Hey everyone,
Guess what’s on the menu this month? Grease! Not the movie, but the lubricant.
In certain situations, you may encounter applications where a fluid isn’t sufficient to reduce friction effectively. This could be due to factors like leakage, contamination, difficult-to-reach areas, or other challenges. In such cases, grease can be the solution! Grease has the ability to seal out contaminants, maintain its position, provide continuous lubrication during stop/start operations, and offer other various benefits.
So, what is a grease? A grease is a solid or semi-solid lubricant formed as a dispersion of thickening agent in a liquid lubricant. Grease consists of 3 main components base oil, thickener, and additives. I was once told to think of grease composition like gravy: take your broth or drippings (base oil), mix in your flour or cornstarch (thickener), and add in your spices (additives).
Let’s play a little guessing game: what’s the most important property of a lubricating grease? You guessed it, base oil VISCOSITY. As with any other lubricant viscosity is always the most important property. The type of grease thickener still remains a crucial factor as it affects grease properties, performance, cost, and compatibility. Some grease thickeners may excel in categories like water washout, while others may excel in areas like dropping point for high-temperature applications. The thickener for grease holds the base oil in suspension, and when force is applied to the grease, the thickener will release the base oil, similar to a sponge holding water in its pores and releasing it when squeezed. Now don’t forget the additives! Just as additives are used in other lubricants, they are used in grease to enhance or suppress existing properties or add new ones.
I’ve included two links for you. One leads to a video that explains the differences between grease and oil, while the other directs to an article from Noria covering the basics of grease.
- Identifying hidden contaminants like incorrect top-up oil, coolant, dirt, water, fuel dilution, and more
- Optimizing oil change intervals
- Evaluating filtration effectiveness
- Projecting component lifespan
- Addressing small issues before they escalate
- Reducing operational costs
- Minimizing unplanned downtime
As Star West and our customers continue on our sustainability journey, oil analysis will become increasingly important. Whether it is helping customers reduce consumption, extend equipment life, or enhance efficiency, understanding how to leverage oil analysis is key. I’ve included links to some Noria articles that delve into Oil Analysis and its role in sustainability.
