Grease Lubrication: Formulation Effects on Tribological Performance

Grease lubrication performance prediction is challenging. Only recently that empirical equations to predict grease film thickness for prevailing rolling conditions under fully flooded lubrication taking into account thickener properties and content for low, moderate, and high speeds were developed. At starved lubrication, although new insights about the supply and loss mechanisms that govern film formation have been published, contact replenishment and, consequently, film thickness predictions for long-term operation are still not available. Prediction of components efficiency requires film thickness values and properties, including film’s molecular structure, which makes it even more challenging. When it comes to prevailing sliding conditions, the literature is scarce and most of the knowledge developed for prevailing rolling conditions is not applicable. During the sliding of the contacting bodies, boundary and mixed lubrication regimes are expected. In this situation, the tribological response is primarily defined by grease thickener and additives physicochemical interaction with the surface. This complexity leads many researchers to seek simpler relationships between grease formulation and properties with its performance. This review aims to present the state-of-art on grease lubrication and update some of these relationships.