Lithium Grease the best multi-purpose grease
It is hard to imagine a machine running without grease. Most dynamic machine operations run on grease-lubricated bearings. Grease was first used to lubricate an axle and wheel in the past.
First universal greases were crude lime forms mixed with vegetable oils. These types of grease were still used for almost all applications that require lubrication, even after the industrial revolution.
But, over the past few decades, there has been remarkable progress in machine design. This has affected the operating parameters and therefore the requirements of lubricating oil. Because of the variations in operating parameters, such as temperature and load, and the equipment they are used with, it is almost impossible for one grease to be able to handle all these different applications.
This has led to a wide range of lubricating oil products, with thousands available on the marketplace. This is why the idea of one universal grease for all applications is no longer true. Consumers may be confused by a large number of available greases.
Grease Content
Lubricating oils are made up of a thickener (10 to 15%), base oil (80–90 percent), and performance add-ons (5 to 10%). The global market for lubricating oil is estimated at 2.38 billion pounds. It contains lithium/lithium complex and calcium/nay, sodium, aluminium/aluminium compound, calcium sulfonate clay-based, polyurea, and others.
With a market share exceedingly high at over 75 percent, lithium-based greases are the most well-known greases. Many types of greases may be needed in a plant. However, there have been efforts to minimize the number of greases required from both a logistics and purchasing standpoint. This has likely resulted in the creation of lithium grease manufacturers.
Multipurpose Grease
Multi-purpose grease can simply be described as grease that has the combined properties of several different greases, which can be used in more than one application.
While they can withstand high temperatures, sodium-based greases are better at coping with high temperatures but not as well in terms of water resistance.
High-Performance Multi-Purpose Greases
The National Lubricating Grease Institute NLGI GC-LB specification, which governs the transportation sector most closely, also requires greases that are not limited to lithium 12-hydroxy greases.
High-performance greases that meet these stringent requirements, such as aluminum-complex (calcium-sulfonate), calcium-sulfonate, and polyurea) can be more efficient. Because they are
Compatible with most lithium greases, the best choices for these multi-purpose high-performance greases are lithium-complex and Calcium-sulfonate.
Lithium Complex Vs. Calcium Sulfonate
Most lithium-complex oils have good stability, high-temperature characteristics, and water resistance. With the addition of suitable additives, you can improve other performance requirements such as extreme pressure, anti-wear, and corrosion.
However, a comparison of calcium-sulfonate versus lithium-complex greases shows that calcium sulfonate greasing have an edge.
Calcium-sulfonate oils have better mechanical and shear stability than other lithium-complex oils. This results in less leakage during operation. Calcium-sulfonate greases have a lower drop point and a longer life at high temperatures, which allows them to be used at a higher temperature.
Calcium-sulfonate thicknesses’, unlike lithium-complex oils, require a substantial amount of antimony/zinc or another type of additives. Additionally, sulfonates have been known to inhibit rust, but lithium-complex oils require rust-inhibiting additives.
Because of its thickener properties, calcium sulfonate has excellent water resistance and doesn’t dissolve in the presence of any water. Lithium-complex greases often require tackifiers to increase their water resistance.
Their poor permeability and high cost are the only drawbacks to calcium-sulfonate oils. These greases are now comparable with lithium-complex oils thanks to technological advances.