ABSTRACT
Over the past couple of decades, newer formulations on the market have trended toward less dependence on nonrenewable resources like petroleum products and fewer ingredients like biocides that pose worker health concerns. Oil-free formulations check these boxes, and they also help with reducing foam, increasing fluid life and eliminating the need to clean oil films from the finished workpieces. However, they don't work for all applications, they can be expensive and they can present waste disposal problems. Here, McGuire talks about oil-free metalworking fluids.
ABSTRACT
"The field of electric vehicle (EV) grease formulations is evolving," says STLE member Anoop Kumar, senior staff scientist and subject matter expert on grease formulations at Chevron Technical Center in Richmond CA. Grease formulations for EVs are just one of the many changes shaking up today's automotive industry, but getting the formulations right is essential to a vehicle's performance overall. Not everything will change, however. Although internal combustion engine vehicles and EVs use different grease formulations, Kumar expects the total demand for vehicle greases to remain fairly constant. Despite declines in individual vehicle ownership, the total number of vehicles on the road is expected to increase. Kumar, who also is vice president of NLGI, notes that NLGI and ASTM have established standards for existing vehicle applications (including passenger and commercial vehicles) that will likely not change much for EVs. For example, NLGI's GC-LB specification for greases suitable for wheel bearings and chassis lubrication applies to a variety of vehicle types.