Which one of the following substances is not used as a lubricant in he

Which one of the following substances is not used as a lubricant in heavy industries ?

Graphene
Talc
Glass
Sand
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2023
The correct answer is D) Sand.
Graphene and Talc are well-known solid lubricants used in various industrial applications to reduce friction and wear. While glass is generally not used as a lubricant, specialized applications exist where molten glass acts as a lubricant in high-temperature processes like hot metal extrusion. Sand, primarily composed of silica, is hard and abrasive, and its properties make it suitable for uses like abrasive blasting or as a proppant in fracking, but it is fundamentally an abrasive material, not a lubricant. Therefore, Sand is the substance among the options that is not used as a lubricant in heavy industries.
Common lubricants in heavy industries include oils, greases, graphite, molybdenum disulfide, PTFE (Teflon), and sometimes talc or mica powder as solid lubricants. Graphene is a relatively new but highly effective lubricant due to its low shear strength between layers. Glass is sometimes used in very high-temperature metalworking processes where conventional lubricants would break down, acting as a ‘molten glass lubricant’, but this is a specific application unlike the general use of lubricants. Sand, being crystalline and hard, increases friction and causes wear, making it unsuitable as a lubricant.
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