24/11/2020 A Guide to Grease Thickeners — Twin Specialties Corp.

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A Guide To Grease Thickeners

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Twin Specialties in Blog Tagged grease thickeners, Greases,
high temperature grease, lithium complex, Lubricant attributes, Lubricants, NLGI, soaps,
Twin Specialties

Used for over 3000 years, grease is a key lubricant used to operate a variety of machines
and bearings. Over 80% of the world’s bearings are lubricated with grease. Grease is an
excellent lubricant to use when liquid lubricants fail to do the job. Greases are made of
three main components: base oil (70-95%), thickener (3-30%), and additives (up to 10%).

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We are going to examine the second component: thickeners. Thickeners are essential as
they are the “sponge” that holds the base oil and additives.

What are Thickeners?

When combined with the base oil and additives, the thickener forms a semi- uid structure.
Conventional thinking suggests the structure indicates the grease is mainly thickener,
however, the thickener is a material that holds the lubricant until it is dispersed. As
mentioned above, the overwhelming majority of any grease is composed of base oil. There
are many types of compounds that can be used as thickeners.

Greases are classi ed into two major families: soap and non-soap thickeners. Over 90% of
greases worldwide are classi ed as soap thickeners. Soap-based thickeners are produced
via an acid-base reaction known as saponi cation. The end-result is a soap and water
mixture. The water is removed and the remaining soap is used as a thickener for grease.
The type of soap thickener will depend on which acids and bases are used in saponi cation.
Some common compounds used are:

High molecular weight fatty acids: Stearic and 12 Hydroxy Stearic Acid (12 HSA)
Short chain complexing acids: Tallow, Azelaic, and Sebacic Acid
Most bases are a metallic hydroxide compound (i.e. lithium, calcium, etc.).

Types of Soap Thickeners

Simple Soap: This results from the reaction of one fatty acid and a metallic hydroxide. The
most common soap, lithium soap, is produced

with 12 HSA and

lithium hydroxide. The
metallic hydroxide
de nes the thickener
and other types
besides lithium can be
used.
Types of Soap Thickeners – Source: NYE Lubricants

Mixed Soap: Less

common than simple
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soap, mixed soap is created in similar fashion as simple soap. However, the “mixed”
characteristic is derived from mixing multiple metallic hydroxide compounds with a fatty
acid. A common mixed soap is Ca/Li soap, which is made with calcium hydroxide and lithium
hydroxide.

Complex Soap: Like simple soaps, complex soaps use a single metallic hydroxide. In order to
create the complex-thickened grease, a fatty acid is combined with a short chain
complexing acid. The acid mixture is then combined with a metallic hydroxide to for a
complex thickener. Lithium complex grease, the most popular in North America, is made
with lithium hydroxide, 12 HSA, and azelaic acid. These thickener types have an advantage
over simple soap because of better high-temperature properties.

Types of Non-Soap Thickeners

Urea: Also known as polyurea, these thickeners are a reaction product of di-isocyanate
combined with mono and/or diamines. The ratios of the ingredients will determine the
characteristics of the thickener. This classi cation includes diurea, tetraurea, urea-
urethane and others. Since there are no metallic elements in polyurea grease, the grease is
ashless and subsequently more oxidatively stable. Polyurea greases are the most popular
non-soap grease today.

Organophilic Clay: Also referred to as organo clay or clay thickeners, these thickeners are
mineral based usually made from bentonite, hectorite, or montmorillonite. The minerals
are puri ed into a clay and treated to be compatible with organic chemicals. The clay is
dispersed in a lubricant to form a grease. Clay greases have no melting point and are
traditionally used in high-temperate greases (however the oil will oxidize quickly at
elevated temperatures).

Other: Polyurea and clay thickeners are the most used non-soap greases, but there are
some other specialty thickeners that are used. These include:

Te on
Mica and silica gel
Calcium sulfonate
Polytetra uoroethylene (PTFE)
Carbon blacks

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NLGI Grades – Source: Noria

NLGI Classi cations

In addition to composition, the other key classi cation for grease is quite obvious:
thickness. De ned as consistency, a grease’s consistency is its resistance to deformation by
applied force. This is measured by penetration. A standard test, speci cally ASTM D217,
measures cone penetration after ve (5) seconds for a grease at 77 F (25 C). The unit of
measure is tenths of a millimeter and the NLGI classi es grease based on its penetration.
The range of grades is 000 to 6. See the chart to the left for a full breakdown NLGI grades.

Most greases today fall in between the 1 and 3 grades with NLGI 2 being the most common.
High penetration greases such as 00 and 0 can be used in central systems and colder
environments.

Selecting the Appropriate Thickener and Grade

The right grease could vary greatly depending on your application, operating environment,
and other factors. High temperature environments may require rmer (higher NLGI grade)
greases and certain thickeners with high-temperature properties. It is best to consult OEM
guides or speak with your grease manufacturer or distributor to get a recommendation.

Switching and mixing greases could either prove to be extremely costly. Most thickeners do
not mix together and there are speci c greases that are not compatible with others. It is
recommended to match “like-for-like.” If you plan to make a switch, it is best to completely
drain your equipment before applying new grease.
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