Rheological Properties of Aircraft Grease Containing Nano-Additives

The apparent viscosity of aircraft grease with different nano-particles content, temperature and shear rates were studied using a rotational viscometer. The rheological properties of two types of aircraft grease, the basic grease and the one with nano-particles additives, were investigated using a rheometer. The results indicated that the apparent viscosity increases with the increase of nanoparticle concentration with the given ratio of nano-particles added. It was also found that the grease with and without the nano-particles both have yield stresses and clear shear-thinning properties. The shear-thinning phenomenon of the grease containing nano-particles is more evident than that of the basic grease. The experimental results also reveal that the rheological characteristics of both types of grease fall in Herschel-Bulkley class, and the nano-particles have a significant influence on the rheological parameters. At the end, the rheology mechanism was discussed based on the entanglement and orientation theories.