What is and when to use an industrial grease?

Choosing the right specialized grease for any equipment guarantees a good lubrication condition for any machine element.

Lubricating greases are defined as semifluids resulting from the dispersion of a thickener in a liquid (lubricant oil). Their composition usually ranges from 80 to 90% by weight of base oil, 2 to 20% of thickener and the rest are additives.

Image 01 Components of a lubricating grease

Properties of a lubricating grease

Generally classified according to their consistency, lubricating greases are also grouped according to their components. That’s why they are referred to as mineral, semi-synthetic and fully synthetic greases depending on whether they have a mineral base oil, a semi-synthetic base oil or a synthetic base oil.

Image 02 Industrial grease

The main properties of a grease are:

NLGI grease.

Base Oil Viscosity.

Consistency.

Mechanical stability.

Drop point.

Operating temperature.

This are some of most relevant advantages that greases have over a lubricant oils:

1. Greater adhesion to surfaces.

2. Better sealing capacity in order to isolate from the environment.

3. Excellent wear protection.

4. Better lubrication at high loads and low speeds.

5. Better corrosion protection.

6. Wider operating temperature range

7. More effective noise and vibration absorption.

8. Less migration from the point of contact.

When to use a grease?

Lubricating greases are not always the best choice depending on the circumstances. There are certain conditions and technical limitations that make a lubricating oil a better option. Here are some examples:

Mechanisms where the lubricant must provide heat dissipation.

Very high speeds, where a lubricant that is lighter is required.

It’s possible to find high performance greases that have readily biodegradable bases, come in handy where there is potential for accidental spills.

There are also food grade greases that can be in incidental contact with food during production, without posing a risk to the consumer.

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