Lithium grease, silicone grease & axle grease: I keep coming accross these three. Can anyone clarify what the first two are appropriate for? Presumably situations where good old axle grease is not appropriate, yes?
Thank you,
RickyC
Well, grease is an oil which has been "solidified" by mixing it with a thickener, so that it doesn't run away through clearance gaps.
Mineral oils are cheap and are good lubricants for metals. However they are also a bit biologically active so you try to keep them away from food and skin. Lithium greases are made from mineral oils and have a relatively high melting point, so are good for things like car wheel bearings which get warm because of the high speeds, and the proximity of brakes.
Silicone oils are more expensive and are poor lubricants for metals, but good lubricants for plastics. They will also ultimately withstand higher temperatures than mineral oils (and don't catch fire). You make silicone greases from a mixture of shorter and longer chain silicone molecules.They are biologically inert so are good for lubricating plastic fittings (such as drinking water joints, taps).
Axle grease is too loose a term. In olden days (carts with wooden axles) they would have been made from animal fats.
Just what I need - is there a trade name. Until I read your post I sort of assumed that grease was grease.
Very informative - thank you! I undestand that mineral oils (and gease) rots rubber. What about silicone grease? Is that safe to use on rubber? And then there is neoprene (as often used nowadays in place of rubber for seals and o-rings. Which greases are safe to use on that? I think you might know the answer.
Thanks again,
RickyC
The trade name would be: silcone grease...
You can get silicone grease from lots of places. Universally used in diving equipment (where there is no contact with high pressure oxygen). Although it seems to be extortionately priced.
I have a small tub of "Hi Tack" silicone which is good for keeping and O rings in-place (and lubricating) push-fit pipe fittings, etc. (Which I think I got from BES)
Check stuff like:
Spray:
Actually, compared to the O2 compatable "grease" we use, it's not that bad... (£26 for a 28g syringe)
Enjoy!
Gordon
Divers have been using silicone grease on rubber, etc. for decades... Whether that makes it suitable or not, who knows, but it's used and seems to do the job just fine.
However, don't get it on neoprene if you want to glue it afterwards!!!
If you just want to lubricate rubber or neoprene to make it slip onto something, KY or Vet-Lube is easier to handle and washes off.
Vet-Lube is avalable from country stores, etc. and is generally the same price for a litre tub as a small tube of KY is in boots...
It makes getting into those tight rubber suits so much easier... :)
Gordon
If you only want a small amount pop into your local Plumb Centre. They have clear Silicone Grease to WRC standard on display behind the counters in toothpaste sized tubes. They are Green/White livery but I can't offhand recall the brand D.......??
Rots _natural_ rubber. Almost every modern synthetic rubber is OK. If you want a deliberate grease for rubber though, use either silicone or a water-based. Silicone if you want it to last more than 5 minutes.
It's the usual polish for rubberwear.
Not quite true. Oil (also petrol, diesel, white spirit) will cause natural rubber and synthetic butadiene rubber (which are chemically much the same) to swell and become softer and weaker, but it is a reversible effect as long as they don't get damaged while softened. Tyres and the like are made from NR and SBR.
But Nitrile rubber, which is what most common O rings (and car oil seals) are made from will be fine. Neoprene (or chloroprene) will also cope with oil.
Silicone oils are benign on most sorts of rubber, but I suspect they might dissolve into, and thus soften, silicone rubbers. I will try that one on my tame experts.
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