Grease Testing & Analysis

Your Grease Knows More Than You Think

Whether it’s low-speed or limited bearing rotation, high shock loads, sealing and leakage challenges, oil incompatibility, or hard-to-reach components, grease is the go-to lubricant when oil can’t keep up. These factors aren’t just design considerations, they’re critical points to monitor during operation to prevent failures and keep your equipment running smoothly.

Performing grease analysis on a routine or as-needed basis provides useful information about the condition of the grease and bearing, while gauging the effectiveness of your maintenance strategy.

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Grease Testing

Screening Test Package

Routine Tests: Color, Total Magnetic Iron (TMI), FTIR Identification

Sampling Frequency: As needed

Applications:

Small Electric Motors
Chain Grease
Mobile Joints
Wheel Bearings

Standard Test Package

Routine Tests: Color, Total Magnetic Iron (TMI), FTIR Identification, Penetration Test (unworked), ICP Spectrometry

Sampling Frequency: 2x per year or as needed

Applications:

Large Electric Motors
Automatic Greasing Systems
Robot Arms

Advanced Test Package

Routine Tests: Color, Total Magnetic Iron (TMI), FTIR Identification, Penetration Test (unworked), ICP Spectrometry, RULER (Remaining Useful Life) of Grease, Analytical Ferrography

Sampling Frequency: 2x per year or as needed

Applications:

Large Diameter Bearings
- Rolling Element
- Trunnion/Plain
Troubleshooting Bearing Failures*
- Condition-based Grease Program*
Confirmation Of
- Grease Quality*
- Grease Stability*
- Grease Compatibility*

*May require additional, triggered, or custom tests. Contact Fluid Life for more information.

Resources

Grease Compatibility

When deciding to make a lubricant change, grease compatibility must be taken into consideration. Whether two greases are compatible depends on:

Thickener type
Base fluid
Resulting grease properties after mixing

While the compatibility chart provides a general guideline to determining the basic compatibility between two greases, a grease compatibility test is recommended when critical applications are involved.

As with any lubricant, we recommend that you consult the equipment service manual or contact your machinery manufacturer to see what they recommend when determining what grease to use in your specific application. The safest practice is to avoid mixing of greases.

Fluid Life can also conduct grease compatibility tests – contact us to find out more.

Sampling Procedures

Sampling procedures will differ depending on if you have a thinner and spreadable greases versus a thicker and sticker greases.

This Resource Center article outlines the procedures to use for each type of grease.

Review Procedures

Grease sampling test kits are available for purchase from Fluid Life. Contact the Order Desk at 877-962-2400 or via email. You can also purchase kits online.

Best Practices

The following list of best practices will help to improve the overall quality of your grease lubrication program:

Dedicate a grease gun to a grease type and tag it using a unique color or shape coding and clear lettering.
Avoid mixing greases with incompatible base oils, additives, and thickeners – always consider grease compatibility when changing grease.
Regularly calibrate your grease application guns in case the gun’s output per shot changes.
Keep guns clean and avoid laying them on dirty surfaces. Repack on a clean bench using a gun loader fitting. Keep covered when not in use.

For additional best practices, read our 6-Step Guide to an Improved Greasing Procedure.