POLYETHERS AS BASE FLUIDS TO FORMULATE HIGH-PERFORMANCE LUBRICANTS

Polyethers are often used as base stocks and components for fully and partially synthetic lubricants. Polyether based lubricants offer longer service life, higher efficiency in gears, bearings, hydraulics etc. and better thermal stability compared to mineral oils. In this paper, the chemical, physical and tribological properties of different polyether types are discussed by specific applications, like metalworking processes, lubrication of gears and bearings, and a number of important polyether structures are considered by using different lubricity test equipment.