Can you mix lithium and lithium complex grease?

Lithium and polyurea greases cannot be mixed. "They can cause each one to lose their oil and dry out," said Hamilton. The product loses the ability to lubricate.

What is the difference between lithium and lithium complex grease?

The dropping point of lithium complex greases is higher than that of simple lithium soap greases due to the presence of a second thickener component, known as the complexing agent. Modern lithium complex greases typically use a shorter chain-length difunctional carboxylic acid, such as azelaic acid or adipic acid.

Can I mix grease types?

Extreme cases of grease incompatibility can lead to catastrophic failure of the components being lubricated. It is always best practice to avoid mixing any types of grease.

What types of grease do not mix?

The most incompatible were aluminum complex, calcium complex, clay and polyurea-thickened greases. The most common effect was substantial softening, however lithium grease sometimes hardened.

Can you mix grease brands?

Mixing incompatible greases can have dire consequences. They may react together and cause a separation of the base oil or oils from the thickeners of the two greases. When this happens, the base oil can no longer stay in place and you get a messy situation – oil oozing or running out of the area where it was applied.

Why lithium or lithium complex grease?

Can you mix lithium based grease?

Testing by major grease and bearing manufacturers reveals some grease types are incompatible. Lithium 12-hydroxy is incompatible with aluminum complex and calcium complex thickeners, but moderately compatible with calcium sulfonate, a typical marine grease thickener.

Can you mix different lithium grease?

Lithium and polyurea greases cannot be mixed.

What is the difference between white and red lithium grease?

The difference between the two types of grease is the ingredients used to make the grease. White lithium grease has zinc oxide added to the formulation. It's meant for use in moderate load applications. It also stands out because it has a more visually appealing white color.

What do you use lithium grease for?

What happens when incompatible greases are mixed?

When two incompatible greases are mixed, one of two things generally happens: the mixture hardens and will not release any of the oil or the mixture softens and releases all of the oil. In either case, the end result is basically the same; there is effectively no lubrication.

Is lithium grease better than regular grease?

Lithium Complex vs.

Lithium-complex greases generally possess good stability, high-temperature characteristics and water-resistance properties. Other performance requirements like extreme pressure, anti-wear, rust and corrosion can further be improved by adding suitable additives.

Does lithium grease damage rubber?

Lithium-based lubricants are used in cars and machinery in general. It's not advisable to use them on plastic parts. As lithium is based on petroleum, it tends to speed up rubber and plastic components decay.

Does lithium grease have lithium?

Lithium grease was invented in the early 1940s. It was made by reacting lithium hydroxide with fatty acids. At this time, modern lithium soap (thickener) consists of 12HSA (12-hydroxystearic acid, or triglycerides) with lithium hydroxide monohydrate in a base fluid.

Which is better silicone or white lithium grease?

White lithium grease demonstrates excellent adhesion to metal and is perfect for lubricating metal on metal surfaces. On the other hand, silicone lubricant can be used on a variety of surfaces.

Does the color of grease mean anything?

One thing we are sure of, however – color does not denote a particular type of grease, whether it is red, green, blue or yellow. The color is simply a dye added by manufacturers for marketing purposes, to more easily distinguish the different greases in their product lines.

What is blue lithium grease used for?

TYGRIS Blue Lithium Complex Grease is a specially developed multi-purpose grease for lubricating all types of anti-friction and plain bearings in industrial and automotive applications. This grease is highly effective at providing extended lubrication intervals over a wide operating temperature range.

Does the Colour of grease matter?

While operators tend to associate the grease they use with a color, like deep red or bright blue. As described in the video from Mobil below, the color of the grease does not change the performance characteristics and it is only the manufacturer who determines what color their grease is.

Can you mix synthetic and non synthetic grease?

A: With synthetic lubricants continuing to grow in popularity, the question of whether synthetics and conventional oils can be safely mixed often arises. Yes, you can safely mix synthetic and conventional oil. All motor oil, whether synthetic or conventional, is a combination of base oils and additives.

Are all NLGI 2 greases the same?

This tells us two things, EP 2 grease is a NLGI Grade 2 and it is fortified with Extreme Pressure (EP) additives. This tells us nothing else about the thickener type, base oil type or viscosity of the base oil. The correct NLGI grade is an important consideration because not all grease applications are the same.

Is lithium complex grease compatible with polyurea grease?

Greases based on simple lithium soaps (lithium stearate or lithium 12-hydroxy stearate) and lithium complex soaps may or may not be compatible with polyurea greases. The reason being, some polyurea thickeners are completely compatible with lithium and lithium complex thickeners, while others are incompatible.

Will synthetic grease mix with regular grease?

Base Oil Compatibility

Some synthetic base oils are incompatible with mineral oils and other types of synthetics, just as in the mixing of lubricating oils. Therefore, it is important to consider the type of base oil in the grease when determining compatibility.

What is a good substitute for lithium grease?

Polyurea grease has good scope for standardization of manufacturing procedure to make it a cost-effective alternate to lithium complex grease, Deshmukh stated.