Types of Bearing Lubricants

 

Oil or grease lubrication creates a thin layer over the rolling and sliding contact surfaces, which helps avoid a direct contact between the metal surfaces. This reduces friction, abrasion, and heat build up.

Improper lubrication is one of the most common causes of bearing failure. When a bearing is lubricated at regular intervals, both its performance and life span are increased. It not only keeps the moving parts separated relative to one another but also prevents wear and tear.

Oil and Grease as Essential Lubricants

Oil and grease are two common lubricants used in the bearing industry.

Whether to lubricate a bearing with oil or grease for an application depends on a number of factors:

• Bearing type

• Type of equipment

• Size

• Temperature and load conditions, 

• Speed range

• Operating conditions like vibration and horizontal/vertical orientation of the shaft

• And external environment

According to the general rule, when a minimum amount of the lightest-bodied lubricant is utilised to keep the bearing surfaces apart, there is the least friction and, therefore, the smoothest rotations.

Oil Lubricant

Oil lubricants make a better choice in high speed or high-temperature applications as they transfer heat away from bearing surfaces. They enable good bearing performance under extreme conditions.

These lubricants are typically made from natural mineral oils or synthetic oils. Mineral oils may include additives to prevent oxidation and rust, which helps maintain the stability of the oil even in extreme environments, improving the lifespan of machinery.

The four common types of oils used in lubrication are petroleum oils, diesters, silicones, and fluorocarbons.

Each oil type is used in different lubrication systems:

• such as the bath system, where the parts are submerged in oil; 

• the splash system, where oil is splashed onto parts; 

• the air/oil mist system, which combines oil and air to lubricate surfaces; 

• and the jet system, where oil is directly sprayed onto parts under pressure.

On the other hand, synthetic oils use bases such as polyalkylene glycols (PAG), esters, and silicones for cold and low torque conditions.

You can choose the right oil for a bearing application based on its viscosity. While low-viscosity oils are thin and flow easily, making them best for faster-moving parts; the high-viscosity oils are thick and move slowly, making them suitable for heavier loads and slow speeds.

Grease Lubricant

Approximately 90% of bearings use grease as the preferred lubricant, while only a few bearing applications are lubricated with oil.

This is because grease has more benefits to offer:

• better sticking ability to bearing surfaces than oil, 

• does not break down as quickly as oil, 

• and is less likely to run out of rotating parts.

Grease lubricants are made up of three components: 

• additives (usually rust inhibitors), 

• a base oil, 

• and a thickener.

Primeroll is part of India’s largest bearing distribution group with over 40 years of experience. We are proud to be the Rollway Authorised Distributor in India. Are you looking for reliable bearing distributors in India? Please visit us here: https://primeroll.in/.