Grease (lubricant)
semi-solid, oily lubricant
Grease is a solid or semisolid lubricant formed as a dispersion of thickening agents in a liquid lubricant. Grease generally consists of a soap emulsified with mineral, synthetic or vegetable oil.
A common feature of greases is that they possess high initial viscosities which, upon the application of shear, drop to give the effect of an oil-lubricated bearing of approximately the same viscosity as the base oil used in the grease. This change in viscosity is called shear thinning. The term grease is also sometimes used to describe lubricating materials that are simply soft solids or high viscosity liquids, but these materials do not exhibit the shear-thinning properties characteristic of greases meeting the narrower definition. For example, petroleum jellies such as Vaseline are not generally classified as greases.
Greases are applied to mechanisms that can be lubricated only infrequently and where a lubricating oil would not stay in position. They also act as sealants to prevent the ingress of water and incompressible materials. Grease-lubricated bearings have greater frictional characteristics because of their high viscosities.
Properties
A true grease consists of an oil or other fluid lubricant that is mixed with a thickener, typically a soap, to form a solid or semisolid.
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