An analysis program for greases in service must include the appropriate analyses to cover the following diagnoses:
- Wear
- Consistency
- Contamination
- Oxidation
Figure. Analysis diagnosis sections for greases in service
Taking into account the limitations due to the small amount of grease that it is possible to obtain from the various bearings, the analysis program must be very balanced, providing a large amount of information on the behaviour of the grease with a small number of tests to determine the condition of the grease from different points of view: wear, contamination, deterioration (oxidation) and consistency.
Recommended analyses in the different analysis programs for greases in use:
| Tests on greases in use | Diagnosis | Basic program | Advanced program |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Contamination/Oxidation | X | X |
| Water content | Contamination | X | X |
| Metals | Contamination/Wear | X | X |
| Concentration of wear particles | Wear | X | X |
| Ferrography | Wear | X | |
| Extrusion | Consistency | X | X |
| Rheology | Consistency | X | |
| Worked and unworked cone penetration | Consistency | X | |
| Remaining life | Oxidation | X | |
| Oxidation due to IR | Oxidation | X | X |
| Quantity of sample necessary | 2g | 2g |
Analyse the condition of grease in service using our GR program for lubricant greases.
