The  project  intended  to  demonstrate  the  feasibility  of  an  alternative  pre-treatment  of  high power  transmissions  and  gearings,  by the  subsequent  use  of  graphite  particles  suspended recovered glycerol and  bio-lubricants mixtures. The project involved the construction of a pilot line, where the use of such   lubricants,   together   with  a   stabilizing  Ag-containing   engineered surface,  would  have led  to  an  average reduction  of  4000 kg of equivalent CO2 production, as well as the  elimination  of  harmful compounds like highly refined mineral oils or zinc-alkyl-di-tio- phosphates  and  the  elimination  of  environmental  pollution deriving from mineral oil spills. At the same  time, recovery of glycerol from other manufacturing processes, Fluxing/running in by graphite particles suspended in glycerol would have been performed in order to ensure protection from oxygen and  enough  cooling of the moving parts of the transmission. After  graphitized  glycerol  removal  from  the  transmission, the  final steps  have been performed using  biolubricants,  in a controlled  environment.  As  a matter  of  fact,  the  temporary  and  re- versible  stabilization of  bio-lubricants  would  have allowed  their  use for  the  next  steps  of  run- ning in, without problems  correlated  to  these  oils  high biodegradability,  which makes them subject to bacterial and  fungi attacks.

Activities implemented

To  achieve  the  aforementioned  objectives,  the  following  means   and  actions  have been  imple- mented:

• Optimization of graphite particles size and  concentration in glyc- erol to produce a suitable suspension for the preliminary flux- ing/running in of transmissions.

• Design and  realization of a functionalised bio-lubricant collection tank with aluminium inserts,  in order  to  provide  antibacterial and  fungi protection.

• Design  and  realization  of  heating  circuit  for  bio-lubricant  tank, powered  by thermal  solar  energy  and  by direct  kinetic  energy recovery.

•  Design  and  realization  of  an  on-line  filtering/separating  station for  the  lubricants  and  arrangement  of  permanent  magnets  for the creation of high magnetic field gradients.

•  Tests  of  fluxing  and  individuation of  the  most  suitable  bio-lubricants  operating  tempera- tures and measurements of energy consumption, efficiency and bio-lubricant life time and cleanliness.• Field   tests   of   complete   tractors   with  reference   customers   and   possible   improvements emerged  by the  experimentation  and  development  phase,  as well  as from  suppliers  indica- tions

• Definition of recycling procedures.

Environmental results