As mechanics, we are aware that choosing the proper lubricant for the job is essential to maintaining the smooth operation of cars and one of the most important items in our toolbox for maintaining vehicles is grease. But how can we know which grease to pick when there are so many different kinds available?
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We'll go into the realm of grease in this thorough guide and break down the many sorts in a way that is simple to understand. Now let's get started!
Section 1 - The Importance of Automotive Grease in Vehicle Maintenance
As mechanics, we're no strangers to the importance of lubrication in keeping vehicles running smoothly. And when it comes to lubricants, automotive grease is a vital tool in our arsenal. It's the unsung hero that keeps gears, bearings, joints, and other moving parts operating seamlessly, reducing friction, preventing wear and tear, and extending the lifespan of components.
Without proper grease, the metal-on-metal contact can cause excessive heat, friction, and premature failure of crucial vehicle parts, leading to costly repairs and downtime. That's why understanding the different types of automotive grease and knowing how to choose and apply the right one for each application is essential for mechanics.
Automotive grease not only ensures optimal performance but also protects against corrosion, contamination, and moisture, which can cause rust and damage over time. Grease is essential to keeping a smooth and effective vehicle operation, whether it's a light passenger car or a large commercial truck.
So, the next time you're working under the hood or beneath a vehicle, remember the unsung hero that keeps everything moving smoothly - automotive grease. It's the silent guardian that keeps our wheels turning and our customers' vehicles running like a well-oiled machine. In the following sections, we'll explore the different types of automotive grease in detail, So you can keep those wheels spinning for miles to come!
Section 2 - Basics of Automotive Grease
In the world of vehicle maintenance, automotive grease keeps gears turning, bearings rolling, and joints gliding smoothly. But what exactly is grease, and why is it so crucial in lubricating moving parts?
At its core, grease is a semi-solid lubricant made by mixing a base oil with a thickening agent and additives to enhance its performance. It is made to remain in place and offer long-lasting lubrication, even in demanding operating circumstances when oil would not be appropriate.
Automotive grease's main function is to lessen friction between moving parts and stop wear and tear. It forms a protective barrier that separates metal surfaces, minimizing contact and reducing heat generation, which can lead to premature failure of components. Moreover, grease aids in sealing out impurities like moisture, dirt, and dust so they can't harm sensitive parts by getting inside.
National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI) Grades
Several important features must be taken into consideration while selecting the suitable grease for the job. Viscosity, consistency, and National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI) grades are essential factors to consider.
Viscosity refers to the thickness or flowability of the grease. It's usually measured using the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) viscosity grading system, where higher numbers indicate thicker grease. Contrarily, consistency refers to how firm or hard the grease is, and is frequently defined as soft, semi-soft, firm, or hard.
NLGI grades are standardized ratings that indicate the thickness of the grease at room temperature. They range from 000 (very fluid) to 6 (very hard). The higher the NLGI grade, the thicker the grease. Choosing the right NLGI grade is crucial as it determines the grease's ability to stay in place and provide effective lubrication under specific operating conditions.
Understanding these basic properties of automotive grease is essential in selecting the right type of grease for each application. Using grease with the correct viscosity, consistency, and NLGI grade ensures optimal performance and helps prevent premature wear and tear of critical vehicle components.
We'll go into more detail about the various kinds of automotive grease that are available, their uses, and the best practises for choosing and using grease in the following sections. So, grab your favourite grease gun and let’s look at different types of grease.
Section 3 - Different Types of Automotive Grease
The moving parts of vehicles need to be lubricated with automotive grease to maintain smooth operation and avoid wear and tear. With the variety of options, it's important for technicians to be familiar with the many kinds of automotive grease and their features, benefits, and typical applications. Let's examine some of the most popular forms of vehicle grease in greater detail.
Lithium-based Grease
Lithium grease is used in the automotive industry due to its
excellent performance and versatility.
It is a type of multi-purpose grease
that contains lithium soap as its thickener, providing
a wide range of features and benefits.
What is Lithium Grease?
Lithium grease is a type of grease that is made by combining a base oil with lithium soap as its thickener. The lithium soap acts as a sponge-like structure that holds the base oil in place, providing lubrication to the desired areas. Lithium grease is a top choice in automotive applications due to its exceptional resistance to water, oxidation, and corrosion.
Features
Lithium grease possesses several key features that make it suitable for various automotive uses. Some common features of lithium grease include:
High Temperature Resistance: Lithium grease has excellent thermal stability and can withstand high temperatures, making it ideal for applications where heat is generated.
Water Resistance: Lithium grease is highly resistant to water, which makes it suitable for applications where the grease may come into contact with moisture, such as boat trailers, marine equipment, and off-road vehicles that are exposed to water crossings.
Oxidation and Corrosion Resistance: Lithium grease has good oxidation and corrosion resistance properties, which help protect metal surfaces and exposed components.
Excellent Lubrication: Lithium grease provides long-lasting lubrication. Reducing friction and wear on automotive components such as bearings, joints, and gears extend their service life and improves performance.
Versatility: Lithium grease is a multi-purpose grease that can be used in a wide range of automotive applications, including wheel bearings, chassis components, hinges, gears, joints, and other moving parts.
Benefits
The features of lithium grease provide several benefits for automotive applications. Some of the benefits of using lithium grease in automotive maintenance and repair include:
Extended Service Life: The high temperature resistance, water resistance, and oxidation/corrosion resistance properties of lithium grease help protect automotive components from wear and damage, resulting in extended service life.
Improved Performance: The excellent lubrication properties of lithium grease help reduce friction, heat, and wear on automotive components, leading to improved performance and efficiency.
Cost-effective: Lithium grease is a cost-effective lubrication solution for automotive applications due to its durability, versatility, and long-lasting lubrication properties, which can help reduce maintenance costs over time.
Typical Automotive Uses of Lithium Grease
Lithium grease finds numerous applications in the automotive industry.
Some of the typical uses of lithium grease in automotive maintenance and repair include:
Wheel Bearings: Lithium grease is commonly used for wheel bearings, providing high-temperature resistance, water resistance, and excellent lubrication properties that are essential for smooth and reliable wheel operation.
Chassis Components: Lithium grease is used for lubricating various chassis components, such as ball joints, tie rod ends, control arm bushings, and suspension components, to reduce friction and wear, and improve performance.
Hinges and Latches: Lithium grease is used to lubricate door hinges, hood latches, boot latches, and other moving parts in automotive doors, bonnets and boots to ensure smooth operation and prevent rust and corrosion.
Gears and Splines: Lithium grease is used for lubricating gears, splines, and other transmission components, providing excellent lubrication and protection against wear and corrosion, thus extending their service life.
Universal Joints: Lithium grease is commonly used in universal joints, which are used in driveshafts and other parts of the drivetrain, to reduce friction and wear, and ensure smooth rotation.
CV Joints: Lithium grease is used in constant velocity (CV) joints, which are used in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles, to provide lubrication and protection against wear and damage.
Brake Caliper Slide Pins: Lithium grease is used to lubricate brake caliper slide pins, which allow the calipers to slide freely, ensuring proper brake operation and preventing uneven wear on brake pads.
Bearings and Bushings: Lithium grease is used in various bearings and bushings such as engine bearings, suspension bushings, and steering column bearings, to provide lubrication and reduce friction and wear.
Conclusion
Lithium grease is a multipurpose lubricant that has excellent lubricating properties. it is resistant to high temperatures, water, oxidation, and corrosion. It is used in many different parts of automotive maintenance and repair, such as brake caliper sliding pins, bearings, bushings, hinges, gears, universal joints, and CV joints. Its qualities and advantages make it the best option for lubricating automotive parts, enhancing their functionality, prolonging their useful lives, and gradually lowering maintenance costs. Lithium grease can be used often in suitable automotive applications to ensure the efficient and dependable operation of automotive components and to avoid accelerated wear and damage.
Calcium-based Grease
Calcium-based grease is a type of lubricating grease that is formulated with calcium soap, which acts as a thickener or base. The calcium soap is derived from calcium hydroxide and fatty acids, which are obtained from vegetable or animal sources. Calcium-based grease may also contain other additives, such as antioxidants, corrosion inhibitors and extreme pressure (EP) additives, to enhance its performance in various applications. Calcium grease has very similar properties to Lithium based grease.
Features and Benefits of Calcium-Based Grease:
1. Water Resistance:
he great water resistance of calcium-based grease is one of its important features. It is perfect for automotive applications where components exposed to water, such as wheel bearings, chassis, and other undercarriage components, provide a protective barrier that helps to resist water and prevent the infiltration of moisture.
2. Good Load-Carrying Capacity:
Calcium grease has a good load-carrying capacity, which makes it suitable for applications that involve heavy loads, shocks, and vibrations. It provides a protective film that helps to reduce friction and wear, extending the service life of components such as bearings, bushings, and gears.
3. Wide Operating Temperature Range:
Calcium-based grease has a wide operating temperature range, which allows it to perform well in both high and low-temperature conditions. It remains stable and retains its consistency even at high temperatures, making it suitable for applications that involve high temperatures, such as wheel bearings, exhaust systems, and engine components.
4. Good Adhesion and Stay-Put Properties:
It has good adhesion, which means it adheres well to metal surfaces and stays in place even under extreme conditions, such as high speeds, vibrations, and impacts. This helps to ensure long-lasting lubrication and protection of automotive components.
5. Corrosion Protection:
Calcium-based grease provides excellent corrosion protection, which helps to prevent rust and corrosion on metal surfaces. It forms a protective barrier that inhibits the penetration of moisture and corrosive substances, making it ideal for automotive applications where components are exposed to harsh environments, such as road salt, water, and chemicals.
Typical Automotive Uses of Calcium-Based Grease:
1. Wheel Bearings:
Calcium-based grease is commonly used for lubricating wheel bearings in automotive applications. Wheel bearings are subjected to heavy loads, high temperatures, and exposure to water and contaminants, making calcium-based grease an ideal choice due to its water resistance, load-carrying capacity, and wide operating temperature range.
2. Chassis and Suspension Components:
Calcium grease is used for lubricating chassis and suspension components, such as ball joints, tie rod ends, and control arms. These components are exposed to various environmental conditions and require a grease that can provide good adhesion, corrosion protection and stay-put properties.
3. Universal Joints:
Calcium-based grease is often used for lubricating universal joints, which are critical components in the drivetrain that require proper lubrication to ensure smooth operation and prevent premature wear. Calcium-based grease's load-carrying capacity, wide operating temperature range, and water resistance make it suitable for universal joint applications.
4. Door Hinges and Latches:
Calcium-based grease is commonly used for lubricating door hinges and latches in automotive applications. Door hinges and latches are subject to repeated opening and closing, exposure to weather conditions, and contaminants, making calcium-based grease a suitable choice due to its adhesion, water resistance, and corrosion protection properties.
5. Brake Caliper Slide Pins:
alcium-based grease is often used for lubricating brake caliper slide pins. These pins are critical for proper brake caliper operation and need to be lubricated to ensure smooth sliding and prevent sticking or seizing. Calcium-based grease's water resistance, adhesion, and wide operating temperature range make it ideal for this application.
6. CV Joints:
Calcium-based grease is commonly used for lubricating constant velocity (CV) joints in automotive applications. CV joints are responsible for transmitting power from the transmission to the wheels while allowing for flexibility in various driving conditions. Calcium-based grease's load-carrying capacity, wide operating temperature range, and water resistance make it suitable for CV joint applications.
9. Prop Shaft Joints:
Calcium-based grease is often used for lubricating prop shaft joints in automotive applications. Prop shaft joints are critical components in the drivetrain that require proper lubrication to ensure smooth operation and prevent premature wear. Calcium-based grease's load-carrying capacity, wide operating temperature range, and water resistance make it suitable for propeller shaft joint applications.
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Conclusion
Calcium-based grease is a versatile and widely used lubricating grease in the automotive industry. Its excellent water resistance, load-carrying capacity, wide operating temperature range, adhesion, and corrosion protection properties make it suitable for various automotive applications, including wheel bearings, chassis and suspension components, universal joints, door hinges and latches, brake caliper slide pins, CV joints and prop shaft joints. Using the right type of grease for specific automotive applications can help ensure proper lubrication, protection, and performance of automotive components, leading to extended service life and improved reliability.
Lubrication professionals often become very familiar with the base oil viscosity of their lubricants. After all, viscosity is the most important property of a base oil.
Baselines for incoming oils are set and the health of the lubricant is monitored based on viscosity alone. However, there is more to lubricants than just viscosity. It’s crucial to understand the role of additives and their function(s) within the lubricant.
Lubricant additives are organic or inorganic compounds dissolved or suspended as solids in oil. They typically range between 0.1 to 30 percent of the oil volume, depending on the machine.
Additives have three basic roles:
Enhance existing base oil properties with antioxidants, corrosion inhibitors, anti-foam agents and demulsifying agents.
Suppress undesirable base oil properties with pour-point depressants and viscosity index (VI) improvers.
Impart new properties to base oils with extreme pressure (EP) additives, detergents, metal deactivators and tackiness agents.
Additive polarity is defined as the natural directional attraction of additive molecules to other polar materials in contact with oil. In simple terms, it is anything that water dissolves or dissolves into water.
A sponge, a metal surface, dirt, water and wood pulp are all polar. Things that are not polar include wax, Teflon, mineral base stock, a duck’s back and water repellents.
It’s important to note that additives are also sacrificial. Once they are gone, they’re gone. Think about the environment you work in, the products you produce and the types of contaminants
that are around you daily. If you are allowing into your system contaminants that additives are attracted to, such as dirt, silica and water, the additives will cling to the contaminants and settle to the bottom or will be filtered out and deplete your additive package.
There are a few polar mechanisms such as particle enveloping, water emulsifying and metal wetting that are worthy of discussion.
Particle enveloping means that the additive will cling to the particle surface and envelop it. These additives are metal deactivators, detergents and dispersants. They are used to peptize (disperse) soot particles for the purpose of preventing agglomeration, settling and deposits, especially at low to moderate temperatures.
You generally will see this in an engine. It offers a good reason to repair and eliminate any issues as soon as they are detected through an appropriate oil analysis test slate.
Water emulsifying occurs when the additive polar head clings to a micro-droplet of moisture. These types of additives are emulsifying agents. Consider this the next time you observe water in a reservoir.
While it is important to remove the water, determine where the water entered the system and repair it using a root-cause maintenance approach, you must also keep in mind that the additive package has been affected. In lubrication terms, this is known as additive depletion. A proper oil analysis report can determine the health of the additives remaining in the lubricant.
Metal wetting is when additives anchor to metal surfaces, which is what they are supposed to do. They attach to the interior of the gear casing, gear teeth, bearings, shafts, etc.
Additives that perform this function are rust inhibitors, anti-wear (AW) and EP additives, oiliness agents and corrosion inhibitors.
AW additives work specifically to protect metal surfaces during boundary conditions. They form a ductile, ash-like film at moderate to high contact temperatures (150 to 230 degrees F).
Under boundary conditions, AW film shears instead of surface material.
One common anti-wear additive is zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP). It reduces the risk of metal-to-metal contact, which can lead to increased heat, result in oxidation and negatively affect the film strength.
Whether they are enhancing, suppressing or imparting new properties to the base oil, additives play an important role in the lubrication of machinery. Remember, when the additives are gone, they’re gone, so don’t forget to check your additive package.
There are many types of chemical additives mixed into base oils to enhance the properties of the base oil, to suppress some undesirable properties of the base oil and possibly to impart some new properties.
Additives typically make up about 0.1 to 30 percent of the finished lubricating oil, depending upon the target application of the lubricant.
Lubricant additives are expensive chemicals, and creating the proper mix or formulation of additives is a very complicated science. It is the choice of additives that differentiates a turbine (R&O) oil from a hydraulic oil, a gear oil and an engine oil.
Many lubricant additives are available, and they are selected for use based upon their ability to perform their intended function. They are also chosen for their ability to mix easily with the selected base oils, to be compatible with other additives in the formulation and to be cost effective.
Some additives perform their function within the body of the oil (e.g., anti-oxidants), while others do their work on the surface of the metal (e.g., anti-wear additives and rust inhibitors).
These include the following general types of additives:
Oxidation is the general attack of the weakest components of the base oil by oxygen in the air. It occurs at all temperatures all of the time but is accelerated at higher temperatures and by the presence of water, wear metals and other contaminants.
It ultimately causes acids (which produce corrosion) and sludge (which results in surface deposits and viscosity to increase) to form. Oxidation inhibitors, as they are also called, are used to extend the operating life of the oil.
They are sacrificial additives that are consumed while performing their duty of delaying the onset of oxidation, thus protecting the base oil. They are present in almost every lubricating oil and grease.
These additives reduce or eliminate internal rust and corrosion by neutralizing acids and forming a chemical protective barrier to repel moisture from metal surfaces.
Some of these inhibitors are specific to protecting certain metals. Therefore, an oil may contain several corrosion inhibitors. Again, they are common in almost every oil and grease. Metal deactivators are another form of corrosion inhibitor.
Viscosity index improvers are very large polymer additives that partially prevent the oil from thinning out (losing viscosity) as the temperature increases. These additives are used extensively when blending multi-grade engine oils such as SAE 5W-30 or SAE 15W-40.
They are also responsible for better oil flow at low temperatures, resulting in reduction in wear and improved fuel economy. In addition, VI improvers are used to achieve high-VI hydraulic and gear oils for improved start-up and lubrication at low temperatures.
To visualize how a VI-improver additive functions, think of the VI improver as an octopus or coil spring that stays coiled up in a ball at low temperatures and has very little effect on the oil viscosity.
Then, as the temperature rises, the additive (or octopus) expands or extends its arms (making it larger) and prevents the oil from thinning out too much at high temperatures.
VI improvers do have a couple of negative features. The additives are large (high molecular weight) polymers, which makes them susceptible to being chopped or cut up into small pieces by machine components (shearing forces). Gears are notoriously hard on VI-improver additives.
Permanent shearing of the VI-improver additive can cause significant viscosity losses, which can be detected with oil analysis. A second form of viscosity loss occurs due to high shearing forces in the load zone of frictional surfaces (e.g., in journal bearings).
It is thought that the VI-improver additive loses its shape or uniform orientation and therefore loses some of its thickening ability.
The viscosity of the oil temporarily drops within the load zone and then rebounds to its normal viscosity after it leaves the load zone. This characteristic actually aids in the reduction of fuel consumption.
There are several different types of VI improvers (olefin copolymers are common). High-quality VI improvers are less susceptible to permanent shear loss than low-cost, low-quality VI improvers.
These additives are typically used to protect machine parts from wear and loss of metal during boundary lubrication conditions. They are polar additives that attach to frictional metal surfaces.
They react chemically with the metal surfaces when metal-to-metal contact occurs in conditions of mixed and boundary lubrication.
They are activated by the heat of contact to form a film that minimizes wear. They also help protect the base oil from oxidation and the metal from damage by corrosive acids.
These additives become “used up” by performing their function, after which adhesive wear damage will increase. They are typically phosphorus compounds, with the most common being zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP).
There are different versions of ZDDP — some intended for hydraulic applications and others for the higher temperatures encountered in engine oils. ZDDP also has some anti-oxidant and corrosion-inhibition properties. In addition, other types of phosphorous-based chemicals are used for anti-wear protection (e.g., TCP).
These additives are more chemically aggressive than AW additives. They react chemically with metal (iron) surfaces to form a sacrificial surface film that prevents the welding and seizure of opposing asperities caused by metal-to-metal contact (adhesive wear).
They are activated at high loads and by the high contact temperatures that are created. They are typically used in gear oils and give those oils that unique, strong sulphur smell. These additives usually contain sulphur and phosphorus compounds (and occasionally boron compounds).
They can be corrosive toward yellow metals, especially at higher temperatures, and therefore should not be used in worm gear and similar applications where copper-based metals are used. Some chlorine-based EP additives exist but are rarely used due to corrosion concerns.
Anti-wear additives and extreme pressure agents form a large group of chemical additives that carry out their function of protecting metal surfaces during boundary lubrication by forming a protective film or barrier on the wear surfaces.
As long as the hydrodynamic or elastohydrodynamic oil film is maintained between the metal surfaces, boundary lubrication will not occur and these boundary lubrication additives will not be required to perform their function.
When the oil film does break down and asperity contact is made under high loads or high temperatures, these boundary lubrication additives protect the wearing surfaces.
Detergents perform two functions. They help to keep hot metal components free of deposits (clean) and neutralize acids that form in the oil. Detergents are primarily used in engine oils and are alkaline or basic in nature.
They form the basis of the reserve alkalinity of engine oils, which is referred to as the base number (BN). They are typically materials of calcium and magnesium chemistry. Barium-based detergents were used in the past but are rarely used now.
Since these metal compounds leave an ash deposit when the oil is burned, they may cause unwanted residue to form in high-temperature applications. Due to this ash concern, many OEMs are specifying low-ash oils for equipment operating at high temperatures. A detergent additive is normally used in conjunction with a dispersant additive.
Dispersants are mainly found in engine oil with detergents to help keep engines clean and free of deposits. The main function of dispersants is to keep particles of diesel engine soot finely dispersed or suspended in the oil (less than 1 micron in size).
The objective is to keep the contaminant suspended and not allow it to agglomerate in the oil so that it will minimize damage and can be carried out of the engine during an oil change. Dispersants are generally organic and ashless. As such, they are not easily detectable with conventional oil analysis.
The combination of detergent/dispersant additives allows more acid compounds to be neutralized and more contaminant particles to stay suspended. As these additives perform their functions of neutralizing acids and suspending contaminants, they will eventually exceed their capacity, which will necessitate an oil change.
The chemicals in this additive group possess low interfacial tension, which weakens the oil bubble wall and allows the foam bubbles to burst more readily. They have an indirect effect on oxidation by reducing the amount of air-oil contact.
Some of these additives are oil-insoluble silicone materials that are not dissolved but rather dispersed finely in the lubricating oil. Very low concentrations are usually required. If too much anti-foaming additive is added, it can have a reverse effect and promote further foaming and air entrainment.
Friction modifiers are typically used in engine oils and automatic transmission fluids to alter the friction between engine and transmission components. In engines, the emphasis is on lowering friction to improve fuel economy.
In transmissions, the focus is on improving the engagement of the clutch materials. Friction modifiers can be thought of as anti-wear additives for lower loads that are not activated by contact temperatures.
The pour point of an oil is approximately the lowest temperature at which an oil will remain fluid. Wax crystals that form in paraffinic mineral oils crystallize (become solid) at low temperatures. The solid crystals form a lattice network that inhibits the remaining liquid oil from flowing.
The additives in this group reduce the size of the wax crystals in the oil and their interaction with each other, allowing the oil to continue to flow at low temperatures.
Demulsifier additives prevent the formation of a stable oil-water mixture or an emulsion by changing the interfacial tension of the oil so that water will coalesce and separate more readily from the oil. This is an important characteristic for lubricants exposed to steam or water so that free water can settle out and be easily drained off at a reservoir.
Emulsifiers are used in oil-water-based metal-working fluids and fire-resistant fluids to help create a stable oil-water emulsion. The emulsifier additive can be thought of as a glue binding the oil and water together, because normally they would like to separate from each other due to interfacial tension and differences in specific gravity.
Biocides are often added to water-based lubricants to control the growth of bacteria.
Tackifiers are stringy materials used in some oils and greases to prevent the lubricant from flinging off the metal surface during rotational movement.
To be acceptable to blenders and end users alike, the additives must be capable of being handled in conventional blending equipment, stable in storage, free of offensive odor and be non‑toxic by normal industrial standards.
Since many are highly viscous materials, they are generally sold to the oil formulator as concentrated solutions in a base oil carrier.
A couple of key points about additives:
More additive is not always better. The old saying, “If a little bit of something is good, then more of the same is better,” is not necessarily true when using oil additives.
As more additive is blended into the oil, sometimes there isn’t any more benefit gained, and at times the performance actually deteriorates. In other cases, the performance of the additive doesn’t improve, but the duration of service does improve.
Increasing the percentage of a certain additive may improve one property of an oil while at the same time degrade another. When the specified concentrations of additives become unbalanced, overall oil quality can be affected.
Some additives compete with each other for the same space on a metal surface. If a high concentration of an anti-wear agent is added to the oil, the corrosion inhibitor may become less effective. The result may be an increase in corrosion-related problems.
It is very important to understand that most of these additives get consumed and depleted by:
The adsorption and separation mechanisms involve mass transfer or physical movement of the additive.
For many additives, the longer the oil remains in service, the less effective the remaining additive package is in protecting the equipment.
When the additive package weakens, viscosity increases, sludge begins to form, corrosive acids start to attack bearings and metal surfaces, and/or wear begins to increase. If oils of low quality are used, the point at which these problems begin will occur much sooner.
It is for these reasons that top-quality lubricants meeting the correct industry specifications (e.g., API engine service classifications) should always be selected. The following table can be used as a guide for a more thorough understanding of additive types and their functions in engine oil formulations.
It is evident from the information above that there is a lot of chemistry occurring in most of the oils that are used to lubricate equipment. They are complicated mixtures of chemicals that are in balance with one another and need to be respected.
It is for those reasons that the mixing of different oils and adding additional lubricant additives should be avoided.
There are hundreds of chemical additives and supplemental lubricant conditioners available. In certain specialized applications or industries, these additives may have a place in the improvement of lubrication.
However, some manufacturers of supplemental lubricants will make claims about their products that are exaggerated and/or unproven, or they fail to mention a negative side effect that the additive may cause.
Take great care in the selection and application of these products, or better still, avoid using them. If you want a better oil, buy a better oil in the first place and leave the chemistry to the people who know what they are doing.
Often oil and equipment warranties are voided with the use of after-market additives because the final formulation has never been tested and approved. Buyer beware.
When considering the use of an after-market additive to solve a problem, it is wise to remember the following rules:
Rule #1
An inferior lubricant cannot be converted into a premium product simply by the inclusion of an additive. Purchasing a poor-quality finished oil and attempting to overcome its poor lubricating qualities with some special additive is illogical.
Rule #2
Some laboratory tests can be tricked into providing a positive result. Some additives can trick a given test into providing a passing result. Often multiple oxidation and wear tests are run to obtain a better indication of the performance of an additive. Then actual field trials are performed.
RULE #3
Base oils can only dissolve (carry) a certain amount of additive. As a result, the addition of a supplemental additive into an oil having a low level of solubility or being already saturated with additive may simply mean that the additive will settle out of the solution and remain in the bottom of the crankcase or sump. The additive may never carry out its claimed or intended function.
If you choose to use an after-market additive, before adding any supplemental additive or oil conditioner to a lubricated system, take the following precautions:
Determine whether an actual lubrication problem exists. For instance, an oil contamination problem is most often related to poor maintenance or inadequate filtration and not necessarily poor lubrication or poor-quality oil.
Choose the right supplemental additive or oil conditioner. This means taking the time to research the makeup and compatibility of the various products on the market.
Insist that factual field-test data is made available that substantiates the claims made regarding the product’s effectiveness.
Consult a reputable, independent oil analysis laboratory. Have the existing oil analyzed at least twice before adding a supplemental additive. This will establish a reference point.
After the addition of the special additive or conditioner, continue to have the oil analyzed on a regular basis. Only through this method of comparison can objective data regarding the effectiveness of the additive be obtained.
There is a great deal of controversy surrounding the application of supplemental additives. However, it is true that certain supplemental lubricant additives will reduce or eliminate friction in some applications such as machine tool ways, extreme pressure gear drives and certain high-pressure hydraulic system applications.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Grease Lubricant Oil. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.