Grease Compatibility
Avoid failure and downtime and ensure efficient performance.
Grease is made up of three main components – base oil, thickener and additives. When greases are mixed together, any of these components from one grease may interact negatively with components from the other grease. When incompatible greases are mixed, they can form a hard, solid-like substance or a thin, soft, semi-liquid material. Either of these will prevent lubrication from occurring as intended and may cause catastrophic failures.
Importance of Grease Compatibility
Although equipment manufacturers often specify that greases should not be mixed, sometimes mixing is unavoidable. When incompatible greases are mixed, equipment becomes stressed and exposed to contamination. This can increase costs and downtime, put the safety of nearby operators and bystanders at risk and eventually lead to costly failures.
To prevent these issues, lubricants should be evaluated before they are introduced into the system. In some cases, OEMs may recommend greases that are not compatible with products used in other equipment. Product formulation changes or the removal of grease products from the market can also cause concerns about grease compatibility.
Grease that has hardened due to incompatibility will not be distributed adequately on surfaces that include rolling-element bearings, such as those used in electric motors, slew rings, low speed gears, ball joints and screws. This will result in metal to metal contact, causing increased wear, and can eventually lead to higher operating temperatures and premature component failure.
Softened greases may not stay in place and could bleed during operation, causing mixed grease to spew out of an operating bearing or separated oil to run out of bearings at elevated operating temperatures. This will cause inadequate lubrication and reduce the life of the component
Because both hardened and softened grease will not stay in place, they will fail to provide the sealing protection necessary to prevent the ingress of water and contaminants.
What We Offer
SGS offers grease compatibility testing, using ASTM D6185 as the guideline for evaluation and assessments, to reduce the risk of failure. We will determine whether a mixture of two greases is incompatible, meaning it has properties or performance significantly inferior to either of the two constituent greases. This will help you to select the right greases and protect the life and performance of your lubricant and your equipment.