Investigation of the Interaction, Rheological and Tribological Properties of Bis(pinacolato)diboron with Lithium Grease During Mechanical Aging

In this article, Lewis acid–base complex of lithium 12-hydroxystearate (LHS) with diboron compound is formed by the introduction of bis(pinacolato)diboron (B 2 Pin 2 ) into lithium grease. The interaction between Lewis acid B 2 Pin 2 and Lewis base RCO 2 − of LHS is characterized by various techniques. Moreover, the rheological and tribological behaviors of the base grease are evaluated at low and moderate temperature, and the results indicate that the addition of B 2 Pin 2 noticeably enhanced the rheological, friction-reducing, and anti-wear (AW) properties of the base grease, which likely owing to the fact that the formation of Lewis acid–base complex is beneficial for improving the soap fiber structure strength, helping to prevent the mechanical degradation of the lithium grease during mechanical aging process.