Desiccated Lithium (DELi) - A Novel Saponification Agent for Lithium Soap Grease Manufacture

摘要

The manufacture and usage of a novel saponification agent, DELi, used for introducing LiOH during grease manufacturing will be presented in this paper. A description of the current method followed during the preparation of DELi will be described along with the quality control techniques used to confirm its particle size distribution and crystallographic phase. Evidence and explanation will be presented to show that DELi significantly reduces material safety issues, saponification time and temperature when compared to current grease manufacturing practices. A couple of examples will then be used to show the ease with which DELi can be utilized to scale up grease manufacturing from laboratory beakers to conventional grease kettles. Finally, a brief financial analysis showing the benefits of DELi usage over current grease manufacturing methods will be presented.