What this product reference covers.
Lubricating grease is a base oil held in a thickener matrix with additives, selected by consistency, temperature, speed, load, water and compatibility needs.
Products within the family.
Names used in commerce can overlap. Use the nominated standard and exact grade rather than relying on a generic product label.
Lithium / lithium-complex
Lithium / lithium-complex is a recognised lubricating grease category whose exact composition, grade limits and suitability must be confirmed from the governing specification and equipment requirement.
Calcium sulfonate complex
Calcium sulfonate complex is a recognised lubricating grease category whose exact composition, grade limits and suitability must be confirmed from the governing specification and equipment requirement rather than inferred from the generic label.
Polyurea
Polyurea is a recognised lubricating grease category whose exact composition, grade limits and suitability must be confirmed from the governing specification and equipment requirement rather than inferred from the generic label.
Aluminium-complex and specialty greases
Aluminium-complex and specialty greases is a recognised lubricating grease category whose exact composition, grade limits and suitability must be confirmed from the governing specification and equipment requirement rather than inferred from the generic label.
What the product is built from.
| Component | Technical role |
|---|---|
| Base oil | Provides the lubricating film released from the thickener structure. |
| Thickener | Retains oil and establishes consistency, mechanical stability and water response. |
| Performance additives | Provide wear, oxidation, corrosion, load-carrying and tackiness performance. |
| Solid lubricants where specified | Support boundary lubrication in selected slow-speed or shock-loaded duties. |
Define the decision before selecting the panel.
- 01
Confirm new lubricating grease identity, grade and fitness for the intended application.
- 02
Detect contamination, degradation, mixing or storage-related change.
- 03
Investigate abnormal equipment, combustion, filtration or handling behaviour.
- 04
Establish a representative baseline for later comparison.
- 05
Support specification, maintenance and root-cause decisions with corroborated evidence.
What each result contributes.
“High” and “low” are directional investigation prompts, not pass/fail decisions. Corroborate them using the correct specification, baseline and companion evidence.
| Test / parameter | Typical methods | Why it matters | Possible causes when high | Possible causes when low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worked penetration / consistency | ASTM D217 / ISO 2137 | Classifies consistency and detects softening or hardening. | Softer grease, oil addition, shear or contamination. | Hardening, oil loss, oxidation, low temperature or wrong grade. |
| Dropping point | ASTM D2265 / ISO 6299 | Characterises thickener response to heat; it is not a service-temperature limit. | Higher-temperature thickener system or formulation difference. | Incompatible mixing, degraded thickener or lower-temperature product. |
| Oil separation | ASTM D6184 / product method | Assesses tendency for base oil to bleed from the thickener structure. | Heat, storage, overworking, contamination or incompatible mixing. | Strong retention; excessive retention can also limit oil release. |
| Wear metals / ferrous debris | ASTM D7303, PQ and ferrography procedures | Provides machine-wear evidence when sampling is representative. | Active wear, corrosion, dirt or maintenance debris. | Stable condition or poor debris capture in the submitted sample. |
| Water / contamination | ASTM D6304 or grease-specific procedures | Screens ingress that can alter consistency, corrosion protection and life. | Washdown, seal failure, condensation or poor storage. | Dry service or sampling away from the ingress zone. |
Condition-monitoring application.
Once the product is in service, the question changes from “does it meet a product requirement?” to “what has changed, why, how confident are we and what action is proportionate?”
- 01Use a stable, representative sampling point and document operating hours, top-ups, transfers and maintenance.
- 02Trend method-consistent results rather than treating one value as a complete diagnosis.
- 03Separate new-product conformance from in-service condition and machine-wear questions.
- 04Escalate correlated evidence and rate of change; confirm surprising results before major action.