What makes grease thicker?

What makes grease thicker?

Thickener. The thickener is a material that, in combination with the selected lubricant, will produce the solid to semifluid structure. The primary type of thickener used in current grease is metallic soap. These soaps include lithium, aluminum, clay, polyurea, sodium and calcium.

What is difference between oil and grease?

Oil and grease are two very familiar terms, but most people aren’t clear on exactly what the difference is… Greases are usually oils with thickener added. At room temperature, greases are usually solid, while oils are usually liquid. All oils can be turned into greases, but not all greases come from oils.

Why is grease used instead of oil?

But why use grease over oil? Greases are better for leakage control and provide better seals against contaminants. Grease can remain in equipment longer and tolerate a variety of conditions. Oil is also better for extending the life of bearings, as oiled bearings can last twice as long as greased ones.

What is grease made up of?

grease, thick, oily lubricant consisting of inedible lard, the rendered fat of waste animal parts, or a petroleum-derived or synthetic oil containing a thickening agent. White grease is made from inedible hog fat and has a low content of free fatty acids.

What kind of thickener is most often used for multipurpose grease?

Simple soaps are the most common grease thickeners. A simple soap is the reaction product of an organic acid (long-chain or fatty carboxylic acid) and an alkali metal to form an organic salt.

What is in lithium grease?

Lithium grease Lubricating greases are commonly formulated as mixtures of an oil and a lithium soap thickener. Some formulations include PTFE or other substances, such as molybdenum disulfide.

What makes a good grease?

A good grease will release oil at a rate to ensure proper lubrication of your equipment. What is the basic composition of grease? As mentioned, a grease is composed of oil, thickeners and additives. Oil and additives typically compose 80 – 90 \% of a grease, while thickeners can be up to 20\% of the grease composition.

Is grease a solid or fluid?

Grease is a solid or semisolid lubricant formed as a dispersion of thickening agents in a liquid lubricant.

What is the best bearing lubricant?

Lithium based greases are very popular as bearing grease due to their water resistance and performance characteristics in both high and low temperatures. Greases comprised of synthetic lubricating fluids perform well in extreme low and high temperature ranges.

What is grease thickener?

The thickener within a grease acts as a sponge, holding the base oil and the additives together. This creates a grease’s semi-fluid or solid structure, as opposed to the syrup-like consistency of oil. This added thickener is crucial when it comes to the applications where grease is needed.

What is the difference between grease and oil?

The biggest difference setting grease apart from oil is its thickener. Grease is a thickened oil, not a thicker oil. The thickener within a grease acts as a sponge, holding the base oil and the additives together. This creates a grease’s semi-fluid or solid structure, as opposed to the syrup-like consistency of oil.

What are the additives in Grease?

The additives found in automotive and industrial greases are similar to those within lubricating fluids. These can include anti oxidants, corrosion inhibitors, load carrying additives, extreme pressure additives, etc. and are incorporated into both the base oil and the thickener. You can read all about the importance of additives here.

What happens to grease when pressure is applied to it?

When stress or pressure is applied to the grease, oil is released to provide lubrication. When the stress is released, the thickener and oil return to their semi-solid or solid state. Thickening agents can be classified as either soap-based or non-soap-based.