The separation of oil causes the grease to dry and harden. If this process occurs during the operation of machine components such as bearings and gears, it will have adverse consequences on their normal operation. As the grease dries and hardens, friction intensifies, causing the bearing temperature to rise. The rising temperature in turn accelerates the rate of grease drying. In most cases, severe grease drying is the result of multiple factors working together. Let's start with its main cause.
1. The lubricating grease has been contaminated
Dust, soil, floating and sinking, as well as impurities, can cause the lubricating grease to dry out.
Incompatibility between two lubricating greases
If the lubricating grease is accidentally mixed, it can also damage the colloidal structure of the grease and accelerate oil separation.
3. High temperature volatilization
Lubricating grease formulated with low viscosity base oil is prone to volatilization. When the temperature rises to a certain height, the base oil overflows from the thickener, and the lubricating grease gradually hardens (the ratio of base oil content to thickener decreases, and the viscosity of the base oil increases).
4. Oxidation of base oil
After oxidation, the base oil looks like asphalt, and the lubricating grease also undergoes the same oxidation process.
5 machine components overheating
Excessive lubrication of bearings, overheating caused by mechanical conditions (improper installation, heavy load, etc.), and insufficient lubrication can all lead to overheating problems during machine operation. Excessive addition of lubricating grease is a common cause. When the machine runs at high temperatures and reaches the drip point of the lubricating grease, the oil begins to precipitate, and the lubricating grease gradually loses its base oil and begins to dry out. Finally, the lubricating grease fails, and the machine will also have problems.
6 base oils are squeezed out by mechanical force
Some rolling bearings are prone to oil separation problems, such as spherical rolling bearings. In the rolling and shearing of bearings and gears, the lubricating grease base oil quickly separates from the thickener, and the whole process is like a sponge that has absorbed water being squeezed dry. Some thickeners can suck the oil back, while others cannot.
