Rheopectic lithium soap grease and method of preparation therefor

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A FLUID LUBRICATING COMPOSITION COMPRISING ESSENTIALLY A LUBRICATING OIL AS THE CHIEF COMPONENT CONTAIINING ABOUT 2-6 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF A LITHIUM SOAP AND HAVING THE PROPERTY OF THICKENING TO A GREASE CONSISTENCY UPON SHEARING, WHICH COMPRISES ESSENTIALLY PROVIDING A SAPONIFICATION MIXTURE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SUBSTANTIALLY SATURATED SAPONIFIABLE MATERIAL COMPRISING AT LEAST ABOUT 35 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF A SOAP-FORMING HYDROXY FATTY ACID MATERIAL, A BASIC LITHIUM COMPOUND IN AN AMOUNT CORRESPONDING APPROXIMATELY TO THE STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT REQUIRED TO REACT WITH THE SAID SAPONIFIABLE MATERIAL, A MINOR AMOUNT OF WATER, AND A LUBRICATING OIL WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY NONREACTIVE UNDER THE SAPONIFICATION CONDITIONS IN AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO AT LEAST ABOUT THREE TIMES THE WEIGHT OF THE SAID SAPONIFIABLE MATERIAL, HEATING THE SAID MIXTURE GRADUALLY UP TO ABOUT 300*F. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO OBTAIN COMPLETE SAPONIFICATION, FURTHER HEATING THE RESULTING SAPONIFIED MASS UP TO A MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 300*F. TO ABOUT 10*F. BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF THE SAID SOAP FOR A SUFFICIENT TIME TO ACCOMPLISH DEHYDRATION, ADDING ANY ADDITIONAL LUBRICATING OIL REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A GREASE MIXTURE CONTAINING AT LEAST THE MAJOR AMOUNT OF THE LUBRICATING OIL CONTAINED IN THE FINISHED GREASE BEFORE THE GREASE MIXTURE IN COOLED TO BELOW ABOUT 300*F., AND THEREAFTER COOLING THE SAID GREASE MIXTURE TO THE DRAWING TEMPERATURE AT A RATE BELOW ABOUT 10*F. PER MINUTE.