What makes a good grease? (page 1/2)
There isn’t just one “good grease”. There are lots of different types, each one suited for a different application. So the mostimportant thing is to identify the best properties for a specific application. The most important properties are listed below.
Grease consistency NLGI grade
The consistency of a material is how much it resists deformation when force is applied. With lubricating greases, this is a measure of their relative hardness or softness and is related to flow. Bear in mind that grease-consistency is related to thickener content and has nothing to do with viscosity.
Definition of NLGI grades
NLGI No. (National Lubricating Grease institute)
| No. |
Penetration |
Consistency |
| 6 |
85 - 115 |
Block grease |
| 5 |
130 - 160 |
Extremely stiff grease |
| 4 |
175 - 205 |
Very stiff grease |
| 3 |
220 - 250 |
Stiff grease |
| 2 |
265 - 295 |
Standard grease (85% of market) |
| 1 |
310 - 340 |
Soft grease (for centralized lube systems) |
| 0 |
355 - 385 |
Very soft grease |
| 00 |
400 - 430 |
Semi-fluid grease |
| 000 |
445 - 475 |
Fluid 'slumping' grease |
Optimium thickener for the application and surrounding parts
| Thickener type |
Valvoline product |
Application |
Dropping point temperature (in Celcius) |
| Lithium |
Lithium No.2 EP |
Automotive bearings, industrial bearings, universal joints, gears, sliding surfaces. |
198 degrees Celcius |
| Lithium |
Semi Fluid 00 |
Automotive wheel bearings,high-temperature industrial applications |
180 degrees Celcius |
| Lithium Complex |
Multipurpose EP2 |
Automotive wheel bearings,High-temperature industrial applications |
> 260 degrees Celcius |
| Lithium Calcium |
Water Resistant |
High-temperature industrial and automotive bearing applications |
> 260 degrees Celcius |
| Lithium + Molybdenum |
Moly Fortified |
Slow-running bearings, machines working in water, 5th wheels, tracks, universal joints, open gears |
> 177 degrees Celcius |
| Complex |
Dipperstick |
Recommended for dippersticks, open gears, cables, and coupling devices of trucks and trailers |
250 degrees Celcius |
Learn more about grease
What make a good grease? : page 1 / page 2
Grease components : page 1