Grease was first used by the Egyptians on their chariot axles more than 3000 years ago.

Today, over 80 of the world!s bearings are lubricated with grease. "ithium soap greases# the most common worldwide#were introduced in the early $%&0s. "ithium complex greases, which are becoming the most popular in 'orth (merica, were introduced in the early $%)0s. The 'ational "ubricating Grease *nstitute +'"G*,, defines grease as.( solid to semi/solid product of dispersion of a thic0ening agent in a li1uid lubricant. (dditives imparting special properties may be included..

2ig. $. 3ontrary to popular belief, grease is mostly oil, which is what does the lubricating. 4ome people describe grease as a sponge. This is not entirely a correct analogy, but li1uid lubricant is dispersed in a fibrous thic0ener networ0 resembling the pores in a sponge. 5ost people thin0 grease is primarily thic0ener but, in actuality, it is mostly oil#which is what does the lubricating. This is illustrated in 2ig. $.

2ig. 6. Thic0eners define grease types. Composition (s previously illustrated, grease consists of three components- thic0ener, base oil and additives. Thickener The thic0ener defines the type of grease +see 2ig. 6,. Greases are classified into two ma7or families- soap and non/soap thic0eners. 5ore than %0 of the thic0eners used worldwide are soap based.

4oap/based thic0eners are produced from an acid base reaction. The acid is a fatty, along with, in some cases, a short/chain organic complexing acid. 4aponification, the process for producing a soap/based thic0ener, is a follows(cid 8 9ase : 4oap 8 ;ater

Common acids <igh molecular weight fatty acids- 4tearic and $6 <ydroxy 4tearic (cid= 4hort chain complexing acids- Tallow, (>elaic and 4ebacic (cid Common bases "ithium <ydroxide, 3alcium <ydroxide, 4odium <ydroxide, 9arium <ydroxide and (luminum <ydroxide

There are three types of soap/based thic0eners

Simple soap 4imple soap results from the reaction of one fatty acid, such as $6 hydroxy stearic acid +$6 <4(,, and a metallic hydroxide, such as lithium hydroxide. This produces a simple lithium soap that is the most common worldwide. The metallic hydroxide used defines the thic0ener type. *f calcium hydroxide were used with a fatty acid, the grease would be called simple calcium soap. Mixed soap The mixed soap grease type is not very common. *t is produced by reaction of a fatty acid with two metallic hydroxides. 2or example, if $6 <4( reacted with lithium and calcium hydroxide, it would produce a mixed 3a?"i soap. Complex soap @eaction of a fatty acid, such as $6 <4(, with a short chain complexing acid, such a>elaic, produces a complex soap. *f lithium hydroxide were used, the result would be a lithium complex grease/the most popular grease type in 'orth (merica. The advantage of this thic0ener type over a simple soap type comes from it having much better high/temperature properties.

Table *. '"G* Grease 3lassification by 3onsistency NGLI Grade 000 00 0 $ Worked Penetration Range @ 77 F mm!"# &&A to &BA &00 to &30 3AA to 38A 3$0 to 3&0

6 3 & A )

6)A to 6%A 660 to 6A0 $BA to 60A $30 to $)0 8A to $$A

The consistency of grease is determined by placing a funnel called a penetrometer +shown in the accompanying diagram, on a smooth cup of grease that has a temperature of BB 2 and measuring the penetration in tenths of a millimeter after five seconds. The greater the penetration the softer the grease and the lower the '"G* Grade number. 5ost grease used today falls under the classification of '"G* $, 6 and 3, with the most common being '"G* 6 grade. <igh penetration greases, such as 00 and 0, are used in centrali>ed lubrication systems in colder temperatures. Thickener classification Greases are classified according to their thic0ener composition, as previously discussed, as well as on their consistency, according to the '"G* system shown above in Table *. Base stock and additives 5ost of our discussion up until now has focused on the thic0ener. The base oil and additives are also 0ey components of grease formulations. 2or example, a high/temperature thic0ener grease will not be effective if the base stoc0 does not have good oxidative stability. Table ** illustrates base stoc0 types found in greases= Table *** details the types of additives and their functions. Table **. 9ase 4toc0s of Greases Categor$ 5ineral Cils 4ynthetic 'atural <igh Derformance %$pe Daraffinic E 'aphthenic D(C, Ester, D(G E (l0ylben>enes Fegetable Cils 4ilicones E 2luorinated 2luids

Table ***. Grease (dditives and 2unctions &dditi'e (ntioxidant F(nction @etard oxidation of base stoc0 for longer lubricant life

@ust *nhibitor (ntiwear Extreme Dressure Tac0ifiers?Dolymers 5olybdenum Gisulfide?Graphite

Drotect ferrous surfaces from rusting Drovide wear protection during boundary lubrication Drovide protection during high load and shoc0 loading conditions Enhance water resistance and metal adhesiveness 4olid lubricants providing protection and friction reduction under high load?sliding conditions at low speeds

)e$ grease properties The basic properties of greases are noted below in Table *F. Table *F. Grease Droperties Consistenc$ '"G* grade is based on amount of thic0ener. 3onsistency describes the stiffness of the grease. '"G* 6 is the most common grade. This is the temperature of grease where the first drop of oil separates from thic0ener in a perforated cup. *t is the point when the thic0ener brea0s down. Grease should be operated no higher than $00/$A0 2 below the dropping point. 3omplex soaps and polyureas have dropping points around A00 2. ;ater washout test measures ability of a thic0ener to remain intact in bearing when submerged in water. ;ater spray/off measures ability of a thic0ener to remain in bearing in presence of water spray. 9oth of these tests measure percent grease removed. 9ecause oil does the lubricating in a grease, and viscosity is the most important property of the lubricant, the viscosity of the base oil needs to be designed correctly for the application. Hnder high/load conditions, high/viscosity base stoc0 is re1uired and usually with an ED additive or solid additive li0e molybdenum disulfide. Grease needs to maintain its consistency under high shear conditions. The shear stability test measures the softening of grease when sheared for $0,000 or $00,000 double stro0es with a grease wor0er. "oss of less than one '"G* grease grade signifies a stable thic0ener under high shear conditions. This is one of the most important grease properties. ;henever two incompatible thic0eners are mixed, grease usually becomes soft and runs out of the bearing. ;hen mixing different thic0ener types, consult

*ropping Point

Water Resistance

+ase ,il -iscosit$ Load Carr$ing &bilit$

S.ear Stabilit$

Compatibilit$

supplier on compatibility. 4ome incompatible thic0eners are aluminum and barium soaps, clay and some polyureas. P(mpabilit$ ,il Separation This is an important property when pumping grease in centrali>ed systems at low temperatures. 5ost common test is "incoln Fentmeter. 2or a grease to be effective, a small amount of oil must separate from the thic0ener +usually less than 3 ,.

Droduct data sheets are available for purchased greases#and they should be consulted to determine the correct grease for the application. Table F, on page $&, lists typical properties reported. This table is fairly complete= note that many suppliers do not report all this test data. Table F. Typical Grease Droperties for Durchased Greases from Test Gata @eported by 4uppliers %est Met.od 3one Denetration Hnwor0ed E )0 double stro0es ;or0ed Denetration $0,000 E $00,000 double stro0es Gropping Doint 3orrosion Drevention Cil 4eparation ;ater ;ashout ;ater 4pray/Cff @esistance Tim0en CI "oad 2our 9all ED /xpressed -al(e &S%M 0 G 6$B

5illimeters?$0

5illimeters?$0 Temperature in 3 E 2 Dass?2ail Dercentage of oil separated grease washed out grease sprayed off 5aximum weight in Ig or "bs ;eld point in 0ilograms E load wear index as a number 4car diameter wear reading in millimeters

G 6$B G A)) G $B&3 G $B&6 G $6)& G &0&% G 6A0% G 6B83

2our 9all ;ear

G 66))

Table F* summari>es 0ey grease properties based on thic0ener types.

Table F*. Iey Grease Droperties by Thic0ener Types Grease %.ickener 3alcium 4odium 9arium "ithium $6 C< 4tearate "ithium 3omplex 3alcium 3omplex (luminum 3omplex 3lay +9entonite, Dolyurea 3alcium 4ulfonate &ppearance 9uttery 2ibrous 2ibrous 9uttery S.ear Stabilit$ Good 2air Good Excellent P(mpabilit$ 2air Door Door Good to Excellent Good to Excellent 2air 1eat Resistance 2air Good to Excellent Excellent Good to Excellent Excellent Water Resistance Excellent Door Excellent Excellent

9uttery 9uttery to Grainy 9uttery to Grainy 9uttery 9uttery 9uttery to Grainy

Excellent

Excellent Good to Excellent Excellent

Good Good to Excellent Good Good Good

Good

Good

Excellent

Good Good Good

Excellent Excellent Excellent

Excellent Excellent Excellent

&pplications 9ased on the properties of grease, the following list describes situations where grease is the lubricant of choice

;here lea0age and drippage is present *n hard/to/reach places where lubricant circulation is impractical ;here sealing is re1uired in a high/contaminant environment +i.e. water and particles, To protect metal surfaces from rust and corrosion To lubricate machines that are operated intermittently To suspend solid additives such as moly during slow/speed, high/load sliding conditions 2or use in sealed/for/life applications such as electric motors

To lubricate under extreme or special operating conditions To lubricate badly worn machines ;here noise reduction is important

Concl(sion ;hile grease is a very important part of every lubrication program, many people use it without fully recogni>ing the differences among various types and?or the guidelines for their proper selection and application. This article focused primarily on various greases and their compositions, and only touched on their 0ey properties. Those properties, however, need to be understood so that the correct selection can be optimi>ed. These issues will be discussed in more detail in a future article on the proper selection and application based on e1uipment type and environment No2 t.at $o( .a'e a solid (nderstanding o3 2.at grease is it4s time to re3res. $o(rsel3 on 2.ic. t$pe o3 prod(ct is best 3or t.e 5ob6 9e Iind To Jour 9earings E Cther 3ritical 3omponents Dart * of this article provided a basic introduction to grease, with discussions of composition, types, properties and evaluation tests. Dart ** will focus on the correct grease for the application and some of the 0ey criteria in the selection process, including compatibility, amount to be added and relubrication fre1uency. Table *, compiled by the 'ational "ubricating Grease *nstitute +'"G*,, illustrates the consumption of grease in 'orth (merica in 6008. This table, which exceeds $00 because of rounding, illustrates that more than )0 of greases produced in 'orth (merica in 6008 were lithium/based soaps with the use of lithium complex grease exceeding that of simple lithium soaps. 3omplex lithium soaps are the fastest growing thic0ener type worldwide. 4imple lithium soaps accounted for A8 of the worldwide production in 6008, while lithium complex accounted for $A . 4imple lithium soaps are more widely used because of their lower costs, but lithium complex greases, because of their inherently better properties, are faster growing. %able "6 7##8 Nort. &merican Cons(mption o3 Grease b$ %$pe 9co(rtes$ NGLI: %.ickener %$pe 4traight "ithium "ithium 3omplex 3alcium 4oaps (luminum 4oaps Dolyurea Crganophilic 3lay 4odium E Cther 4oaps ; 30 3) $0 % ) ) 6

Cther 'on/4oaps

The general rule is to use oil for lubrication, if possible, because of the ability to clean and cool oil versus doing so with grease. There are, however, many applications where oil use is not possible or practical. Table ** lists a few of the industrial and mining components utili>ing grease as a lubricant. @olling bearings are a ma7or component lubricated with grease#in fact, most of them are. %able II6 Ind(strial and Mining Components t.at <tili=e Grease Ind(strial 9earings +rolling element general, 9earings +electric motor, 9earings +Kournal, 3ouplings Gears 4lides "in0ages 3hains Mining 9earings +rolling element, 9earings +Kournal, Gears 4lides "in0ages 3hains Dins 9uc0ets ;heel <ubs

Grease selection The ma7or criteria in selecting a grease type for the application are the thic0ener type, base oil viscosity and '"G* Grade. Table *** denotes general guidelines for grease selection based on bearing speed. %able III6 General G(idelines 3or Grease Selection +ased on +earing Speed &pplication 2ast 4low -iscosit$ Thin Thic0 Consistenc$ 4tiff 4oft ,il Release <igh "ow

(s stated in Dart *, oil is the lubricant in a grease#and the most important property of an oil is viscosity. Therefore, the correct viscosity must be selected for the application. The grease manufacturer provides this information. (lthough viscosity of a grease is not usually listed on

its container, it is listed on the product data sheet. Table *F shows viscosity selection based on application. %able I-6 Correct -iscosit$ Selection 3or an &pplication Fiscosity *4C $00 *4C $A0 E 660 *4C &)0 *4C )80M *4C $A00 *4C 3600M MCoupling grease can have ISO 680 or ISO 3 00 depending on the manufacturer! &pplication Electric motors and high/speed bearings L 3)00 rpm 5ultipurpose grease operating at moderate speeds <igh loads and good water resistance <igh/speed couplings Fery low speed, high loads and good water resistance <igh/speed couplings

The thic0ener type is a very important consideration in grease selection. The following grease properties are directly related to the type of thic0ener

(mount determines consistency 4hear stability Cxidation resistance ;ater resistance Gropping point 3ompatibility Cil separation 3ost

Table F illustrates the ma7or thic0ener types and their common uses. %able -6 Ma5or %.icken %$pes > %.eir Common <ses %.ickener %$pe &pplication

4traight "ithium "ithium 3omplex

Fersatile and less expensive than the "i 3omplex. 4hould not be used over 6BA 2. 5ost versatile thic0ener for wide variety of industrial and automotive applications. Hsed up to 3A0 2. Goes not have <$ approval and is not used as food grade grease. Good high/temperature and water/resistant properties. Hsed in steel and paper mills. 5ost common food grade thic0ener with <$ approval. Hsed up to 3A0 2. Excellent oxidative resistance because of non/ metallic thic0ener. Grease of choice for electric motors and sealed/for/life applications. Hse up to 3A0 2. 'on/melt resulting in good high/temperature properties along with <$ approval for food grade. Hsed in oven conveyers. Hsed up to 3A0 2. Good water resistance and <$ approval. Hsed in steel and paper mills. (lso used in food plants. Hsed up to 3A0 2. Fery good inherent corrosion resistance and high ED along with <$ approval, but expensive because of high thic0ener content. Hsed in food grade, corrosive and high/load environments. Hsed up to 3A0 2. *nexpensive and used where good adhesion and corrosion protection re1uired. 3annot be used in presence of water and limited to 6A0 2.

(luminum 3omplex

Dolyurea

Crganophilic clay 3alcium 3omplex

3alcium 4ulfonate

4odium

5any plants have too many types of grease and should consolidate down to 7ust a few. Table *F reflects a practical consolidation option to consider. %able -I6 & Practical Grease?Consolidation ,ption &pplication General Durpose Electric 5otors 3ouplings Grease %$pe "ithium 3omplex ED Dolyurea "ithium?Dolymer with same density as base

oil specially designed to avoid separation due to centrifugal forces 2ood Grade <igh Temperature (luminum 3omplex 3lay

Eighty percent of a facility!s applications can be addressed with the first three greases listed in Table F*. The remaining 60 are for specific applications such as food grade, high/ temperature and other speciali>ed applications. *ncompatibility is a ma7or issue when mixing greases#something that can result from having too many types of grease in a plant. ;hen changing grease thic0ener types in an application, always consult your lubricant supplier on the compatibility of a proposed product with one that!s being replaced. This is of the utmost importance as incompatible greases will usually lead to a softening of the thic0ener resulting in oil being released= that chain of events can result in e1uipment failure. *f your supplier is unsure of the compatibility, as0 that an (4T5 )$8A compatibility test be performed. The following greases are the most incompatible in this order- barium, clay, aluminum and conventional polyurea. 9e very careful about using published compatibility tables when ma0ing a decision to change thic0ener types. ;hen in doubt, always consult your lubricant supplier. The most common '"G* grade used is N6, but there are situations where a more/ or less/ consistent grease should be used. Table F** reflects guidelines for the selection of '"G* grades. %able -II6 G(idelines 3or Selection o3 NLGI Grade Grease NLGI Grade ) A & 3 6 $ 0 00 000 &pplication 4low/moving 7ournal bearings "ow/speed 7ournal bearings Fery high speed and low load <igh/speed rolling element bearings. Typically ball bearings. 5ost common grade for all rolling element bearing types Consistenc$ 9loc0 Fery stiff 4tiff 5edium 5edium soft

3entrali>ed lubrication systems and 4oft low temperatures 3entrali>ed lubrication systems Enclosed gears Enclosed gears Fery soft 4emifluid 2luid

Grease application Cnce the correct grease has been selected, it has to be applied properly with the right amount at the right fre1uency. There are many different options for doing this. *deally, a small amount should be applied more fre1uently. This is the advantage of using an automated system, such as single/point lubricators and centrali>ed grease systems. The most common application system, though, is still the manual grease gun#the device on which this particular article focuses. +(utomated systems are beyond the scope of this article. 5oreover, the remaining discussion will focus only on bearings#primarily rolling element., Amount Kournal bearings are not usually grease lubricated and there is a speed limitation of 600/&00 ft.?min. The bearings have wide, deep axial grooves, extending about 80 along the bearing. The grease is introduced along the groove which is %0 to $80 degrees away from the load >one. ;hen greasing, completely displace the old grease by observing fresh grease from the bearing. 'ormally, slow/moving 7ournal bearings don!t have to be greased fre1uently unless they are exposed to a high level of contaminants. @olling element bearings re1uire calculated lubrication amounts for an effective greasing program#unless they are in a contaminated environment where total grease displacement is re"uired! This certainly doesn!t apply to electric motor bearings, where over/greasing is very common. 3orrect greasing procedures for electric motors, of which there are many opinions, will be discussed in a future article. "ubricators should have specific instructions in wor0 orders on the exact amount of grease to add to a bearing. This should not be left up to the oiler, but instead developed by someone in the organi>ation through proper techni1ues. Grease guns need to be calibrated on the amount per shot put out by the grease gun. The following formulae are used to calculate#by weight #the correct amount of grease to apply to a rolling bearing.

4ince most bearing dimensions are expressed in millimeters +mm, the following is a more usual formula# $ounces% & 0!000'8 ( )* $mm% Ta0e, for example, a $A0 hp motor with a 3$3 si>e bearing that has the following dimensions-

6+ mm bore ',0 mm O) 33 mm width *n this example, utili>ing the foregoing formula, we calculate G : 0.000$8 O $&0 O 33 : 0.83 ounces of grease re1uired for the bearing. The next step is to calculate the number of shots per ounce the grease gun delivers. This can be done by using a postage scale and weighing out $0 shots of grease and calculating ounces per shot and then e1uating this to shots per ounces. (ssume we had 0.A ounces in $0 shots. This e1uates to 0.0A ounces per shot, which converts to 60 shots per ounce for that particular gun. (nother method not as accurate is to fill a 3A/mm film canister and count the number of shots. This is approximately $ ounce of grease. Therefore, 0.83 ounces re1uired for the bearing using a 60/shot/per/ounce gun results in applying 0.83 O 60 : $B shots. 9e sure to calibrate all of your grease guns and use one particular type per application. 2or example, when greasing electric motors, try to use the same type of gun for all motors. 5eters can be purchased to measure the exact amount of grease in ounces, grams, cubic inches and cubic centimeters. Cne company calculated the number of shots for all of its electric motors by horsepower and constructed a table that is put on the grease guns relating the amount of shots re1uired by horsepower of motor. Relubrication frequency Cnce we have calculated the right amount for a rolling element bearing, we then have to establish lubrication fre1uencies for that bearing. The following is a formula used to establish initial fre1uency guidelines.

t & - . ',,000,000 / ,d 0 n d t & relubrication interval in hours d & bearing bore diameter, mm n & speed, rpm - & ' for spherical or tapered roller bearings - & + for cylindrical or needle bearings - & '0 for radial ball bearings The above data is used as a starting point. The following ad7ustments need to be considered.

1emperature#2or example, every 6B 2 degree increase over $)0 2 re1uires the fre1uency to be cut in half. 2osition#Fertical bearings need to be greased twice as fre1uently. 3ibration#<igher vibration readings re1uire more fre1uent greasing. Contamination#<igher contamination re1uires more fre1uent greasing.

Ieep in mind that there are precise correction factors with these variables beyond the scope of this article. 4uch correction factors can be obtained from bearing manufacturers. Remo'ing t.e m$ster$ This article has been written to help ta0e the mystery out of the topic of grease and to give you some techni1ues to improve the selection and application of grease in your facility. ;hile it may be one of the oldest lubricants 0nown to man, grease continues to be a vital part of any lubrication program. That!s because the ma7ority of bearings in a typical industrial plant are grease lubricated. The importance of selecting the correct grease and applying it properly#both in amount and fre"uency#cannot be overstated. These activities are 0ey factors in a world/class lubrication program. Getting them right is crucial in improving +and ensuring, the reliability of the e1uipment within your operations.