mPAO grease
Lubricating grease must work harder –and last longer –than ever to ensure equipment protection even in extreme temperatures and conditions. To achieve this performance, grease formulators rely on SpectraSyn Elite™ metallocene polyalphaolefin (mPAO) base stocks. Compared to conventional PAO-and mineral oil-based greases, mPAO greases provide higher viscosity index, better low-temperature properties and improved shear stability.
Low-temperature torque
Using ASTM D1478, we compared ISO VG 460 greases –mPAO-based, mineral oil-based and conventional polyalphaolefin (cPAO)-based greases –at -40°C. The chart shows starting torque and torque after one-hour running time. All the NLGI #2 greases were formulated with a commercial additive package and lithium-complex thickener. Synesstic™ 12 alkylated naphthalene (AN) was added to a SpectraSyn Elite™ 150 and a SpectraSyn Elite™ 300 grease. The mPAO greases, including those with AN, significantly improved low-temperature torque compared to mineral-based grease.
High-temperature performance
ASTM D5483 measures oxidation induction time by Pressure Differential Scanning Calorimetry (PDSC). ASTM D942 measures resistance to oxidation in a sealed system at an elevated temperature. In these tests, grease formulated with SpectraSyn Elite mPAO demonstrated enhanced high-temperature properties compared to mineral oil-and PAO-based greases.
Low-temperature pumpability
In tests simulating the pumping of grease in a centralized lubrication system, we compared mineral oil-based grease with grease formulated with SpectraSyn™ 100 PAO and SpectraSyn Elite 300™ mPAO base stocks. In the test, a high-performance grease should pump easily at low temperatures without the oil and thickener separating. The high-viscosity mPAO grease demonstrates improved pumpability at low temperatures, enabling grease to move more quickly into the lubrication system.