Grease Lubrication – Bearing Grease Lubrication

Why grease lubrication?
Properties
Grease compatibility chart
NLGI Grease consistency grading

Why grease lubrication?

Greases are typically applied in areas where a continuous supply of oil cannot be retained, such as open bearings or gears.  Factors to be considered when selecting a suitable grease are operating temperatures, water resistance, oxidation stability etc. The second factor, not less important, are the grease’s characteristics, including viscosity and consistency.

A lubricating grease consists of a base oil, performance additives and a thickener which forms a matrix that retains the oil in a semisolid state. Most grease thickeners are soaps, i.e. lithium, calcium, or aluminum soap. Complex soap greases have superior temperature resistance and are commonly usable up to 180ºC, at which the mineral oil vaporizes. A smaller number of greases, restricted to very special applications, are manufactured with non-soap thickeners such as organoclays, polyurea or silica compounds.

Grease is the most widely used lubricant for roller bearings and low velocity applications, mainly because grease type lubricants are relatively easy to handle and require only the simplest sealing devices.

Grease properties

Grease compatibility chart

NLGI Grease Classification (National Lubricating Grease Institute)

The consistency of industrial greases are classified by the distance in tenths of a millimeter, that a standard cone penetrates a sample of the grease under standard conditions at 25ºC

NLGI grades 0, 1 and 2  are applied in highly loaded gear transmissions, grades 1 through 4 are often applied in rolling bearings where grade 2 is the most common.

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