A semi-solid lubricant, grease combines an oil base with a thickening agent and additives that enhance its performance. Unlike oils, which run, drip or drain away from where they are needed, grease adheres firmly to moving and stationary metal surfaces, ensuring that they remain lubricated and protected.
Releasing oil on demand under pressure, cushioning heavy loads and serving as a seal, it is an extremely valuable lubricant for many applications. However, while there is a wide range of grease products on the market from top brands, including Mobil and Morris, matching the right grease to your application and operating requirements is essential.
Using the wrong grease can result in many unwanted outcomes, ranging from unusual equipment noise to accelerated component wear and rapid thermal breakdown. Here, we explore some of the indicators that you may be using the wrong grease.
Vibration, odours and unusual noise
Among the obvious signs of incorrect grease use are strange sounds, smells and excessive vibration. Unfamiliar knocking, squealing and grinding indicate that metal-to-metal friction is occurring because of an insufficient grease film. When grease is dark in colour or has a burnt odour, it is undergoing chemical breakdown and extreme thermal degradation and cannot cope with the operating temperatures.
Overheating
When machinery runs unusually hot, it means that the grease cannot cope with the operating load and that increased friction is occurring. This is often caused by using a grease with the wrong viscosity.
Thinning and leaking
If a visual inspection finds that grease is becoming watery and running off parts like oil, this can indicate that the grease’s base oil viscosity is too low or that an incompatible mix of thickeners is present.
Hardening
If grease becomes abnormally stiff, looks like dry clay or becomes caked within lines and fails to flow into bearings properly, it is not suitable for the application.
Extreme oil separation
Finally, when a grease’s base oil starts to separate from its thickener and additives, it means that its structural formula cannot remain stable under pressure.
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