wire rope lubricant oil free sample

LUBEGARD Wire Rope Lubricants are patented, aquatically non-toxic & biodegradable. They contain a unique blend of corrosion inhibitors, thickeners and wear reducers. Both are ideal for all types of wire ropes and chains in a variety of services and environments.

Castrol Molub-Alloy 902 SF Wire Rope Lubricant may be applied manually. However, application by automatic spray equipment is recommended. For best coverage and penetration, wire rope should be sprayed on all sides, which requires a minimum of two nozzles opposing each other.

Castrol Molub-Alloy 902 SF Wire Rope Lubricant is intended to provide safe operation through longer service life of wire ropes while reducing total lubrication and maintenance costs. The naturally flexible and adhesive film provides the required persistence to assure also protection of sheaves and drums without excessive application.

Crosby’s Vitalife®products are the preferred wire rope lubricants in the industry because of their ability to penetrate into wire rope and displace water and contaminants, thus reducing wear and corrosion throughout the rope.Available in a variety of container sizes.

Whitmore’s Wire Rope Lubricant products also coat these strands to prevent friction and wear. This results in longer wire rope life, less downtime for rope changes and more production.

Whitmore’s Wire Rope Lubricant is easily pumpable at temperatures down to -25°F (-35°C). Its nondrying film remains flexible in the most extreme weather conditions, which eliminates flaking and peeling.Whitmore’s Wire Rope Lubricant can be used to lubricate all sizes of wire rope, as well as chains, leaf springs and other applications where penetrating oil is needed. It may be applied by hand or automatic lube system.

Wire rope forms an important part of many machines and structures. It is comprised of continuous wire strands wound around a central core. There are many kinds of wire rope designed for different applications. Most of them are steel wires made into strands wound with each other. The core can be made of steel, rope or even plastics.

Wire ropes (cables) are identified by several parameters including size, grade of steel used, whether or not it is preformed, by its lay, the number of strands and the number of wires in each strand.

A typical strand and wire designation is 6x19. This denotes a rope made up of six strands with 19 wires in each strand. Different strand sizes and arrangements allow for varying degrees of rope flexibility and resistance to crushing and abrasion. Small wires are better suited to being bent sharply over small sheaves (pulleys). Large outer wires are preferred when the cable will be rubbed or dragged through abrasives.

There are three types of cores. An independent wire rope core (IWRC) is normally a 6x7 wire rope with a 1x7 wire strand core resulting in a 7x7 wire rope. IWRCs have a higher tensile and bending breaking strength than a fiber core rope and a high resistance to crushing and deformation.

A wire strand core (WSC) rope has a single wire strand as its core instead of a multistrand wire rope core. WSC ropes are high strength and are mostly used as static or standing ropes.

Wire ropes also have fiber cores. Fiber core ropes were traditionally made with sisal rope, but may also use plastic materials. The fiber core ropes have less strength than steel core ropes. Fiber core ropes are quite flexible and are used in many overhead crane applications.

The lay of a wire rope is the direction that the wire strands and the strands in the cable twist. There are four common lays: right lay, left lay, regular lay and lang lay. In a right lay rope the strands twist to the right as it winds away from the observer. A left lay twists to the left. A regular lay rope has the wires in the strands twisted in the opposite direction from the strands of the cable. In a lang lay rope, the twist of the strands and the wires in the strands are both twisted the same way. Lang lay ropes are said to have better fatigue resistance due to the flatter exposure of the wires.

Wire ropes are made mostly from high carbon steel for strength, versatility, resilience and availability and for cost consideration. Wire ropes can be uncoated or galvanized. Several grades of steel are used and are described in Table 1.

Steel cable wire is stiff and springy. In nonpreformed rope construction, broken or cut wires will straighten and stick out of the rope as a burr, posing a safety hazard. A preformed cable is made of wires that are shaped so that they lie naturally in their position in the strand, preventing the wires from protruding and potentially causing injury. Preformed wire ropes also have better fatigue resistance than nonpreformed ropes and are ideal for working over small sheaves and around sharp angles.

Lubricating wire ropes is a difficult proposition, regardless of the construction and composition. Ropes with fiber cores are somewhat easier to lubricate than those made exclusively from steel materials. For this reason, it is important to carefully consider the issue of field relubrication when selecting rope for an application.

There are two types of wire rope lubricants, penetrating and coating. Penetrating lubricants contain a petroleum solvent that carries the lubricant into the core of the wire rope then evaporates, leaving behind a heavy lubricating film to protect and lubricate each strand (Figure 2). Coating lubricants penetrate slightly, sealing the outside of the cable from moisture and reducing wear and fretting corrosion from contact with external bodies.

Both types of wire rope lubricants are used. But because most wire ropes fail from the inside, it is important to make sure that the center core receives sufficient lubricant. A combination approach in which a penetrating lubricant is used to saturate the core, followed with a coating to seal and protect the outer surface, is recommended. Wire rope lubricants can be petrolatum, asphaltic, grease, petroleum oils or vegetable oil-based (Figure 3).

Petrolatum compounds, with the proper additives, provide excellent corrosion and water resistance. In addition, petrolatum compounds are translucent, allowing the technician to perform visible inspection. Petrolatum lubricants can drip off at higher temperatures but maintain their consistency well under cold temperature conditions.

Various types of greases are used for wire rope lubrication. These are the coating types that penetrate partially but usually do not saturate the rope core. Common grease thickeners include sodium, lithium, lithium complex and aluminum complex soaps. Greases used for this application generally have a soft semifluid consistency. They coat and achieve partial penetration if applied with pressure lubricators.

Petroleum and vegetable oils penetrate best and are the easiest to apply because proper additive design of these penetrating types gives them excellent wear and corrosion resistance. The fluid property of oil type lubricants helps to wash the rope to remove abrasive external contaminants.

Wire ropes are lubricated during the manufacturing process. If the rope has a fiber core center, the fiber will be lubricated with a mineral oil or petrolatum type lubricant. The core will absorb the lubricant and function as a reservoir for prolonged lubrication while in service.

If the rope has a steel core, the lubricant (both oil and grease type) is pumped in a stream just ahead of the die that twists the wires into a strand. This allows complete coverage of all wires.

After the cable is put into service, relubrication is required due to loss of the original lubricant from loading, bending and stretching of the cable. The fiber core cables dry out over time due to heat from evaporation, and often absorb moisture. Field relubrication is necessary to minimize corrosion, protect and preserve the rope core and wires, and thus extend the service life of the wire rope.

If a cable is dirty or has accumulated layers of hardened lubricant or other contaminants, it must be cleaned with a wire brush and petroleum solvent, compressed air or steam cleaner before relubrication. The wire rope must then be dried and lubricated immediately to prevent rusting. Field lubricants can be applied by spray, brush, dip, drip or pressure boot. Lubricants are best applied at a drum or sheave where the rope strands have a tendency to separate slightly due to bending to facilitate maximum penetration to the core. If a pressure boot application is used, the lubricant is applied to the rope under slight tension in a straight condition. Excessive lubricant application should be avoided to prevent safety hazards.

Some key performance attributes to look for in a wire rope lubricant are wear resistance and corrosion prevention. Some useful performance benchmarks include high four-ball EP test values, such as a weld point (ASTM D2783) of above 350 kg and a load wear index of above 50. For corrosion protection, look for wire rope lubricants with salt spray (ASTM B117) resistance values above 60 hours and humidity cabinet (ASTM D1748) values of more than 60 days. Most manufacturers provide this type of data on product data sheets.

Cable life cycle and performance are influenced by several factors, including type of operation, care and environment. Cables can be damaged by worn sheaves, improper winding and splicing practices, and improper storage. High stress loading, shock loading, jerking heavy loads or rapid acceleration or deceleration (speed of the cable stopping and starting) will accelerate the wear rate.

Corrosion can cause shortened rope life due to metal loss, pitting and stress risers from pitting. If a machine is to be shut down for an extended period, the cables should be removed, cleaned, lubricated and properly stored. In service, corrosion and oxidation are caused by fumes, acids, salt brines, sulfur, gases, salt air, humidity and are accelerated by elevated temperatures. Proper and adequate lubricant application in the field can reduce corrosive attack of the cable.

Abrasive wear occurs on the inside and outside of wire ropes. Individual strands inside the rope move and rub against one another during normal operation, creating internal two-body abrasive wear. The outside of the cable accumulates dirt and contaminants from sheaves and drums. This causes three-body abrasive wear, which erodes the outer wires and strands. Abrasive wear usually reduces rope diameter and can result in core failure and internal wire breakage. Penetrating wire rope lubricants reduce abrasive wear inside the rope and also wash off the external surfaces to remove contaminants and dirt.

Many types of machines and structures use wire ropes, including draglines, cranes, elevators, shovels, drilling rigs, suspension bridges and cable-stayed towers. Each application has specific needs for the type and size of wire rope required. All wire ropes, regardless of the application, will perform at a higher level, last longer and provide greater user benefits when properly maintained.

Lubrication Engineers, Inc. has found through years of field experience, that longer wire rope life can be obtained through the use of penetrating lubricants, either alone or when used in conjunction with a coating lubricant. Practical experience at a South African mine suggests that life cycles may be doubled with this approach. At one mine site, the replacement rate for four 44-mm ropes was extended from an average 18.5 months to 43 months. At another mine, life cycles of four 43-mm x 2073 meter ropes were extended from an average 8 months to 12 months.

In another study involving 5-ton and 10-ton overhead cranes in the United States that used 3/8-inch and 5/8-inch diameter ropes, the average life of the ropes was doubled. The authors attribute this increased performance to the ability of the penetrating lubricant to displace water and contaminants while replacing them with oil, which reduces the wear and corrosion occurring throughout the rope. A good spray with penetrating wire rope lubricant effectively acts as an oil change for wire ropes.

In these examples, the savings in wire rope replacement costs (downtime, labor and capital costs) were substantial and dwarfed the cost of the lubricants. Companies who have realized the importance of proper wire rope lubrication have gained a huge advantage over those who purchase the lowest priced lubricant, or no lubricant at all, while replacing ropes on a much more frequent basis.

Wire ropes can be utilized in a number of applications. The intended application generally will dictate the initial lubrication of the wire rope by manufacturers. For example, some wire ropes are employed for the support of structures such as buildings and bridges. These ropes remain nearly static, so there is little need to relubricate them. They will not have the same internal friction and wear (although still subjected to surface corrosion) as a dynamic rope utilized in heavy equipment applications for lifting or hauling purposes.

Wire ropes used in crane services often employ a fiber core which is saturated in oil with strands of wire wrapped around it. This fiber core acts as a sponge to actively drain or release lubricant when the rope is subjected to bending or loading. Most wire ropes fail from the inside, so this fiber core can be beneficial if binding conditions occur.

Wire ropes without a fiber core are typically coated with a lubricant during the manufacturing process to lessen internal friction and to coat the surface in order to minimize corrosion due to water or the environment.

While there are standards in place for lubricants used during the manufacturing process, most are generic and only help put you on the right track in your lubricant selection. Of course, all wire rope lubricants should have corrosion control properties as well as penetrating capabilities to get as far into the core of the wire rope as possible.

There are numerous methods of applying lubricant to wire ropes. For machinery in which the rope can move, you may choose to use a drip, spray or trough method. These methods apply lubricant at a single point and utilize the movement of the rope to spread the lubricant over the entire length of the system. Some trough systems are pressurized, which can be advantageous, as they push the lubricant into the rope.

If the wire ropes are static, manual brushing or sprays usually are the easiest way to apply lubricant. In most cases, it is best to remove excess lubricant from the surface to help minimize dirt and water from sticking to the lubricant, especially in dirty environments.

Using the correct lubricant with the appropriate application method can not only maximise the wire rope life but can also eliminate costly replacements and improve safety.

The fluidity of the lubricants helps to ensure that the rope strands are well lubricated, reducing internal wear caused by the metal-to-metal contact occurring when the wires slide or bend around a drum or sheave.

The Wire Rope Lubricants and Grease range prevent corrosion by displacing moisture and forming a thin barrier of continuous lubricant film protecting against the elements.

Wire ropes contain numerous moving parts which require lubrication. Each time the rope bends or flexes, the internal strands rub together. Whitmore"s Wire Rope Lubricant coats these strands to prevent friction and wear. This results in longer wire rope life, less downtime for rope changes and more production.

Whitmore"s Wire Rope Lubricant quickly penetrates to the core. This ensures that the rope is lubricated throughout while providing a nondrying, nontacky film on the outside of the rope which protects outer strands from corrosion as well as lubricating the wire rope drums and sheaves.

Whitmore"s Wire Rope Lubricant is easily pumpable at temperatures down to -25°F (-35°C). Its nondrying film remains flexible in the most extreme weather conditions which eliminates flaking and peeling.

Whitmore"s Wire Rope Lubricant can be used to lubricate all sizes of wire rope as well as chains, leaf springs and other applications where a penetrating oil is needed. It may also be applied by hand or automatic lubrication system.

Developed as a service tool, the Lincoln Wire Rope Lubricator is attached periodically to equipment on a monthly, quarterly or other cycle to lubricate wire ropes. Lubrication intervals should be determined according to rope manufacturer specifications. The life cycle of a steel wire rope that has been periodically lubricated is approximately six to eight times longer than a wire rope that has not been lubricated. Specifically for Wire Rope Lubricator applications a biodegradable grease LGTE 2 is available. The grease is environmentally acceptable and certified with Ecolabel.

Also, lubricating a wire rope while in service helps to prevent corrosion of the wires. Corrosion can be internal and external, and it often is caused by acids, alkaline waters, salt air, humidity, fumes, and abrasive and industrial environments in general.

The Chain and Wire Rope Lubricant is a heavy duty high temperature and pressure lubricant that penetrates chains, cables, and wire rope to deposit a wear resistant coating. The foam spray clings to the surface penetrates and coats leaving a Molybdenum and extreme pressure lubricant on the inner surfaces. This two in one lubricant both penetrates into the core of the wire rope , evaporates and leaves behind a heavy lubricating film to protect and lubricate each strand and with a second coating penetrates slightly and seals the outside from moisture reducing wear and corrosion.

The Chain and Wire Rope Lubricant can be used on conveyors, hoist chains, link and roller assemblies, rail equipment, mining equipment, road and construction machinery, cutter bars, material handling equipment, chain saws, etc.

Bio-E.P.™ Wire Rope Lubricants are ultimately biodegradable vegetable oils formulated with antiwear, extreme pressure (EP), antirust, oxidation inhibitors, and a tackifier. They provide a light waxy-tacky coating, and are recommended for lubricating multi-strand cables and wire rope wound around central cores of steel or fiber, which are subject to heavy loading and/or shock loading. These biobased products provide improved fire resistance over equal viscosity petroleum products and contain no chlorine, zinc, or heavy metals. Performance is enhanced by use of the Stabilized HOBS’s natural vegetable oil composition, which provides an oily boundary film. In addition, this oily film has a natural polarity to metal surfaces and helps clean and then penetrates deep into the inner core of the cable preventing rust and wear. The super high viscosity index of the Stabilized HOBS adds additional lubrication qualities to this high performance lubricant. Laboratory and field tests have shown that the products provide exceptional protection with excellent low temperature pumpability.View More Products

Document Handling - HGF (Newcastle), 1 City Walk, LEEDS, LS11 9DX, United Kingdom (54) Title ofthe Invention: Wire Rope lubricant Abstract Title: Wire rope lubricant (57) A wire rope lubricant having a base fluid as a majority component, and a wax or polymer as a minority component wherein at least one of the base fluid and the wax, or polymer, is biodegradable. A method of forming a wire rope having a plurality of wire strands, includes the step of applying the wire rope lubricant between the wire strands. The wax may be plant-based and is especially carnauba wax. The wax or polymer may have a melting point of 70-100 degrees C.

The present invention relates to a wire rope lubricant being at least partly, optionally substantially, biodegradable, and a wire rope including such a lubricant.

Wire ropes are well known for both onshore and offshore use, in particular in maritime situations. They can be used in all types of marine vessels, including ships, large boats, drilling units etc, and wire ropes are often selected for their flexibility, strength, resistance to deformation, and bending.

Wire ropes are generally formed of a number of heavy duty wires first forming strands, and then twisting of a number of the strands together, optionally around or over a core, to form a final wire rope.

Wire ropes are frequently subject to significant wear and tear, and often some corrosion, especially in maritime situations. It is naturally desired to maintain the highest properties for the wire rope, and to avoid or minimise any damage thereto. Thus, the use of wire rope lubricants to benefit the wire rope in use is well known in the art.

Some wire rope lubricants are used during the stranding and closure operation of wire rope manufacture, particularly to achieve integration within or around the strands prior to the subsequent twisting. Some wire rope lubricants are alternatively or additionally regularly applied to wire ropes in use to provide or continue any antiwear or anti-corrosion properties.

Conventional wire rope lubricants comprise a mineral base oil and thickener system, with one or more additives, typically at least an anti-corrosion additive. However, increasing environmental legislation around the world, such as the requirement to obtain a Vessel General Permit to allow a vessel into the waters of the United States of America (based on permissible discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel), make the use of conventional wire rope lubricants a challenge.

Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is a provided a wire rope lubricant comprising a majority base fluid component and a minority of a wax or polymer component, wherein at least one ofthe base fluid and the wax or polymer is biodegradable.

In this way, the wire rope lubricant can be defined as an ‘Environmentally Acceptable Lubricant’ (EAL) as currently defined in Appendix A of the USA EPA 2013 Vessel General Permit (VGP) regulation used to define lubricants in the art. In meeting these regulations the product will be classed as biodegradable, minimally toxic and non bio-accumulative.

The present invention is not limited by the nature of the base fluid, which may comprise one or more different components or fluids, falling within the above definitions. By way of example only, and without limitation, examples of suitable base fluids that are biodegradable include one or more of the following group: vegetable oil, such as rape seed oil, castor oil, soya oil and synthetic esters

The base fluid is preferably an oil, and many base oils or possible components therefor are known in the art. A number of these are defined in the Lubricant Substance Classification list (or ‘LuSC’ - list), which also sets out their biodegradability and aquatic toxicity. The Lubricant Substance Classification list is a list of substances and brands that have been assessed on its biodegradation/bioaccumulation, aquatic toxicity, and renewability and exclusion lists of substances by a competent body. The assessment is based on a maximum treat rate allowed in a lubricant. The list is published on the EU Ecolabel website.

Optionally, the viscosity of the base fluid and the viscosity of the melted wax or polymer is the same (within a small range), or wholly or substantially similar, such that the viscosity of the wire rope lubricant including these components is predictable, and the viscosity properties of the components wholly or substantially act in a similar manner during any heating and cooling. This is especially where the wax or polymer is a solid at ambient temperature, and a liquid during any ‘hot application’.

Optionally, the base fluid and wax or polymer lubricant composition maintain a single ‘phase’ (i.e. not becoming ‘two-phase’) upon heating, especially above the melting point of the wax or polymer.

The wax or polymer may be a naturally occurring or wax or polymer in particular based on plant oil or plant material, or be a synthetic wax or polymer. Preferably, the wax or polymer is able to provide a homogenous mixture with the base fluid, and avoids or has a de minimus of any dissolution or separation on cooling from a higher temperature to an in use or ambient temperature.

A synthetic wax intended to have the same properties of Carnauba wax, or similar or substantially similar properties, is included within the scope of the present application, having in particular wholly or substantially the same viscosity and melting point range.

In the wire rope lubricant of the present invention, the base fluid component may comprise at least 70, 75, 80, 85 wt% of the lubricant, preferably in the range 88-91 wt%.

In the wire rope lubricant of the present invention the remainder can be quantum satis (q.s..), i.e. sufficient to make up 100 wt%, typically being an anti-corrosive additive up to 5 wt%, an anti-wear additive up to 5 wt% and an anti-oxidant additive up to 2-3 wt%, with an overall percentage generally being up to 13 wt%, typically a maximum of 5-6 wt%.

Wire rope lubricants can be used both onshore and offshore, and the present invention includes the lubricant being utilised in both applications. Wire rope lubricants are most commonly used on-board vessels or other offshore and maritime situations or locations for maintenance of the wire ropes.

Wire rope lubricants for in-service use are expected to have a good or high penetration rate into the wire rope, and provide corrosion protection and anti-wear properties. Optionally, wire rope lubricants have or form some adhesive properties and some also form a film around the wire rope.

Some wire rope lubricants are also delineated between ‘heavy bodied lubricants’ best suited for applications where the wire rope is exposed to an extreme or an abusive environment, and light-bodied lubricants having a lighter consistency to achieve better penetration of the lubricant into the interior of the wire rope. The wire rope lubricants of the present invention can be adapted for any suitable consistency based on the viscosity of base lubricant and level of wax or polymer thickener

Wire rope lubricants can be applied to an existing wire rope using any one of a number of known techniques, including spraying, dipping, painting, pneumatic or swabbing. Application is possible via automatic lubrication pneumatic ‘units’ through which a wire rope can pass, (available from Viper, Masto and CoreLube).

Wire rope lubricants can also be used during manufacture of a wire rope, in particular by application to one or more of the strands of the wire rope by one or more of the above techniques, or by ‘hot application’, prior to twisting of the strands to form the final wire rope. The applied wire rope lubricant is intended to form a layer or barrier, preferably a film, optionally also as a final outer surface of the wire rope once formed, to help protect the wire rope from corrosion.

Thus, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming a wire rope having a plurality of wire strands, comprising the step of applying a wire rope lubricant as defined herein between the wire strands, typically prior to twisting of the wire strands to form the wire rope.

Thus, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wire rope having a plurality of wire strands and including a wire rope lubricant as defined herein.

Typically, applied wire rope lubricant becomes depleted or contaminated over a period of time, and one or more new or further applications of the wire rope lubricant can be made to a wire rope, typically whilst the wire rope remains in use or in situ.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided the use of a wire rope lubricant as defined herein, wherein the lubricant is applied to a wire rope.

The main purpose of a wire-rope lubricant is to reduce internal friction so that the rope runs smoothly and to coat the wires so that corrosion is inhibited.

To be most effective, the lubricant should maintain these characteristics for the full range of operating temperatures. Ideally, the lubricant should penetrate the rope core easily and adhere strongly to the wire surfaces.

Light oil lubricants are thinner, clearer, and penetrate the interior of a wire rope more easily, and are less prone to solidify than heavy lubricants.In addition, they are effective when applied in light coatings and are readily adaptable to continuous,automatic lubrication systems.

The corrosion protection provided by light Lanolins is sufficient for most operations,but may not be sufficient for underwater rope usage. Good lubrication can serve as one of the most effective protections against corrosion.

Royal Ultimate 1000 Grease (Aerosol) is a premium high quality, semi-fluid grease with an aluminum complex soap, high viscosity base oil and does not contain any asphalt...