steel wire rope lubricant in stock

Prolongs the life of wire rope, sheaves, pulleys, drums, guides, pins and rollers in a variety of applications, including cranes, hoists, marine tow and mooring lines, dockside cables, aerial tramways, dredges, draglines, mining, elevators and many other applications in construction, mining, transportation and manufacturing.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.