Solvent for carrying solid lubricant

[alternety]

I want to use Tungsten Disulfide for general lubrication purposes (no engines,etc.). Rather like the products available that leave no other residue after depositing graphite or Moly.

Something friendly that is not very flammable (e.g., a spark wont blow up the door that holds the lock you are lubing). It needs to evaporate fairly quickly, and if I did not mix anything with it there would be nothing left on the surface after it evaporated. Should not harm common materials like paint, rubber, plastics.

I was thinking alcohol, but it will always have some water in it.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Best to ask on a professional forum like Noria - but its your show - if you are playing ChemE you should have this stuff in your back pocket already. I this is for personal use, Maybe shy away from the petrol based conveyance and go to fluorocarbon propellant for your aerosol. You will need a mixer in the can since you dont seem to want a colliod. Sure you dont want to employ a light penetrating carrier like methycyclopentadienylmanganesetricarbonyl?

 

[Gabe]

I believe that heptane is normally used for an application like this.

As you might know, tungsten sulfides are soluble in water. That means that it will wash off completely as soon as it rains or gets dew on it. If you are looking for a better dry lubricant, DuPont and Kano Labs both make amazing ones.

 

[alternety]

I did not really explain precisely enough. And yes this is a personal exercise. I am not trying to make a spray. Just a little bottle with a needle applicator to use around the house.

I beg to disagree about solubility. It does not dissolve in water. It can only be dissolved by a mixture of nitric and hydrofluoric acids.

I have been trying to get some of the Fullerene like form of WS2 but have been unsuccessful. So I got some moderately small (0.6 micron) regular old WS2 to play with. I may or may not use some of it in engines. It really is the IF form that should be used for that. But right now I just need something to suspend it in that will evaporate cleanly and not attack common materials. A little creep would be good. I am also probably going to mix up a little batch using Kroil as a base. That stuff has just too bad an odor to use as a general household lube, but boy does it creep. That should be good stuff for general machinery that can be kept out of nose range until it evaporates.

 

[MolaKule]

You probably didn't mean "solvent" but rather a "carrier."

Try a polybutylene succinimide dispersant.

 

[alternety]

ARCOgraphite - is that recommendation a joke for the unwashed masses? A toxic gasoline additive?

Sorry if this it the wrong web site. I have seen much helpful information here (as many members, I am an actual user of oil in various forms and chemical bases), and actually understood a great deal of the content in the articles/posts I have read. I have always viewed this as a helpful site with deep technical expertise, although it does say oil. Given the sub forums on solvents, additives, auto maintenance, tools, lawn mowers, etc., I felt it was a reasonable choice for asking for assistance in selecting a solvent (carrier actually) for a lubricant. My apologies.

 

[alternety]

MolaKule - you are absolutely correct about carrier. My bad, I know better. You actually posted while I was writing my latest post. I did a bit of research on you suggestion. If I understand correctly it would leave a residue behind. It also seems a bit tricky to buy.

I have a small bottle of suspended graphite that claims ot evaporate and leave only graphite. My hunch is that is not completely true; but probably close enough. It smells like a petroleum derivative. Unfortunately they do not list the carrier.

I have some more specialized lubricants that dry after application, but they have their own lubrication film.

The WS2 can be suspended in most anything I believe. It is just small particles. Just was looking for something that would promote penetration between closely mating surfaces with introducing corrosion. Maybe I should just go get a small container of fresh denatured alcohol. I tend to over think things.

In the meantime, I am using the WS2 to make an eternally sticky caulk inside a waste pipe to be slippery forever. Don't ask. Longish and uninteresting story. But involves the engineer's disease of over thinking the problem..

 

[danthaman1980]

Start with kerosene (K-1), odorless mineral spirits, or isopropanol. Most anything else that evaporates very quickly is likely to damage paint, rubber, or plastic, so you can eliminate things like xylene, toluene, acetone, chlorinated or brominated solvents, acetates, etc.

 

[alternety]

Thanks. I have purchased a quantity of moderate size WS2 (not the IF I am seeking). I used simple alcohol from the drugstore. The 99% version. That seems to work. I have made limited use of the stuff so far. One pistol, which seemed to benefit from the application. But very limited verification. Have you tried to buy ammo since the latest attempt by the federal govt to nullify the 2nd Amendment?

I would love to get some Freon, but I think those days are gone.

 

[morris]

TO: MolaKule can you spell that with out looking at it typed out? just teasing. your the best.

 

[MolaKule]

Originally Posted By: morris
TO: MolaKule can you spell that with out looking at it typed out? just teasing. your the best.


No, I am not that coordinated.

 

[MolaKule]

Originally Posted By: alternety
Thanks. I have purchased a quantity of moderate size WS2 (not the IF I am seeking). I used simple alcohol from the drugstore. The 99% version. That seems to work. I have made limited use of the stuff so far. One pistol, which seemed to benefit from the application. But very limited verification. Have you tried to buy ammo since the latest attempt by the federal govt to nullify the 2nd Amendment?

I would love to get some Freon, but I think those days are gone.


Try this (by volume): 1% alcohol, 10% HyperLube Zinc Replacement.

Place W powder in alcohol, then pour that mixture into HyperLube warm and stir.

 

[bsmithwins]

I've used isopropanol as a carrier for molybdenum disulphide before.

Used in vacuum systems as a anti-seize for screws.

BSW