1. Is the lubricant compatible with the materials in my component?
Compatibility issues are usually related to the base oil of the lubricant. For general base oil/material compatibility guidelines, refer to the Nye Synthetic Oil Compatibility Chart. Note that even when base oils are listed as compatible in the chart, very low-viscosity versions of those oils may have some effect on materials. The lower the viscosity of the oil, the greater the possibility that it can penetrate plastics and elastomers.
Due to the variability of plastics and elastomers, it is advisable to perform a compatibility test. Submerge the material in the lubricant for >2 hrs. at 100ºC. A lubricant-free control sample of each material should also be subjected to the same temperature at the same time. Material measurements - notably weight, dimensions, Shore Hardness, and tensile strength - should be made before and after the test. Lubricant incompatibility can cause materials to swell, shrink, harden, soften, become more or less brittle, change color, etc. Dimensional changes of up to 5% are usually considered acceptable.
[ Top of Page ]
2. The viscosity of the base oil is reported at 40ºC and 100ºC on your Data Sheet. What is the base oil viscosity at other temperatures?
The ASTM Standard Viscosity-Temperature Chart for Liquid Petroleum Products (D341) can be used to plot the kinematic viscosity of the oil over a wide temperature range. At temperatures approaching the base oil pour point, however, the viscosity increases exponentially and cannot be determined accurately.
[ Top of Page ]
3. What is the shelf life of your products?
The shelf life of most oils and greases manufactured by Nye Lubricants is four years from date of shipment, provided that the oils and greases are properly stored in their original, unopened containers.
Because of military specifications, the unique properties of certain raw materials, or strict shelf life limits imposed on some of the raw materials we use to manufacture lubricants, a small number of Nye products have a shelf life of less than four years. In our SmartGel™ product line, Curing Gels OCK-451 and OCK-433 have a shelf life of six months. Rheolube 708F and the Rheolube 733 have shelf lives of two years.
[ Top of Page ]
4. Is shelf life the same as functional life?
No, shelf life is not the same as functional life. Shelf life is the period following the lubricant’s manufacture during which it is deemed suitable for use without re-testing its physical characteristics. Functional life is determined by durability or accelerated life testing of a lubricant in a component under expected operating conditions. It should be noted that most lubricants manufactured at Nye are designed for lifetime component lubrication, which often exceeds 10 years in extreme operation conditions.
Synthetic oils are inherently stable materials. Generally, they are not expected to oxidize, polymerize or volatilize at room temperature for 10 years or more. For example, we have regularly conducted ASTM tests to check the quality of certain very delicate synthetic hydrocarbon precision bearing oils five years after manufacture and have detected no degradation. Ester oils, where the ester linkage may be subject to a minute degree of hydrolysis in the presence of moisture, could become more acidic if moisture is present. Fluorinated oils and silicones are not likely to be affected by simple aging.
Greases can "age" in more complicated ways. Grease quality could be affected by a change in the gel structure. If the gel contracts, significant oil bleed would be evident and the remaining grease would stiffen. The gel structure may also become softer over a period of time. In both cases, however, a visual inspection of the grease should suggest retesting before use. (See question about “oil separation” below)
[ Top of Page ]
5. Where can I purchase your products?
Within North America, orders of $500 or more are placed directly with Nye’s Customer Service Representatives at 508-996-6721. Orders below $500 are placed through
TAI Lubricants, Inc., Nye’s authorized North American small volume distributor at 302-326-0200. Internationally, orders are placed through Nye’s International Distributors, whose offices are located in 20 countries.
[ Top of Page ]
6. What types of packaging do you offer?
Nye offers a wide range standard packaging options, which include containers for oils, dispersions, greases, heat sink compounds, and packaging designed for automated dispensing systems. Private-labeling and custom-designed packaging services are also available.
[ Top of Page ]
7. How can I clean or remove your product from my component?
Start by wiping off all the oil or grease you can reach. Then, for synthetic hydrocarbon, polyglycol, ester, silicone and polyphenyl ether oils and greases, wipe all surfaces with hydrocarbon solvent Nysolv HG (or mineral spirits) and follow with an isopropyl alcohol wipe.
For PFPE greases and oils, wipe with Nye Fluorosolvent 504, which is a completely fluorinated, fast-evaporating “ozone-safe” solvent that is an effective cleaning agent for PFPE greases and oils.
[ Top of Page ]
8. I’m using a competitor’s lubricant. Do you offer a similar product?
Nye will likely have a functional equivalent to the lubricant you are using. In many cases, a superior product may be available. When replacing lubricants that have been successful in your application, it is important to match the additives and type and viscosity of the base oil. When replacing grease, the grade and thickener should also be matched. Other lubricant properties may also be important for your application. Contact a Nye Technical Support Engineer for specific recommendations.
[ Top of Page ]
9. I’ve noticed oil separation in my grease? Is it still OK to use?
Some oil separation or "puddling," which is sometimes seen on top of grease in pails or drums, should not be a problem. Oil separation is usually insignificant when compared with the mass of grease in the container. Normally, the separated oil can be safely stirred back into the bulk of the grease in the container. Experience has shown that much of this time-related oil separation can be reduced if the surface of the grease is kept smooth during storage, i.e., do not leave "craters" in the grease. The grade or consistency of the grease is also related to oil separation. An NLGI Grade 000 grease, for example, can be expected to exhibit pronounced oil separation from the day of its manufacture.
[ Top of Page ]
10. The color of my oil/grease has darkened compared to when it was new. Is it still OK to use?
Yes, it’s still OK to use. Some oils and greases contain small amounts of additives that will darken with exposure to sunlight, UV light, temperature or contact with air. The color usually changes to a brown or orange tint. Since this color change is the result of oxidation of the additives, which make up a very small portion of the oil or grease, there would be very little, if any, functional change to the lubricant.
[ Top of Page ]
11. How do I apply your product to my component?
The number of parts to be lubricated usually dictates how the lubricant is applied. For small volumes, grease can be applied by hand with a brush, syringe or other mechanical device. An oil or dispersion can be manually sprayed onto the parts or the parts can be hand dipped into the lubricant. Automated dispensing systems are recommended for larger-volume production lines.
[ Top of Page ]
12. What equipment should I use to automatically apply your product to my component?
Most greases, oils and dispersions can be automatically dispensed. There are many types of automatic dispensing systems for lubricants. Nye Lubricants can help you choose and recommend a company for dispensing our products. After you have selected the lubricant for your application, a Nye dispensing company partner can recommend the type of equipment best suited for your particular application.
[ Top of Page ]
13. I have an automatic grease dispensing system that uses pails and drums. What is the proper way to change grease containers?
It depends upon the type of pumping system you have. Typically, there are two types of systems: a stub pump with a follower plate and a ram feed transfer pump. Follow these links for detailed instructions for the stub pump with follower plate and the ram feed transfer pump.
[ Top of Page ]
14. Your product data sheet contains many lubricant properties. What are the definitions for those properties?
General descriptions of greases and oils:
Recommended Service Range (°
C)
The operating temperatures at which the lubricant is expected to be fully functional. Application and exposure duration may affect lubricant life.
Color
The predominant shade of the lubricant observed by visual inspection.
Appearance
A characteristic of the lubricant that is observable by visual inspection only.
Thickener
The solid particulate that is dispersed within the base fluid to form the structure of the grease, which is held together by surface tension and other physical forces. Nye offers greases manufactured with various thickener types including, lithium, aluminum, sodium (simplex or complex), carbon, clay, urea, PTFE, and silica.
Base Oil Type
The type of fluid used in the lubricant. Nye uses a full range of synthetic oils including polyalphaolefins, polyglycols, esters, silicones, multiplyalkylated cyclopentanes, perfluoropolyethers, polyphenyl ethers, and alkylated naphthalenes.
A description of specific lubricant properties can be found in the test methods reference sheet.
[ Top of Page ]
15. What are the differences between using an oil and a grease in my application?
The application itself will dictate the type of lubricant required. Sealed applications like gearboxes tend to use oil or very soft grease, while applications that are exposed to the environment or are unable to provide an oil reservoir tend to use grease. The base oil provides the lubrication for your components, whether it is applied directly to the parts or gelled in a thickener, which is how grease is made. In addition to the base oil, extreme pressure and other surface modifying additives also lubricate the components.
[ Top of Page ]
16. Is there a problem with using a combination of two types of oils/greases in the same component where they may come in contact with each other? I want to replace the grease in an existing system with different grease. I can’t clean out all the old grease. Will there be a compatibility issue between the new and old grease?
As long as the two lubricants have similar thickener systems and base fluids, there should not be any compatibility issues. If there is a difference between the base fluid viscosities of the two lubricants, a mixture of the two will result in a base fluid viscosity somewhere between the two. A different viscosity oil may not cause compatibility problems, but it may result in performance problems. It is important to thoroughly clean or purge the old grease from the part to insure that the new lubricant properties are not changed significantly as a result of being mixed with the old. If the component requires two lubricants with different types of base fluids and thickeners, then the design should prevent any contact between the two lubricants. Perfluoropolyethers, polyglycols and silicone base fluids should not be mixed with any other base fluids. Hydrocarbons (mineral and synthetic) and ester base fluids are somewhat compatible. Clay and polyurea thickeners systems should not be mixed with any other thickener types or a softening or a breakdown of the grease could occur.
[ Top of Page ]
17. Where can I get more answers about setting up a pump and dispensing system for grease?
If you have more questions about dispensing grease, please refer to our Dispensing FAQ PDF...
[ Top of Page ]
12 Howland Road, Fairhaven, MA 02719 USA