Railway lubricant

Abstract

A water-based solid lubricant includes water, glycerin, isoalkane, molybdenum disulfide, talc powder, calcium sulfonate, and polyisobutylene is described herein.

Having thus described the disclosed system and method, it is now claimed: 
     
         1 . A water-based lubricant comprising:
 water;   glycerin;   synthetic isoalkane, wherein the synthetic isoalkane is at least 75% by weight C19 to C23 isoalkane, wherein the synthetic isoalkane has a polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content of ≦0.001 percent;   molybdenum disulfide;   talc powder;   calcium sulfonate; and   polyisobutylene, wherein the lubricant contains no lime and no clay, wherein the lubricant has a viscosity of less than 5,000 cP at 22° C.   
     
     
         2 . A lubricant comprising:
 water;   a freezing point depressant;   a viscosity index modifier; and   a synthetic fluid, wherein the lubricant has a viscosity of less than 5,000 cP at 22° C., wherein the lubricant contains no non-synthetic fluids, wherein the synthetic fluid has a polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content of ≦0.001 percent.   
     
     
         3 . The lubricant of  claim 2 , wherein the lubricant further comprises a friction modifier, wherein the lubricant contains no lime. 
     
     
         4 . The lubricant of  claim 3 , wherein the lubricant contains no clay, wherein the lubricant further comprises a water-based lubricant. 
     
     
         5 . The lubricant of  claim 4 , wherein the lubricant further comprises a suspension stabilizer. 
     
     
         6 . The lubricant of  claim 5 , wherein the freezing point depressant is a diol or triol. 
     
     
         7 . The lubricant of  claim 6 , wherein the synthetic fluid is isoalkane. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The lubricant of  claim 7 , wherein the viscosity index modifier is polyisobutylene, polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polypropylene, polycarbohydrate, or polyuria, wherein the suspension stabilizer is lithium complex base grease, aluminum complex base grease, or calcium sulfonate. 
     
     
         10 . The lubricant of  claim 9 , wherein the diol is a 1,2-diol or a 1,3-diol. 
     
     
         11 . The lubricant of  claim 9 , wherein the diol is ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, or propylene glycol. 
     
     
         12 . The lubricant of  claim 7 , wherein the isoalkane is a C17 isoalkane to a C30 isoalkane. 
     
     
         13 . The lubricant of  claim 7 , wherein the water-based lubricant is talc powder, graphite, polytetrafluoroethylene, tungsten disulfide, molybdenum disulfide, or hexagonal boron nitride, wherein the viscosity index modifier is a polyisobutylene, polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polypropylene, polycarbohydrate, or polyuria, wherein the freezing point depressant is glycerin. 
     
     
         14 . The lubricant of  claim 5 , wherein the water is about 15% to about 35% by weight, wherein the freezing point depressant is about 20% to about 50% by weight, wherein synthetic fluid is about 15% to about 35% by weight, wherein the friction modifier is about 0% to about 10% by weight, wherein the solid lubricant is about 0% to about 10% by weight, wherein the viscosity index modifier is about 0% to about 15% by weight, wherein the suspension stabilizer is about 0% to about 7% by weight. 
     
     
         15 . The lubricant of  claim 5 , wherein the lubricant contains no surfactant or substantially no surfactant. 
     
     
         16 . The lubricant of  claim 4 , wherein the lubricant contains no surfactant or substantially no emulsifier. 
     
     
         17 . The lubricant of  claim 16 , wherein the friction modifier, the water-based lubricant, the liquid lubricant, and/or the viscosity modifier are not water soluble. 
     
     
         18 . A method for lubricant a top of rail with a water-based lubricant, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a lubricant according to  claim 2 ; and   applying the lubricant to the top of rail without premixing.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the lubricant further comprises a friction modifier. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled)