The MOLYKOTE® portfolio of greases provide a wide range of high-performance solutions for a variety of equipment types & industrial processes. Learn the secrets and the what, where, why and how of proper grease lubrication.
What is a MOLYKOTE® Grease?
Greases are formulated lubricants that provide particular performance attributes where less viscous oils simply do not work. MOLYKOTE® greases are comprised of three basic types of ingredients, a high-quality base oil, a thickener system, and various additives for improved performance. These versatile lubricants have slightly different formulations, however each grease follows a similar component breakdown of 80% to 90% base oil, 10% to 20% thickener, and 3% to 5% additive.
MOLYKOTE® Greases are ideal solutions for industrial applications where low viscosity fluids don’t provide adequate protection or stay-in-place longevity. In the simplest terms, a grease acts essentially like a sponge, a thickener system holds the lubricating oil in place and under pressure will release the fluid to prevent metal surface wear & damage.
What MOLYKOTE® Grease Does
Prevents Surface Wear
Decreases Metal Friction
Acts as a Sealant
Protects from Rust & Corrosion
Reduces Noise & Vibration
Why Use a MOLYKOTE® Grease?
Stay-in-place or non-migrating performance
Protects from Contamination
Resists Physical Removal
Forms Thicker Lubricating Film
Can Include Solid Lubricants
Featured MOLYKOTE® Greases
These high-performance lubricants deliver exceptional friction control, anti-wear, and load-carrying capabilities in a range of high and low temperatures. The grease solutions below are all NLGI Grade 2 and formulated with either an aluminum, polyurea, PTFE, or lithium-based thickener.
There are many different industrial greases to choose from within the MOLYKOTE® portfolio, semi-fluid, lithium containing, synthetic or oil-based, it can be confusing to know where to start.
There are four main factors to help narrow down the right grease lubricants, Load - Environment - Temperature - Speed.
Load
The amount of force/stress exhibited on component or surface. (Light, Medium, or Heavy-duty)
Environment
Operating environment including low & high temperature, humidity, water, chemical or fuel exposure and other airborne contaminants
Temperature
Operational temperature of the equipment or surface, including ambient and peak low & high temperatures
Speed
Type of motion, rotations per minute, can be categorized as low to high speed.
All of these factors help identify the best suited solution within the lubricants portfolio. If a bearing or other surface is subject to extremely high loads, it's important to select a product that includes the proper additive package like additional solid lubricants like MOS2 or graphite. However, if the component is subject to incredibly high temperatures, it's important to select a grease from the synthetic oils product line that exhibits greater thermal stability & longevity like a high temperature bearing grease.
Common Difficulties with Grease Lubrication
As any lubrication technician knows, there are many enemies that grease lubricants or other fluid solutions have to fight with during standard operation. The most common difficulties faced by grease lubricants are listed below.
