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ABSTRACTS & BIOS 2603

TUESDAY, JUNE 9

Effects of Hydrogen Bonding on Lubricating Grease Mechanical Properties The effect of hydrogen bonding between oil and thickener phases on the mechanical properties of lubricating greases (LGs) is examined. In particular, we study the hydrogen bond donor/receiver relationship between the oil and thickener. Small amplitude oscillatory shear testing is first used to evaluate the viscoelastic moduli in the undisturbed state at varied temperatures. A onehour full rotation shear is then applied to mechanically disrupt the LGs. The storage modulus is then tracked over time under varied temperatures to investigate modulus recovery. Our results show that hydrogen bonding within and between the two phases impacts the mechanical properties in both the undisturbed and post-deformation states. Specifically, significant hydrogen bonding can increase the modulus. Overall, these results show that the interaction of functional groups between the oil and thickener significantly impacts the mechanical properties of the system.

Jacob Bonta has more than 10 years of experience in designing and testing new chemical products for various industrial sectors. Hired by Valvoline in 2018, he leads lubricating grease and industrial fluid research and development in North America and supports grease related operations for Valvoline globally. His graduate research is focused on lubricating grease fundamental material properties. He has multiple patents issued or pending for chemical products with five being specific to lubricating greases. He is a member of SAE, STLE, and NLGI and holds the NLGI CLGS certification.

Jonathan Pham is an associate professor in Chemical Engineering at the University of Cincinnati, leading a group focused on soft materials and interfaces. Prior to Cincinnati, he was an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky. He received a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from The Ohio State University and earned a PhD in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he studied nanoparticle assembly and mechanics. During this time, he was a Chateaubriand fellow at ESPCIParisTech working on deformation of microscale helical filaments by microfluidics. Prior to joining Kentucky, he was a Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research working on a range of topics, including cell-surface interactions and liquid-surface interactions.

- 59 NLGI Spokesman | VOLUME 89, NUMBER 6 | January/February 2026

ABSTRACTS & BIOS 2506

TUESDAY, JUNE 9

Calcium/Magnesium Sulfonate Complex Greases: A Few More Tricks During the past ten years, a new lubricating grease thickener category has been developed: calcium/magnesium sulfonate complex. Such greases use both overbased calcium and overbased magnesium sulfonates. During the past seven years, various aspects of this new thickener category have been covered by eight U. S. Patents and a much larger number of patents issued in other countries. That makes this new thickener category one of the most patented new developments in lubricating grease chemistry in at least the last 50 years. One reason for this is the fact that calcium/magnesium sulfonate complex greases are not just one thickener type when evaluated by the properties imparted to the overall grease. Additionally, when combined with various recently disclosed novel processing techniques, the amount of interesting and often unique properties of calcium/magnesium sulfonate complex greases can be further expanded. This paper describes and provides an initial evaluation of three such “tricks” that can be used to provide some of those interesting and unique properties.

The first trick allows acceptable open, non-pressurized conversion of the overbased calcium sulfonate without the use of any conventional non-aqueous converting agent. When done under the correct conditions, the overbased magnesium sulfonate acts as the primary non-aqueous converting agent, thereby eliminating the need for any of the previously cited primary non-aqueous converting agents such as glycols, glycol ethers, and low molecular weight alcohols.

The second trick provides a way to control the amount of rheopecticity in certain calcium/magnesium sulfonate complex greases in the same way that a dimmer switch controls the brightness of home lighting. By proper use of this technique, such calcium/ magnesium sulfonate complex greases can exhibit extremely rheopectic rheology, or exhibit rheology typical of all prior art calcium sulfonate complex greases, or exhibit a rheology at any point in between the two.

The third trick provides a way to dramatically increase the amount of the calcium 12-hydroxystearate portion of the overall thickener composition relative to what has been documented in the prior disclosed literature without any significant decrease in dropping point. This technique also dramatically increases thickener yield, lowers overall formulation cost, and can accelerate the initial conversion process.

Andy Waynick received his B.A. in Chemistry in 1974 from Central Methodist College, and his M.S. in Physical Chemistry in 1977 from Purdue University. For the 48 years since then, Andy has been a professional research chemist. Andy has 46 U.S. Patents, numerous patents issued from other countries, and more than 50 published research papers. Andy has received the Clarence E. Earle Memorial Award (twice), the NLGI Fellows Award, the NLGI Author Award for Application, the NLGI Author Award for Development, the NLGI Golden Grease Gun Award, the NLGI Award for Achievement, and the NLGI Honorary Membership Award. Andy was a contributing author of the NLGI Lubricating Grease Guide, 7th Edition. Andy retired from full-time work on October 1, 2022.

In December 2022, Andy assumed the responsibilities of Technical Editor for the NLGI Spokesman.

- 60 NLGI Spokesman | VOLUME 89, NUMBER 6 | January/February 2026

ABSTRACTS & BIOS 2610

TUESDAY, JUNE 9

Expanding the Boundaries of Grease Performance: Thermoplastic Elastomers for Extreme Water, Corrosion, Load, and Temperature Resistance Greases operating in extreme environments must withstand water exposure, corrosive media, heavy loads, shock, and wide temperature variations without compromising reliability. This study investigates thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) as multifunctional modifiers to enhance thickener networks and extend grease durability across these demanding conditions.

TPE-modified greases are benchmarked against conventional systems using the following evaluations: • Water & Corrosion Resistance: ASTM D1264 (Water Washout), ASTM D4049 (Water Spray), ASTM D8022 (Roll Stability with Water), ASTM D6138/D5969 (Corrosion, including seawater), ASTM D1263 (Leakage), DIN 51807-1 (Water Resistance) • Temperature & Oxidation: ASTM D4693/D1478 (Low-Temperature Torque), ASTM D3336 (High-Temperature Life), ASTM D942 (Oxidation Stability) • Load & Wear Resistance: ASTM D2596 (4-Ball EP), ASTM D2266 (4-Ball Wear), ASTM D2509 (Timken Load) • Supplementary Stability & Corrosion: ASTM D1743 (Rust), ASTM D4048 (Copper • Corrosion), ASTM D1831 (Roll Stability) Results demonstrate that strategic incorporation of TPEs reduces washout, enhances corrosion protection, strengthens mechanical stability, and improves performance under both temperature extremes and heavy loads. Findings are evaluated within the NLGI High-Performance Multiuse (HPM) framework: +WR, +CR, +LT, and +HL. This work underscores the potential of TPE-based technologies to enable next- generation greases that meet and exceed performance expectations in the harshest operating environments.

Robert Stepan is an Application Development Specialist in the Lubricants & Metalworking Fluids Focused Industry for Univar Solutions. Rob has more than 30 years of experience in R&D leadership positions in developing novel base oils to formulating the first “green” engine oil. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Polymer Chemistry/Biochemistry and a Master of Science in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Akron and an M.B.A. from Cleveland State.

John Hardt is an Application Development Specialist in the Lubricants & Metalworking Fluids Focused Industry for Univar Solutions. John has nearly 30 years of experience in the industry with both technical and commercial roles. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Individual Psychology Studies from the United States Military Academy, West Point, Class of 1987.

- 61 NLGI Spokesman | VOLUME 89, NUMBER 6 | January/February 2026

ABSTRACTS & BIOS 2613

TUESDAY, JUNE 9

High Temperature Friction Testing of Lubricating Greases Over the last 30 years industrial machinery and components on automobiles have undergone significant downsizing. Industrial electric motor frames and associated gearboxes have significantly smaller footprints. The same amount of energy is transferred through a much lower mass of materials. The rolling element bearings in electric motors are also much smaller. It is a similar story with automotive components. The desire for automotive fuel economy has resulted in smaller components transmitting the same or in many cases increased power. Electrification of new passenger cars and light trucks has resulted in an increase in mass caused by batteries and electric motors. This mass increase has resulted in higher loading on wheel bearings, transmission joints and steering system vehicles that need to be supported without loss of durability. This increased power density has resulted in components and systems running hotter.

In order to screen for these higher contact loadings and temperatures, increased severity test methods are needed. When first approved in 1998, the ASTM D5707 test ran at a load of 200 N (2.7 GPa contact stress) and had standardized temperatures of 50 °C and 80 °C. the latest (2023) edition also has 120 °C as a standardized temperature. These standardized methods are used to establish the friction behavior under moderate conditions. By extrapolating from these temperatures, a sense of how grease behaves under more extreme heat can be gathered.

This paper will outline exploring higher temperature SRV testing and how different thickener systems and additives behave under these more severe conditions.

Devon McCune has a BS degree in Biomolecular Engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

He’s been in the grease industry for 5 years. His grease career began at Chemtool 2020 where he worked as a research and development chemist before joining the grease team at the Lubrizol Corporation in 2021 as a research and development chemist with a focus on grease additives and thickener technology. He is a NLGI Certified Lubricating Grease Specialist (CLGS) and multiple award-winning author of several grease technical papers.

Dr Gareth Fish is a Senior Technical Fellow at Lubrizol, Wickliffe, Ohio. He holds a BSc(Hons) in Chemistry and a PhD in Tribology from Imperial College, London. He has more than 36 years grease industry experience.

He is an internationally recognized, multiple (x21) award-winning author of 99 technical papers including 19 ELGI papers. He has taught more than 100 public classes on tribology and lubricating greases. A member of the NLGI Board of Directors and chair of the NLGI Basic Grease Course. He was 2020 recipient of the NLGI Award for Achievement. He is an NLGI Certified Lubricating Grease Specialist (CLGS), a Chartered Scientist, STLE Fellow and Certified Lubrication Specialist (CLS). He is active within ASTM and SAE. Previously worked at UK Ministry of Defence and GKN Automotive in UK and USA.

- 62 NLGI Spokesman | VOLUME 89, NUMBER 6 | January/February 2026

ABSTRACTS & BIOS 2621

TUESDAY, JUNE 9

NLGI Shelf-Life Working Group: Revisited During the late 1990s, NLGI members formed a working group to determine the shelf life of grease in response to litigation involving old grease. The approach they used involved accelerated thermal aging of grease samples to equate shelf life with oxidation life. The working group reached a consensus and established five years as the recommended shelf life for grease. Two greases played a key role in the investigation: MobilGrease 28 and Aeroshell 33. Now, nearly thirty years after the manufacturing of these greases, an opportunity has arisen to analyze the naturally aged samples. Analyzing these naturally aged greases allows a comparison of their infrared, thermal, and rheological properties with those of new grease samples. While the formulations may have changed, the original test data from the time of manufacture have been lost and are no longer available. New grease samples will be aged under various times and temperatures, and the results will help calibrate aging conditions to match those of naturally aged samples. Results indicate that changes in the rheological properties of the greases may be a more reliable indicator of aging effects than oxidation measured by ASTM D7414.

Dr. Paul Shiller is Director of Technology at FirstPower Group, LLC, where he leads development and maintenance of specialty lubricants for industrial applications. He brings over four decades of experience in physical chemistry, tribology, and lubrication science, including senior roles at The Timken Company, Delphi Corporation, and the University of Akron.

Dr. Shiller earned his PhD in Physical Chemistry from Case Western Reserve University, where he investigated reaction mechanisms on metal surfaces using molecular orbital theory. He also holds advanced degrees in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and has received specialized training from UCLA’s Professional Program, contributing to science communication efforts and from MIT in no-code AI/ML. An active researcher and educator, Dr. Shiller has published extensively on lubrication chemistry, grease thickener assembly, and tribological coatings, including contributions to ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Tribology International, and the Journal of Applied Physics. He has also authored book chapters in the ASM Handbook and the NLGI Grease Guide, and holds multiple patents related to lubricant technology.

In parallel with his industrial and academic work, Dr. Shiller serves on several ASTM and STLE committees and has developed training courses for the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers and the National Lubricating Grease Institute.

Dr. Jennifer Vail is the Senior Manager of Global Applications Support at TA Instruments. She earned her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida, where she specialized in polymer tribology.

Following graduation, she worked as a researcher for the Leonardo Center for Tribology at the University of Sheffield and the Tribology Group at Imperial College London. Jennifer established the first dedicated R&D tribology lab at DuPont. After seven years of running the lab, she joined TA Instruments to lead a team of thermal analysts and rheologists.

Jennifer is also a TED speaker, bringing tribology to a wide range of audiences. She is the author of Friction: A Biography (2026), a popular science nonfiction book that explores how friction has impacted and will continue to influence humanity and our technological evolution.

Mark Staub, PhD is currently a Senior Applications Specialist in the Global Applications group at TA Instruments –Waters LLC. Dr. Staub received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry at Gettysburg College and subsequently earned his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering (Polymer Science focus) at Drexel University.

He has published over twenty peer-reviewed articles and application notes with focuses on polymer characterization, rheology, mechanical analysis and thermal analysis. In his role at TA Instruments, Mark is responsible for investigating applications in emerging markets, developing new rheological and mechanical test methods, and delivering Theory and Applications courses. His most recent work has focused on polymers in recycled, thermal interface materials, and biomedical applications.

- 63 NLGI Spokesman | VOLUME 89, NUMBER 6 | January/February 2026