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Grease Compatibility and Conversion Guidance: Key Insight
Grease Compatibility and Conversion Guidance: Key Insight
Grease performance can be affected by Greases of the same thickener type can be incompatible
interactions between:
Greases of different thickener types can be compatible
• Thickener: Loss of structural stability.
One should never generalize about grease compatibility based on
Greases with same thickener type thickener type
(e.g., clay, Li-complex) are not
necessarily compatible. Grease compatibility can only be assured through proper testing
What factors should be considered when • When cleaning is not an option, or if the
converting from one grease to another? aircraft manufacturer’s recommendation is to
purge and fill:
• Validate compatibility of new grease with the
old grease - Purge out existing grease until old grease is no
longer visible on exit port
- If the existing and new grease are fully
compatible, normal regreasing is an - Minimize the duration of potential grease
acceptable conversion process mixture in application by increasing the
(e.g., Mobilgrease™ 33 grease) relubrication interval for a period of time
- If, however, compatibility is borderline, one • Document issues or concerns with old grease to
extra regreasing at half the normal interval compare results of new grease
is desirable
• Always refer to the aircraft manufacturers
- If compatibility of existing and new grease is manual (AMM) instructions to ensure compliance
poor, regreasing at half the normal regrease
interval for several cycles is recommended
Please contact your ExxonMobil aviation sales representative, or download the Material Safety
Data Sheet (MSDS).