History of Grease

Early History of Lubricant

According to the historical accounts, it is said that as early as 2400 B.C. grease-like substance, oil
and water were used as lubricant to reduce friction.
In a painted wall relief of an Egyptian Pharaoh's tomb dated to around 2400 B.C., a worker is seen
pouring lubricant (in this case, water) for moving statues.
Early History of Grease

Chariots from another Egyptian Pharaoh's tomb dated to around 1400 B.C. are found with what
seems an early form of grease derived from animal fat on the axle.
While there are evidences showing the use of natural asphalt, most of the lubricating oil used in
these times was based on animal or vegetable fat. It was only in modern times when grease
formulated with petroleum lubricating oil came into use.

What is Grease?
Definition of Grease By JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards)

A solid or semi-solid product of dispersion of a thickening agent in lubricating oil. Other

ingredients imparting special properties may be included.
Grease vs. Oil Lubrication - Advantages
and Disadvantages
Classification and Characteristics
of Grease
Soap Grease
Calcium Soap Grease

In a typical manufacturing process of calcium soap grease, mineral oil, fatty acid, calcium
hydroxide (hydrated lime) and water are mixed and cooked to bring to saponification. The process
is complete after adjustment of water content. Grease made with tallow contains a small amount of
water as structural stabilizer, and, when heated above 80°C, it loses its associated water, resulting
in structure breakdown and separation of oil from thickener. Due to this poor heat resistance, it is
used for general plain bearings operating under rather low speed and low load where temperature
would not rise above 70°C in service. The water resistance is good on the other hand, and thus the
grease performs well in applications exposed to water.
Use of caster oil fatty acid results in a grease which contains no water. Because the structure is
stabilized without water, it can be used up to about 100°C.
Lithium Soap Grease

Lithium soap grease is the most widely used multi-purpose grease, from general industrial uses to
automobiles, bearings and home electric products. It consists of mineral or synthetic oil and
lithium stearate or lithium salt, a hardened fatty acid derived from castor oil. Usable in a wide
range of temperature, and has excellent water resistance and mechanical stability.
Aluminum Complex Soap Grease

Aluminum complex grease is made from a complex soap which is formed by reaction of aromatic
carboxylic acid and stearic acid on aluminum hydroxide. Aluminum complex grease is
characterized by a very fine fiber structure, high dropping point (200°C or above) , excellent heat
and water resistance and mechanical stability.
Lithium Complex Soap Grease

The soap is formed by reaction of lithium hydroxide with the mixture of fatty acid and dibasic
acid. The dropping point of the finished grease is 250°C or higher. Lithium complex grease has
excellent heat and water resistance and rust preventing property, as well as longer life at high
temperature than lithium soap grease.
Non-Soap Greases
Urea Grease

Typical urea grease formulation uses organic compound containing more than two urea groups (-
NH-CO-NH-) as thickening agent. Because of its excellent heat and water resistance, urea grease
is an optimum choice for continuous casting lines and iron mills, and actually is the most widely
used nonsoap grease.
Urea grease is also widely used for automotive electrical components. For high temperature
condition, synthetic oil based urea grease is preferred.
Bentonite Grease
This grease thickened by organic bentonite is often called "grease without dropping
point" or "grease without melting point," because it does not lose the grease structure even at
extremely high temperature.
The grease can offer other advantages like good shear stability, but its application is limited
because of rather poor rust prevention, hardening tendency when exposed to high temperature
condition (200°C or above) for a long time, and poor ability to keep oil film on the bearing race
surface during high speed rotation.
Other Non-Soap Greases

Other nonsoap greases include Na terephthalamate Grease, Copper Phthalocyanine Grease, Teflon
(PTFE) Grease, Mica Grease and Silica Gel Grease.

Mineral oil based grease

Most of the greases used today are based on mineral oil.

Synthetic oil based grease

Synthetic oil grease is used for certain conditions where conventional mineral oil grease fails (in
low-temperature property, heat resistance, low-torque property or longer life). Synthetic greases
come in many different characteristics depending on the type of the oil used.
Ester oil based grease (diester, polyol ester, etc.)

Provides excellent lubricity; Usable over a wide temperature range from very low to very high;
Tends to swell rubber.
Synthetic hydrocarbon oil based grease

Usable over a wide temperature range from very low to very high; Good rubber/plastic
compatibility (because of the absence of polar group in the hydrocarbon molecular structure)
except natural rubber and EPDM.
Polyethylene glycol oil based grease

Optimum for applications in contact with rubber because of little adverse effect on rubber
including natural rubber and EPDM.
Phenyl ether oil based grease

Optimum for automotive electrical components for its excellent thermo-oxidative stability; Good
radiation resistance.
Silicone oil based grease

Excellent thermo-oxidative stability and usable over a wide temperature range; Poor steel-on-steel
lubricity.
Fluorinated oil based grease

Offers the best thermo-oxidative stability and high chemical resistance of all existing greases, but
has the drawback of being very expensive. Optimal for chemical plants, high-temperature drying
ovens and copying machine heat rollers.
Comparison of properties of grease due to base oil
O:Outstanding   E:Excellent   G:Good   F:Fair   P:Poor

Comparison of properties of grease due

to thickener
Soap Thickener
 O: Outstanding   E: Excellent   G: Good   F: Fair   P: Poor

Non-Soap Thickener
O: Outstanding   E: Excellent   G: Good   F: Fair   P: Poor
 4
Electron Micrograph (x10 ) of Thickener Fiber Structure

Soap Thickener

Calcium soap
(stearate)

Soap Thickener

Sodium soap 
(stearate)

Soap Thickener

Lithium soap
(stearate)

Soap Thickener
 Lithium soap
(hydroxystearate)

Non-Soap Thickener

Aliphatic diurea

Non-Soap Thickener

PTFE

Grease Consistency
About grease consistency

Consistency is a measurement of basic physical properties of grease

indicating grease hardness, which can be adjusted by changing thickener
content. Grease consistency has been classified by Japanese Industrial
Standards (JIS) based on worked penetration measurements.

ASTM (JIS) Worked penetration

How to measure Penetration

JIS K 2220 defines the measuring procedure of the consistency of a grease as

shown below.
Handling & Safety Information

Please note the following when using

grease
 Avoid contamination
Contamination may cause abnormal wear and seizure.
 Do not use above the upper temperature limit.
May damage the grease's ability to maintain the semi-solid phase or
result in premature life failure by oxidation degradation.
 Do not allow air (bubble) to enter the grease.
Cavitation may cause pumping failure.
 Avoid mixing of different types of grease.
Mixing with other types of grease may cause performance deterioration.

Grease Compatibility Chart