Rheological behaviors and tribological properties of nano-silica grease: A study compared with lithium grease and polyurea grease

Traditional greases gradually cannot meet the performance requirements of high efficiency lubrication, and new nano-thickener greases are expected to be a promising lubricant. This work prepared nano-silica grease (NSG) with a stable structure using nano-silica as the thickener. The physicochemical properties, rheological behaviors and tribological properties of the grease were analyzed, and the results were compared with those of lithium grease (LG) and polyurea grease (PG) commonly used in the market. The results show that NSG has a short chain agglomeration microstructure that can quickly respond to the external environment through structural adjustment. Compared with LG and PG, NSG has the better rheological and tribological properties. These findings will help promote the development and application of new nano-thickener greases.