Grease Thickener Properties
We keep speaking about each grease being different based on their thickener type. However, what are the properties that these thickeners give to the grease?
For instance, if I wanted to use a grease for a roller bearing in a very high temperature environment which should I choose?
Can a multipurpose grease work for that application?
Each area of application may be different and while multipurpose greases are widely used there are some areas where it doesn’t add much value. For example, if a heavy equipment operator uses a backhoe to dig into a river, the multipurpose grease can be easily washed off.
When the grease washes off quickly, the pins holding the bucket can become damaged. (The costs to repair or replace one of these pins are ridiculously high!) However, if he used a Calcium based grease, then there wouldn’t be an issue of water washout and the pins could have a longer life.
Above is a table indicating the various uses of greases based on the thickener types. Know your applications and their environments when choosing the right grease!
