/Guest Tour program. This year everyone will enjoy the Skincare of the Desert Workshop that
will take place from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the Coronado meeting room. The attire is resort casual.
Everyone will have the opportunity to create their own different fragranced products that includes your
own 5-piece set. Enjoy the desert inspired snacks and a specialty drink while making your fragranced
products.
• Networking lunch will be served from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom.
• Basic and Advanced Lubricating Grease Courses continue after lunch.
Thursday, September 30, 2021
• Networking breakfast will be served from 7:00 a.m. - 7:45 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom.
• Continuation of technical presentations from 8:45 a.m. -3:10 p.m. in the Kiva ballroom.
• Networking lunch will be served from 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom.
• You won’t want to miss NLGI’s grand finale event! This year’s closing party will take place at Coyote
Corral from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Attire is resort casual or western themed.
Throughout the week, don’t forget to visit our exhibitors located in the Grand Ballroom. All meals will be
served in this room, providing you plenty of opportunities to visit with our exhibitors throughout the week.
Additionally, we highly recommend that you download the Whova app. With the fluidity of the COVID
pandemic, the app will serve as a direct way to message all attendees of any updates to meeting rooms,
safety protocols, etc. Additionally, the Whova app allows attendees to connect and network with one
another throughout the week. It also includes a real-time schedule. Instructions on how to download the
app are available on your program material. If you need additional assistance, please reach out to the NLGI
team.
We want to extend our tremendous gratitude to our generous sponsors and exhibitors this year. The
commitment to continue to support the NLGI meeting can never be understated and never under
appreciated. THANK YOU ALL!
Again, welcome to Tucson and enjoy your week. We look forward to another great meeting this year!
Jim Hunt
NLGI President
4THE VISION OF NLGI
As the global leader in the lubricating grease industry, NLGI promotes usage and ensures
confidence in grease solutions to consumers, researchers, manufacturers, suppliers,
marketers, academia and other key stakeholders.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
It is the mission of NLGI to provide value-added resources relevant to the needs of the global
grease community.
ANTI-TRUST STATEMENT
As participants in this meeting, we must refrain from activities prohibited by existing
antitrust laws. Discussions of agreements that may restrain competition, the exchange
of information concerning prices, rates, coverages, market practices, claim settlement
practices, or any other competitive aspect of a company’s operation are strictly prohibited.
NLGI
118 N Conistor Lane | Suite B-281 | Liberty, MO 64068
Phone: 816-524-2500
Email: nlgi@nlgi.org • Web page: www.nlgi.org
5THANKS TO ALL OUR SPONSORS!
PLATINUM SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
• Kimes Technologies • Sea-Land Chemical Company
• LANXESS Corporation • STRATCO, Inc.
• MidContinental Chemical Company, Inc. • Texas Refinery Corp
• Patterson Industries Canada – A Division of ALL-WELD Company
BRONZE SPONSORS
• Axxess Chemicals LLC • H.L. Blachford Ltd • MOLYKOTE by DuPont
• Bisley International LLC • King Industries • Monson, an Azelis Company
• Calumet Branded Products, LLC • Koehler Instrument Company • NSF International
• Functional Products Inc. • Kyodo Yushi Co., Ltd. • The Unami Group LLC
• Grease Technology Solutions LLC • Lockhart Chemical Company
6INDUSTRY SPEAKER Wednesday, September 29
8:45 AM - 10:00 AM
Selda Gunsel
Presentation Topics Include:
• Trends in the industry
• Case for a sustainable future for the world and the industry
• Shell’s sustainability objectives
• Role of technology and innovation on this journey
• What high-performance greases can do now and into the future
Selda Gunsel is the Vice President of Global Commercial and Fuels Technology within Shell’s Projects
& Technology organisation with responsibility for leading a global group of scientists and engineers in the
delivery of innovation, R&D and technical services to Shell Lubricants, Retail and B2B businesses including
Marine, Aviation, and Specialties. Selda is based in Houston, USA.
Selda was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in the USA in 2017 in recognition of her
distinguished contributions to engineering, “for leadership in developing and manufacturing advanced
fuels and lubricants to meet growing global energy demand while reducing CO2 emissions”. Election to the
National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer.
In 2015, Selda was awarded the STLE International Award – the highest technical honor awarded by the
Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. Throughout her career, Selda has received numerous
other awards including STLE Fellow for outstanding personal achievement in lubrication science, R&D 100
Innovation Award, SAE International Excellence in Presentation Award, STLE Captain Alfred E. Hunt Best
Paper Award, Penn State Outstanding Engineering Alumna Award and internal awards for both Innovation
and Leadership in Diversity and Inclusiveness.
In January 2013, Selda was appointed as an Honorary Professor at Beijing’s Tsinghua University with
whom Shell enjoys a partnership to deepen the understanding of lubricants. This coincided with Selda
being based in Shanghai from 2012-2014 to oversee the development and launch of a new Shell Lubricants
Technical Centre to serve the Asian market.
Before joining Shell in 2002, Selda was the Vice President of Technology Development and Innovations
at Pennzoil-Quaker State Company. Subsequently, Selda’s roles in Shell have included Vice President of
Fuels and Engine Vehicle Technology; General Manager of Global Products & Quality; General Manager of
Lubricants Technology Americas; and General Manager of Global Lubricants Strategic R&D.
Selda received her BSc in Chemical Engineering from the Istanbul Technical University in Turkey and her
MSc and PhD also in Chemical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, USA. While working in
the industry, Selda has held sabbatical assignments at Imperial College, London in the UK.
Selda has published extensively in the field of lubrication science, received patents and is well known in
the industry. She has served as the President of the STLE and the Chairman of the Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE) Lubricants Research Award Board. She is a member of the Industrial Advisory Board of
Penn State University and has served on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Lubrication Science, UK,
and Tribology Transactions, USA. She has chaired and delivered keynote addresses at many international
conferences.
7NLGI 2021
ANNUAL MEETING
September 27-30 | Tuscon, AZ USA
• SCHEDULE OF EVENTS •
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2021
7 AM - 12 PM Table-Top Exhibits Setup . .............................................................. Grand Ballroom
12 PM - 2 PM Executive Committee Meeting with Lunch . ............................................Coronado
12 PM - 5:30 PM Registration & Exhibits Open . ....................................................... Grand Ballroom
2:30 PM - 4:30 PM Board of Directors Meeting ..................................................Ventana Dining Room
5 PM - 6 PM New Member/First-Timer Reception (Invitation Only) . ...................Upper Terrace
6 PM - 7 PM Welcome Reception .................................................. Bill’s Grill & Cascade Terrace
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021
6:45 AM - 7:45 AM Golf Breakfast .............................................................................................Flying V
7 AM - 5 PM Registration Open . ........................................................................ Grand Ballroom
8 AM - 12:30 PM Golf Tournament - Shotgun Start* ..............................................Mountain Course
8 AM - 5:15 PM Basic Lubricating Grease Course* . ....................................... Executive Boardroom
8 AM - 5 PM Advanced Lubricating Grease Course* ...............................Hospitality Parlor 2205
10AM - 5PM Exhibits Open ................................................................................ Grand Ballroom
1 PM - 5 PM Working Group Meetings ...........................................................Catalina Ballroom
1 PM - 2 PM • Food Grade
2 PM - 3 PM • Grease Specifications
3 PM - 4 PM • Grease Particle
4 PM - 5 PM • Biobased
5:15 PM - 6:15 PM Opening General Session . ................................................................ Kiva Ballroom
6:15 PM - 6:30 PM Award Winner Photo Session ........................................................... Kiva Ballroom
6:30 PM - 8 PM Networking Reception ............................................................................ Kiva Patio
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
7 AM - 8:30 AM Fun Run* - Complimentary Event - Check-in starts at 6:15 AM ..................... Par Course
7 AM - 4 PM Registration & Exhibits Open . ....................................................... Grand Ballroom
7:30 AM - 8:45 AM Networking Breakfast .................................................................... Grand Ballroom
8:45 AM - 10 AM Industry Speaker . ............................................................................. Kiva Ballroom
10 AM - 12 PM Spouse/Guest Activity* ...........................................................................Coronado
10:30 AM - 11:55 AM Technical Presentations - Session 1 .................................................. Kiva Ballroom
12 PM - 1 PM Networking Lunch ......................................................................... Grand Ballroom
12:50 PM - 4:15 PM Basic Lubricating Grease Course* . ....................................... Executive Boardroom
1 PM - 4 PM Advanced Lubricating Grease Course* ...............................Hospitality Parlor 2205
1:05 PM - 5:40 PM Technical Presentations - Session 2 .................................................. Kiva Ballroom
2:45 PM - 3:30 PM Snack Break ......................................................................... Grand Ballroom Foyer
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
7 AM - 7:45 AM Networking Breakfast .................................................................... Grand Ballroom
7 AM - 8:30 AM Board of Directors Meeting with Breakfast ..........................Ventana Dining Room
7 AM - 3 PM Registration & Exhibits Open . ....................................................... Grand Ballroom
8:45 AM - 11:55 AM Technical Presentations - Session 3 .................................................. Kiva Ballroom
12 PM - 1:30 PM Networking Lunch ......................................................................... Grand Ballroom
1:45 PM - 3:10 PM Technical Presentations - Session 4 .................................................. Kiva Ballroom
2 PM - 4 PM CLGS Exam ...............................................................................................Coronado
2:30 PM - 3:15 PM Snack Break ......................................................................... Grand Ballroom Foyer
3 PM - 5 PM Table Top Exhibits Teardown ......................................................... Grand Ballroom
6 PM - 9 PM Closing Night Celebration & Dinner . .................................................Coyote Corral
* Optional event, Fee-based, Registration required
8GREASE EDUCATION PROGRAMS
NLGI has promoted technical training for the grease industry for many years through its Grease Education Program.
Course contents cover a broad spectrum of subjects and are designed to familiarize the student with all aspects of the
grease industry, including manufacturing, chemistry, application, product characteristics and marketing. Course instructors
are experienced specialists in their respective topics of discussion and course participants are supplied with an extensive
study manual for later reference.
Courses offered at this year’s NLGI Annual Meeting are subject to an extra fee and pre-registration. Maximum capacity for
the Basic Course is 40 participants and 39 participants for the Advanced Course. Basic and Advanced Courses are conducted
concurrently for one and one-half days, from 8 AM – 5:15PM Tuesday, September 28, and 12:50 PM - 4:15 PM Wednesday,
September 29. It is not possible to attend both. Lunch for students and instructors is provided on both days.
BASIC LUBRICATING GREASE COURSE
Tuesday, September 28 from 8 AM - 5:15 PM
Wednesday, September 29 from 12:50 PM - 4:15 PM
With more than 1200 alumni, NLGI’s Basic Grease Education Course is the world’s foremost foundational training class
for the global grease industry. This course provides an excellent overview of the types of greases, thickeners, base oils and
additives. The methods of manufacturing, testing methodology and their use in bearings and in industrial and automotive
applications are also covered. Topics include the following:
• Introduction to Greases • Automotive Applications
• Grease Packages and Dispensing • Grease Testing
• Base Oils • Industrial Application
• Grease Selection and Recommendations • Grease Manufacturing
• Additives • Trouble Shooting
ADVANCED LUBRICATING GREASE COURSE
Tuesday, September 28 from 8 AM - 5 PM
Wednesday, September 29 from 1 PM - 4 PM
This course provides advanced instruction regarding specific types of greases, grease chemistry and specialized
applications. There is an increased focus on high-value specialty greases and their manufacture and use. Topics include
the following:
• Advanced Thickeners • Specialized Raw Materials
o Polyurea o Polymers
o Calcium Sulfonate o Solid Additives
o Aluminum Complex • Applications
o Lithium Complex o Advanced Grease Lubrication
o Summary o Tribology
• Synthetic Base Fluids • Testing
• Incidental Food Contact Greases
9• TECHNICAL SESSIONS AT A GLANCE •
WEDNESDAY, SEPT 29
SESSION 1 10:30 AM - 11:55 AM
Chuck Coe
10:30 AM-11:10 AM 2117 2020 Grease Production Survey
Grease Technology Solutions
Regulatory Compliant PTFE Powders for Grease Shichiu Kwan
11:15 AM-11:55 AM 2103
Applications Shamrock Technologies
12:00 PM-1:00 PM NETWORKING LUNCH
SESSION 2 1:05 PM - 5:40 PM
Tribochemistry and Tribological Performance of Advanced
Parash Kalita
1:05 PM-1:45 PM 2115 Bearing Grease Fortfied with Novel Self-Assembled
VinTech Nano Materials
Nanocarbon Additives
A Comparative Study of Greases Manufactured Lou Honary
1:50 PM-2:30 PM 2102 Using Microwaves with Greases Manufactured Using Environmental Lubricants
Conventional Heat Transfer Oil Heating Manufacturing (ELM)
Anoop Kumar*
An Experimental Study of the correlation Between Low Chevron Lubricants
2:35 PM-3:15 PM 2101 Temperature Mobility, Tackiness, and Water Resistance In
a Variety of Greases Raj Shah
Koehler Instrument Company
3:15 PM-3:30 PM BREAK
Alan Gurt*
Louisiana State University
3:30 PM-4:10 PM 2118 Reliably Testing Grease Consistency with Small Samples
Michael Khonsari
Louisiana State University
Novel Lithium Free Thickener System: Performance Dwaine Morris
4:15 PM-4:55 PM 2110
Profile, Characteristics and Target Applications Shell
The Impact of Viscosity of Naphthenic Oils and Mehdi Fathi-Najafi
5:00 PM-5:40 PM 2114
Extreme-Pressure Additives on Lubricating Greases Nynas AB
10• TECHNICAL SESSIONS AT A GLANCE •
THURSDAY, SEPT 30
SESSION 3 8:45 AM - 11:55 AM
Devin Granger*
Modified Fatty Acids As Alternative Soap Thickeners for Ingevity
8:45 AM - 9:25 AM 2108
Lubricating Greases Shadaab Maghrabi
Ingevity
Juan Bosch Giner*
University of Akron
Christian Ondarza
University of Akron
9:30 AM -10:10 AM 2116 2020 Research Grant
Barbara Fowler
University of Akron
Gary Doll
University of Akron
10:10 AM-10:25 AM BREAK
Joe Kaperick*
Covering the Bases - A Study of the Influence of Synthetic Afton Chemical Corporation
10:30 AM - 11:10 AM 2112
Base Fluids on High Performance Greases Luca Salvi
ExxonMobil Chemical
Dr. Ashlie Martini*
Univ of CA, Merced
Effect of Temperature, Surface Roughness and Material
Samuel Leventini
11:15 AM - 11:55 AM 2104 on the Tribological Behavior of Electric Motor Greases as
Univ of CA, Merced
a Baseline for Electric Vehicle Bearing Applications
Daniel Sanchez Garrido
Univ of CA, Merced
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM NETWORKING LUNCH
SESSION 4 1:45 PM - 3:10 PM
Overcoming Obstacles in Water Resistant H1 and Erik Willett
1:45 PM- 2:25 PM 2107
Biobased Specialty Greases Using Polymer Functional Products
Mark Miller*
Innovations in High Performance, Environmentally Biosynthetic Technologies
2:30 PM -3:10 PM 2119 Acceptable Lubricants (EALs) in Grease Application: A
Real World Perspective Matt Kriech
Biosynthetic Technologies
11TECHNICAL SCHEDULE
• SESSION 1 •
2020 Grease Production Survey by Chuck Coe Paper 2117
The NLGI Grease Production Survey continues to be the single most comprehensive global report on lubricating grease
production. It tabulates the global production of grease providing a snapshot of growth by thickener type and base oil type,
organized by geographic region of the world. This paper will provide a summary overview of the key results and trends from
the completed 2020 production survey.
Chuck Coe is the President of Grease Technology Solutions, LLC. He holds a BS Chemical Engineering
from the Pennsylvania State University along with NLGI CLGS and STLE CLS professional certifications.
Chuck worked at Mobil and ExxonMobil for over 32 years, including six years as ExxonMobil’s Global
Grease Technology Manager and many years as an industrial oil and grease formulator and technical
advisor. He retired from ExxonMobil and launched Grease Technology Solutions, LLC, a grease training
and consulting business in 2009. He is a past president of NLGI , currently on the Board of Directors and
is the Grease Education Course Chair of STLE. He has authored a number of technical papers and articles
on grease. Chuck has received several awards including Best Marketing Paper and Best Paper awards
from both NLGI (2008) and ELGI (2009).
Regulatory Compliant PTFE Powders for Grease Applications Paper 2103
As of July 2020, the European Union introduced new regulations for products containing fluorinated ingredients, limiting the
concentration of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to be below 1000 ppb in every product, substance and/or material exported
into the EU. This limit will be lowered to 25 ppb in the Summer of 2022. Similar regulations have taken effect in Japan and
other countries in Asia.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) micro-powders are used for thickening and wear resistance in greases. The most common
production process of making fine particle size PTFE powders generates small amounts of PFOA as an undesirable side
product. New technologies have been developed to reduce the concentration of PFOA below 25 ppb in the fine powder PTFE
products.
The PFOA reduction technologies however results in changes of some of the properties of these micro-powders. These may
include changes in the particle morphologies, as well as surface area, with a subsequent reduction in the polarity of the PTFE
surface (thus lowering surface energy), and a stronger adhesion/fusion of particles. These changes on the particulate level
manifest themselves in differences in thickening capability, ease of dispersibility, wear performance and other properties in
grease applications when compared to regular fine powder PTFE products.
This presentation discusses some of the physical and performance differences between regular and “Regulatory Compliant”
PTFE fine powders when used in greases.
Shichiu Kwan is the Product Manager at Shamrock Technologies from 2001. He is a wax additives
specialist with 37 years’ experience in Inks, Coatings and Lubricants industries. Shamrock Technologies
is a leading processor of micronized PTFE and waxes. Prior to Shamrock, Shichiu has worked at Cookson
Pigments and Revlon as a Scientist. Shichiu holds a BS Chemistry from Syracuse University.
12TECHNICAL SCHEDULE
• SESSION 2 •
Tribochemistry and Tribological Performance of Advanced Bearing Paper 2115
Grease Fortified with Novel Self-Assembled Nanocarbon Additives
Ability of a lubricating grease to reduce contact between rolling and sliding surfaces in boundary, hydrodynamic, and
elastohydrodynamic regimes is a key factor for roller bearings to meet industry demands of higher efficiency and service life.
To sustain such performance, consistent formation of tribochemical reaction films by the grease additives of appropriate
thickness and composition under rolling and sliding motions is important, which has been a limitation of conventional
additives. In the current study, novel self-assembled nanocarbon additives in a lithium-complex and calcium sulphonate based
grease were evaluated under boundary and full-film conditions for extreme pressure activity, fretting wear, FE8 wear test,
tribocorrosion, and oxidation stability. The greases fortified with the nanocarbon additives exhibited superior tribological
properties as compared to grease without the additives. Film thickness, topography and tribochemistry of the friction surfaces
were examined to corelate them with the tribological behavior of the novel additives in rolling element bearings.
Dr. Parash Kalita is the Director of Product Engineering at VinTech Nano Materials LLC. He has a Ph.D.
in Materials Chemistry from the University of Arkansas with over ten years of technical experience in the
areas of nanotribology, hybrid nanocomposite materials and coatings, and advanced manufacturing. Dr.
Kalita has authored multiple publications in several high impact scientific journals such as CIRP Annals-
Manufacturing Technology, Journal of Manufacturing Processes and Transactions of NAMRI/SME and
many renowned scientific magazines. He has won multiple prestigious awards, including Edison Award,
Outstanding young manufacturing engineer award from SME, U.S. Army contract award, and from
premier scientific forums such as NAMRC-SME and AAME. Dr. Kalita has five patents to his name, many of
which have been applied globally. He is a member of SME, STLE, ASM International, and a frequent reviewer of internationally
recognized journals in the areas of Tribology, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing.
A Comparative Study of Greases Manufactured Using Microwaves Paper 2102
with Greases Manufactured Using Conventional Heat Transfer Oil Heating
Since 1940s the processing industry has seen minimal changes to steam or hot oil heated jacketed process kettles. In
2012 a patent was issued for manufacturing grease using microwaves for reaction heating. For over ten years the US based
Environmental Lubricants Manufacturing, Inc. (ELM) been manufacturing grease using microwave operated grease vessels to
prove the concept. Now, ELM has begun to commercialize grease kettles that use microwaves for heating. This paper presents
changes that are made to products as they are heated within each system using conventional heating and microwave heating.
This on-going research includes processing both biobased and petroleum-based greases. Two 200-gallon batches of
biobased aluminum complex greases are manufactured each with identical formulation. Samples of the products are drawn
from reaction vessels at 30-minute intervals and compared using FTIR spectra. Additionally, the final products are tested
for their yield via penetrometer and their dropping points. This process is repeated with a mineral oil-based formulation in
conventional and microwave-based vessels. The results will be helpful to the grease industry and those contemplating the use
of microwaves for processing grease.
Dr. Lou Honary is president of Environmental Lubricants Manufacturing, Inc.
Dr. Honary served as founding director of the National Agriculture-Based Lubricants (NABL) Center at
the University of Northern Iowa from 1991 to 2014. Under Honary’s leadership, the UNI-NABL Center
developed over 30 biobased grease and lubricant formulations. In 2000, NABL’s patented technology was
transferred to a new commercial start-up company, ELM, Inc., co-founded by Dr. Honary and the University
of Northern Iowa Research Foundation.
Dr. Honary has served as officer, editorial advisor, and board member for several technical organizations including ASTM,
SAE, NFPA, NLGI, ELGI, and STLE. He has contributed to the future viability of biobased products through his service on the US
Department of Agriculture/US Department of Energy Biomass Research and Development Advisory Committee and on former
Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack’s Life Sciences Advisory Committee. An international expert in biobased lubricants, Dr. Honary has
ten patents and two pending patents and is the author of a book on biobased lubricants, several book chapters, as well as
numerous publications and invited presentations.
13TECHNICAL SCHEDULE SESSION 2 continued…
An Experimental Study of the Correlation Between Low Paper 2101
Temperature Mobility, Tackiness and Water Resistance in a
Variety of Greases
In this paper, efforts have been made to study the correlation between tackiness, water resistance, and low temperature
flowability of different lubricating greases. Tackier greases have generally been considered superior in terms of water
resistance and stay-put characteristics. However, tackiness may potentially have adverse effects on the low-temperature and
flow properties of a grease, as these properties seem to counteract each other. Tackiness is a result of incorporating tackifiers/
polymers into the grease matrix during the processing stage, with the type, amount, and chemical composition of polymer
added having significant influence on the extent of tackiness obtained. The base oil viscosity may also contribute to the
tackiness of a grease. Greases with higher base oil viscosities may be tackier than greases made with low-viscosity base oils.
Traditionally, the tackiness of a grease has been measured using a qualitative approach known as the “finger test.” In this
favored yet crude test, a pinch of grease is placed between the thumb and index finger and pulled apart until the string of
grease breaks into two. The distance required to separate the grease sample determines the extent of tackiness. However,
this way of measuring tackiness may differ from person to person and lacks any standardized procedure for assessing and
comparing this property among different greases.
One aim of this paper is to study the tackiness of different types of greases by a newly designed tackiness tester and
construct the framework for a future ASTM method. The new instrument works on practically the same principle as the finger
test but standardizes the results by calculating the force required to pull the grease sample apart. The device uses two metal
plates, one stationary and the other applying a constant outward force. In general, the greater the force needed to break the
string, the tackier the grease. It has been found that this more scientific and precise method correlates well with the so-called
“finger test.”
Low-temperature mobility was also examined using a configurable flow tester, following the Kesternich method and DIN
51805 testing specifications. The collection of this interesting tackiness data, along with comparative and correlation studies
with water resistance and low-temperature properties, will be covered in this paper. Future work which is ongoing currently is
to develop an ASTM method for the new tackiness tester, as well as updated Kesternich instruments and test techniques.
Dr. Anoop Kumar currently serves as Sr. Staff Scientist at Chevron Lubricants. He served from 2008
to 2018 as the Director R&D Business Development at AXEL Royal, LLC and before that as the Senior
Research Manager for Indian Oil Corporation. Dr. Kumar holds 29 worldwide patents on lubricating
greases and has authored or co-authored over 90 technical publications, presentations or articles. He has
received several awards from NLGI including the 2020 Educational Excellence Award.
Dr. Raj Shah is currently a Director at Koehler Instrument Company, NY and previously served on the
board of directors of NLGI for 15 years. A Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University, and
a Fellow from The Chartered Management Institute, London, Dr. Shah is also an Adjunct professor in the
Dept of Material Science and Chemical engineering at State University of New York, Stony Brook. He is
an elected fellow by his peers at, NLGI, STLE, Energy Institute IChemE, INSTMC, AIC, CMI, Royal Society
of Chemistry and is a Chartered Petroleum Engineer with over 25 years of experience in the petroleum /
Petrochemical industry. A recipient of the John Bellanti Meritorious Award from NLGI, Dr. Shah has over
300 publications and recently coedited, a reference bestseller titled “Fuels and lubricants handbook”,
published by ASTM.
14TECHNICAL SCHEDULE SESSION 2 continued…
Reliably Testing Grease Consistency with Small Samples Paper 2118
Because of the widely-recognized importance of grease consistency, having various reliable methods for measuring it
can allow practitioners to choose the one best suited to their need. The only standardized methods for assessing grease
consistency are the cone penetration tests given by ASTM D217 and ASTM D1403, but there are other tests that have the
capacity to assess grease consistency. In fact, some of these tests allow for the use of a very small sample (around 2 grams)
and can be performed at a wide range of temperatures. In addition, the procedures involved generally are less demanding
of the operator in order to obtain consistent results. Such tests are a focus of this paper, where they will be examined in
depth and compared to each other. A look at the results indicates that using oscillatory rheometry to calculate crossover
stress has the potential to give similar results as the cone penetration test but with a smaller sample, simpler procedure, and
temperature control. This has the potential to save a significant amount of time for manufacturers as well as allows in-service
samples to be analyzed with a full-scale test.
Alan Gurt is a graduate student at Louisiana State University who received a B.S. in Mechanical
Engineering in May 2019, and is currently working towards an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering. His field
of research is Tribology with a focus on grease lubrication. He was a speaker at the 2019 and 2020 NLGI
annual meetings where he discussed modeling the degradation of grease and assessing the effects
of water contamination. He is currently working on developing better test methods for quantifying
properties of grease and using these methods to model grease degradation.
Michael Khonsari holds the Dow Chemical Endowed Chair and is Professor of Mechanical Engineering
at Louisiana State University. He is the Director of Center for Rotating Machinery. His research is in the
area of tribology and fatigue. Khonsari is the Editor-in-Chief of ASME Journal of Tribology. He is the holder
of 8 US Patents and has authored 3 technical books —on the subjects of applied tribology, bearing design
and mechanical fatigue-- and over 350 papers. He is a fellow of ASME, STLE, AAAS, and a member of EU
Academy of Sciences.
Novel Lithium Free Thickener System: Performance Profile, Paper 2110
Characteristics and Target Applications
Lithium based greases are the staple of the lubricating grease industry. Globally, the majority of greases are manufactured
with lithium, dual lithium soap or lithium complex thickeners. Alternative, competing uses for lithium have contributed to
pressures on supply and the accompanying cost implications have served as an incentive to identify viable alternatives. When
coupled with some performance limitations inherent to the lithium soap greases, the search for cost-effective alternatives
with enhanced performance have gained momentum. A potential alternative has been identified. The performance profile of
the thickener system, as well as comparative context with currently available and accepted thickener systems will be explored.
In addition, the fundamental tribological performance will be presented.
Greg Morris is a Chemist (BS West Virginia University) with over 30 years of industry experience both
in the laboratory and in field technical sales and support. Since joining Shell in 1998, he has held several
commercial and technical roles, including Plant Formulations Chemist, Field Sales and Engineering
Services. Throughout his career within Shell, Greg has progressed from local technical staff, to local field
sales and support, to regional and national sales roles. With a focus on new business development, he
also held a North American role managing a professional sales team. During the last twelve years he has
been focused on Grease applications and business development for Shell. In 2013, he joined Shell Global
Solutions / Product Technology as the Grease Product Application Specialist in the Americas region. This
role is the vital link between field sales and technical staff to the Research and Development program
within Shell Global Solutions / Product Technology in order to bring the customer closer to Shell’s Research and Development
efforts relative to lubricating greases. Effective January 2021, he assumed the responsibility as team lead for the Americas
Product Application Specialists. This is a high-performance team of professionals that link Shell’s customers to the Global
Product Technology RD team intended to deliver innovative solutions to complex challenges.
15TECHNICAL SCHEDULE SESSION 2 continued…
The Impact of Viscosity of Naphthenic Oils and Extreme-Pressure Paper 2114
Additives on Lubricating Grease
The behavior of lubricating grease in different tribological contacts has been discussed intensively for many decades. It is
also known that there are a vast number of material related parameters that may have significant impact on the tribological
behavior of grease, such as thickener type and amount, viscosity and type of the oil, type and concentration of additives. The
above parameters are directly related to the cost of the formulation, however there are additional parameters that are directly
related to the operational cost and conditions such as the contact pressure and the operating temperature. Hence, ideally it is
preferred to have fewer equipment that can be used for the development and optimisation of new grease formulations.
Mehdi Fathi-Najafi earned a MSc in Chemical Engineering and a Licentiate degree in Chemical
Engineering Design from Chalmers University of Technology of Gothenburg in Sweden.
Mehdi has one patent and numerous articles in a dozen publications covering a variety of specialist
areas, including filtration, Base oils, lubricating greases, applied rheology and tribology. and his latest
achievements are: recipient of number of Awards such as Clarence E. Earle Memorial Award in 2019, Best
paper Award at ELGI, CLGI 2019 and NLGI-IC 2020.
Mehdi has more than 25 years of experience from base oil and lubricating grease industry. He joined the Department of
Technical and Market Support at Nynas in 2008 as a Senior Technical Coordinator. Currently, he is supporting the lube and
grease industry as Senior Technical Advisor and Chief Specialist.
16TECHNICAL SCHEDULE
• SESSION 3 •
Modified Fatty Acids as Alternative Soap Thickeners for Paper 2108
Lubricating Greases
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fragility of global supply chains. Port closures in supply hubs have the potential
to disrupt the 12-hydroxystearic acid (12-HSA) supply chain due to the vast majority of the supply used for grease thickeners
passing through these hubs. The introduction of effective alternatives to 12-HSA for use as grease thickeners can help to
alleviate the dependence on imports and reduce the possibility of production disruptions caused by supply chain breakdowns.
Initial experimental results indicate that modified fatty acids (MFAs) not derived from castor oil can be used to form
thickeners that are shear stable. The developmental MFAs are obtained as reacted products with unreacted fatty acids and can
be used without further processing or purification, and subsequently blended for use as grease thickeners. Lithium soaps of
the developmental MFA mixtures produce greases with similar texture to a reference lithium 12-HSA greases formulated with
the same base oil. Although a slightly higher thickener percentage may be required in the developmental MFA formulations to
obtain the same consistency as the reference grease, these greases exhibit similar shear stability as measured by prolonged
working of 10,000 and 100,000 strokes in a mechanical grease worker.
The thickener efficiency of MFA greases is nearly identical to a reference lithium complex formulation (12-HSA and azelaic
acid complex lithium soap), with an NLGI grade 4 being achieved at comparable concentrations in different base oils. Worked
penetration measurements of developmental MFA greases are comparable to the reference lithium complex formulations.
These MFA greases were evaluated for rheological characteristics, oil bleed and dropping point, then compared to standard
lithium 12-HSA and lithium complex formulations produced in-house using the same base oil.
Devin Granger, PhD is a senior chemist on Ingevity’s oilfield and lubricants innovation team based
in North Charleston, S.C. He joined Ingevity two years ago following a post-doctoral position at the
University of Nevada, Reno. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Transylvania University (2005),
a master’s degree in chemical research from the University of Reading (2009), and a Ph.D. in chemistry
from the University of Kentucky (2017). Devin’s research interests include physical organic chemistry,
organic synthesis and the physical interaction of chemical components of functional materials. He has co-
authored 13 research articles in peer reviewed journals and one patent application. Devin is a member of
the American Chemical Society and the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers.
Shadaab Maghrabi, PhD is the innovation manager for Ingevity’s oilfield and lubricants business
based in North Charleston, S.C. Prior to his current role, Shadaab held various position in technical
services, research and development and quality control in the different facets of oilfield applications. He
has 16 issued U.S. patents and 28 technical publications in areas of surfactant and emulsion chemistry
that deal with oilfield applications. He’s a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the Society
of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. Shadaab received his Ph.D. in Chemistry (2006) from Institute
of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India where he specialized in surfactant chemistry and its applications.
He also received his master’s degree in analytical chemistry (2001) and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry
(1999) from the University of Mumbai, India.
17TECHNICAL SCHEDULE SESSION 3 continued…
2020 Research Grant – Strategies for Optimizing Greases to Paper 2116
Mitigate Fretting Wear in Rolling Bearings
Greases are ubiquitously utilized in sealed rolling element bearings. When the bearings experience continuous rotational
motion, adequate lubricant films are usually generated between the rolling elements and the raceways. However, during
periods when rotational motion is interrupted, intimate contact between the asperities on the rolling elements and the
raceways can occur. If the bearing is subjected to vibrations or low amplitude oscillations during these non-rotational periods,
fretting-type wear of the raceways can occur.
Rolling bearing applications where raceway fretting wear is prevalent include wheel bearings of vehicles during rail
transport and pitch and yaw bearings in 1.5 MW wind turbines. Vibration of angular contact ball bearings on passenger
vehicles being transported by rail causes low amplitude rotational motion between the balls and the raceways under a static
radial load and transient axial loads. These bearings are usually lubricated with a lithium complex, NLGI grade 1-2 grease with
a base oil viscosity of about 150 at 40 °C. Vibration and dithering encountered by thrust ball bearings supporting the blades
and nacelles of large wind turbines produce low to mid amplitude rotational motion between the balls and the raceways
under dynamic radial and axial loads. The pitch bearings of wind turbines are typically lubricated with a lithium complex, NLGI
grade 1.5 grease with a 460 cSt base oil viscosity at 40 °C.
Previous research performed in our laboratories revealed that whereas solid additives such as boric acid or molybdenum
disulfide are more effective than bleed rate in mitigating translational fretting-type wear, an increased bleed rate was more
effective than solid additives if the fretting wear resulted from rotational oscillations.
Recently, it has been reported that nanocrystalline metal oxides such as CuO, ZrO, and ZrO2 can form effective wear-
resistant tribo-films when dispersed as an additive in ultra-low viscosity oils. The scope of this NLGI-sponsored research
project is to evaluate the ability of these nanocrystalline metal oxides as additives in lithium complex greases to mitigate
rotational and translational fretting wear in rolling bearings.
Juan Bosch is originally from Spain, where he obtained his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering at
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. After completing a MS in corrosion engineering at the University of
Akron, he joined the PhD program in mechanical engineering. His main research interests are focused on
tribology and rheology of lubricants. In particular, the optimization of greases to mitigate fretting wear in
rolling bearings.
Dr. Gary L. Doll is the Timken Professor of Surface Engineering at the University of Akron. After
receiving his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Kentucky, he was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to joining the University of Akron in 2011, Dr. Doll was
the Chief Technologist of Tribology at the Timken Company, and Staff Scientist in Physics at the General
Motors Research Laboratories. Dr. Doll was elected as an ASM Fellow in 2009, and as an STLE Fellow in
2016 for his contributions to the field of Surface Engineering. He is a member of the SVC, STLE, ASME, and
the ASM International organizations, was an associate editor for Tribology Transactions and is currently
an associate editor for the Journal of Tribology. In 2016, he was awarded a Distinguished Fellowship by the
Royal Academy of Engineering. Over his career, Dr. Doll has published over 300 articles and book chapters,
edited numerous proceedings, and received more than 25 US patents.
18TECHNICAL SCHEDULE SESSION 3 continued…
Barbara Fowler is a Research Professor at the University of Akron. She received her M.S. degree in
material science from the University of Miskolc, Hungary and Ph.D. degree in electrochemistry from
the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary. As a postdoctoral fellow in polymer
science at The University of Akron, she learned polymer chemistry, cationic and anionic polymerization,
synthesis and UV curing of rubbers, as well as different polymer characterization techniques. Since 2017
she has held the position of Research Professor in the Timken Engineered Surfaces Laboratories, where
she established and has led electrochemical coating deposition research. Her research areas include the
development of different organic and inorganic coatings by the means of electrochemical and electroless
processes on metals, improving the wear properties of metals, corrosion reduction, sensor development, polymer additives
in lubricants, and the study of the rheological properties of synovial fluids. She oversees the laboratory activities of several
undergraduate and graduate students from multiple engineering departments at the University of Akron.
Christian Ondarza is a senior in the Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering
and Polymer Science, the University of Akron. He is currently an undergraduate research assistant in the
Timken Engineered Surfaces Laboratories where he is conducting experiments aimed at optimizing greases
to minimize fretting wear of rolling bearings caused by rotational and translational vibratory motions.
Christian is a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineering Technology Students and the Ohio State
Minority Engineering Program.
Covering the Bases – A Study of the Influence of Synthetic Paper 2112
Base Fluids on High Performance Greases
As demands on equipment productivity and reliability continue to increase, it becomes more important to understand
the impact of the base fluid in improving the performance of lubricating greases under more severe conditions including
higher loads and broader operating temperatures. A study was carried out to look at the performance of several different
lithium complex greases produced with high viscosity metallocene polyalphaolefin (mPAO) base oils. The grease variations
incorporated alkylated naphthalene (AN) and employed different additive combinations with the mPAO base fluid and
were benchmarked against a mineral oil formulation. Performance of the base greases, as well as fully additized finished
greases, were evaluated in a comprehensive study including a wide range of testing to evaluate high and low temperature
performance, elastomer compatibility, and ability to protect against oxidation, wear, extreme pressure and corrosion.
Joe Kaperick is a Senior R&D Advisor for Greases at Afton Chemical Corporation. Joe received a
Master’s Degree in Analytical Chemistry from St. Louis University as well as undergraduate degrees
in Chemistry, Fine Arts and Classical Humanities. He has been in Afton’s Industrial R&D area with a
primary focus on Grease since 1999. Joe is an active member of STLE, the Chair of Section G.01 Grease
subcommittee for ASTM, the Chair of the joint NLGI/ELGI Working Group on Grease Particle Evaluation,
and has been recognized as a Certified Lubricating Grease Specialist by NLGI. Joe has been active on the
Board of NLGI representing Afton Chemical since 2007 and is currently serving as Previous Past President
on NLGI’s Executive Committee.
Luca Salvi joined the Grease Product Development Team at the ExxonMobil Chemical Company in July
2020. His work aims to commercialize high performance synthetic grease and lubricants. From 2012 until
the summer of 2020 he worked as a researcher and formulator at the ExxonMobil Research and Engineering
Company developing the next generation Passenger Car Engine Oils. He has a Ph.D. in chemistry,
specializing in organometallic catalysis from University of Pennsylvania, and he has worked at M.I.T. as a
Postdoctoral Associate studying Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions.
19TECHNICAL SCHEDULE SESSION 3 continued…
Effect of Temperature, Surface Roughness and Material on Paper 2104
the Tribological Behavior of Electric Motor Greases as a Baseline
for Electric Vehicle Bearing Applications
Greased bearings in electric vehicle (EV) applications are subjected to a wide range of operational temperature
requirements, micro-environments and operating speeds. Consequently, chosen greases must function effectively in these
conditions. Here, the tribological performance of four market-available, electric motor (EM) greases are characterized by
measuring friction and wear of silicon nitride sliding on hardened 52100 steel to simulate conditions in EV applications and
investigate their performance under various conditions as a baseline for future studies. Tested EM greases have similar
viscosity grade, but different combinations of polyurea or lithium thickener with mineral or synthetic base oil. Tests are
performed between 40 - 150°C with samples having a range of surface roughness to capture changes in the lubrication regime.
Results show market available products can vary significantly in performance, giving us insight into operating condition effects
and design limitations.
Dr. Ashlie Martini is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California Merced.
She obtained her BS and PhD from Northwestern University. Professor Martini’s contributions to the field
have been recognized by the ASME Burt L. Newkirk award and the AFOSR Young Investigator Award. She
also received the UC Merced Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching as well as the Award for
Distinction in Graduate Teaching and Mentorship. Professor Martini is an Editor of the Journal Tribology
Letters and an Associate Editor for the Journal Tribology Transactions. She has also been on the Board
of Directors of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers and the Chair of international
conferences, including the Gordon Research Conference on Tribology and the STLE Tribology Frontiers
Conference.
Samuel Leventini is a first year PhD Student of Mechanical Engineering at UC Merced under
his PI Dr. Ashlie Martini. He obtained his BS in Mechanical Engineering at UC Merced in Fall 2020.
He is currently researching topics within the field of Tribology, continuing where he left off from
undergraduate education. He has studied trends of Tribology in EV’s as well as conducted testing in
different aspects of tribology. Samuel has also achieved the Dean’s Honor List twice during his time at
UC Merced and is also a member of Theta Tau, the professional engineering fraternity at the university.
Daniel Sanchez Garrido is a mechanical engineer graduate student at the University of California,
Merced. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California,
Merced. His research focuses in the field of tribology.
20TECHNICAL SCHEDULE
• SESSION 4 •
Overcoming Obstacles in Water Resistant H1 and Biobased Paper 2107
Specialty Greases Using Polymer
Water resistance is a critical performance aspect of grease which often becomes an obstacle in developing non-industrial
greases for the H1 incidental food contact or biobased grease markets. A specialty grease formulation may perform well in
many categories but fail water resistance testing by methods like ASTM D4049 water sprayoff or ASTM D1264 water washout.
Fixing water resistance late in development can involve extensive changes to the formulation.
H1 base stocks are known for their high refining which results in low cohesion to resist the ingress of water and poor
solubility for additives to fix the problem. In this work it is show how two H1 grease polymers may be used in combination
with a diverse range of H1 base stocks to improve on the water resistance of full PAO/mPAO base oil blends at significant cost
reduction.
Conversely, biobased oils have high cohesion but most natural or synthetic esters are limited to low ISO viscosity grades and
have affinity for water. A higher treat rate of thickener is often used which can hinder fluidity and the economics of the grease.
This work includes examples of how biobased viscosity modifiers can be used to build base oil viscosity, reduce thickener treat
rates, and greatly improve water resistance of the biobased grease.
Greases in this work were made using hydrous calcium and calcium complex thickener from pre-formed salts but the
principles discussed will apply broadly to other thickener types.
Erik Willett is vice president of technology and development at Functional Products Inc. Erik leads
the development of tackifier and other polymer-based additives for the lubricant and grease markets
at Functional Products. He earned his doctorate in polymer science at the University of Akron and has
received the NLGI Development Author Award and PCC Gonsalves Memorial Award. Erik continues to
write and promote his team’s work in trade magazines like NLGI Spokesman, Lubes’n’Greases, and TLT.
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