Ethyl silicone lubricants (often more broadly referred to as silicone oil or silicone lubricants) have a wide range of applications in the papermaking industry, but they also face some challenges. The following is a detailed analysis of their applications and challenges:

Application

Improve paper quality: Silicone oil can adhere to the paper surface to form a transparent coating, improve the surface gloss and smoothness of the paper, make the paper smoother and more delicate, thereby improving the quality and aesthetics of the paper.

Optimize printing effect: Silicone oil can adsorb the pigment on the paper on the surface, thereby improving the printing effect and making the printed products clearer and more vivid.

Reduce equipment wear: Silicone oil can reduce the thermal wear and friction of gears, bearings and other parts in papermaking equipment, thereby reducing the wear and failure rate of the machine and extending the service life of the equipment.

Prevent static electricity and adhesion: Silicone oil can reduce the static electricity of paper during the production process, prevent it from curling or adhesion, and help keep the production line running smoothly.

Improve production efficiency: Silicone oil can make the transmission of paper smoother and reduce the jamming of the machine, thereby improving the production efficiency of the machine.

Challenges

Viscosity control: The high viscosity of silicone oil may cause blockage of pipes and pumps during transportation, affecting the smooth operation of the equipment. Therefore, the viscosity of silicone oil needs to be strictly controlled to ensure its smooth flow in papermaking equipment.

Cost issues: Compared with traditional mechanical lubricants, silicone oil has higher production costs and technical requirements, resulting in relatively high market prices. This may pose certain challenges to the cost control of papermaking companies.

Applicable scenario restrictions: Although silicone oil exhibits excellent lubrication performance in many occasions, its lubrication effect may not be satisfactory in some specific application scenarios. For example, in occasions such as steel-steel friction pairs, the lubrication film formation and retention ability of silicone oil may be poor.

Problems caused by physical properties: Silicone oil has a large thermal expansion coefficient, which may cause overpressure problems in high temperature environments, posing a threat to the sealing and safety of the equipment. At the same time, silicone oil has a large gas solubility, which increases the difficulty of designing gas sealing devices. In addition, silicone oil also has a certain hygroscopicity. If the water content is too high, its electrical performance will drop sharply, thus affecting the normal operation of the equipment.

In summary, ethyl silicone oil lubricants have broad application prospects in the papermaking industry, but there are also some challenges. In order to give full play to its advantages and overcome challenges, papermaking companies need to strictly control the viscosity of silicone oil when using it, comprehensively consider cost-effectiveness, select suitable lubricants and anti-sticking agents, and strengthen equipment maintenance. At the same time, the development of more advanced, environmentally friendly and economical silicone oil substitutes is also an important topic in the current industrial lubrication field.