Oil VS Grease | What is the difference?
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Debate 1.0 Oil VS Grease
Many people who insists on absolute adherence to traditional rules claim that they prefer oil over grease. But then, there are some lube practioners who prefer grease over oil. Both of them have strong point which try to prove there arguments. For every point presented there is strong counter point.
Let’s see some classic argument about Oil and Grease along with there counter points.
Statement from those who prefer Oil
Counter statement from Grease users
Oil flows freely which allows it to carry away heat produced and thus keep the temperature in control. It ultimately reduces the risk of oxidation, and base oil viscosity is also maintained constant throughout.
When proper grease is selected,the temperature of grease will remain stable, hence the risk of premature oxidation is completely eleminated.
When grease is used high energy consumption and heat loss takes place due to churning of grease, this doesn’t happens in case of Oil.
If correct consistency & quantity of bearing grease is filled in bearing, churning losses are negligible. Any excess grease will be pushed away by bearing, whereas in case of oil, it will flow back in path of moving parts causing churning, heat.
As oil doesn’t have thickeners, so there is no problem regarding compatibility, consistency, bleeding and other problems.
Oil contains additives and base oil. If accidentally mixed they may cause problems of compatibility. Also when oil is stored there are chances of additives getting settled down.
Contaminants such as water and dirt, suspended in oil, further travel to the filter, separator and thus cleaned. Whereas grease suspends this contaminants permanently.
In case of oil there are chances that, this contaminants reaches far in the system leading to wear and corrosion problem. In case of grease, the contaminants remains immobilized.
It is easy to have a check over quantity , quality of oil thorough sight glasses, level gauges. It is not possible to monitor volume of grease. Under-greasing is common cause of failure.
Using proper tools and procedure, with proper trained professionals, adequate / safe amount of grease can be introduced in bearing.
Conclusion
Its very difficult to say which is the best lubricant unless and until we recommend it based on an application. MOSIL’s professional sales and technical team studies the application, identifies root cause of earlier failure if any and then recommends the best lubricant solution that may be either lubricating oil or lubricating grease.
For any query regarding lubrication solution please mail us at [email protected]
