Should grease or oil be used for chain lubrication?
April 02, 2023
Regular maintenance and lubrication of the chain can reduce wear and prolong the service life of the chain. Proper relubrication can prevent about two-thirds of chain failures, so selecting the appropriate (re) lubricant is an important factor in ensuring long chain life. The lubrication principle of lubricants is to form a thin film with low resistance on the surfaces of objects that are running in with each other, which plays a role in reducing the friction force, thereby reducing the wear of objects. It can be seen that the key is this layer of thin film, which should be very thin, with a smooth surface, the stronger the adhesion, the better, and not easy to be worn off, and also not easy to be washed away by water. Another requirement is that the film is not easy to adhere to ash, sand, and mud because these particles are very rough and can wear objects like sandpaper. Previously, oily lubricants were difficult to achieve, but now dry and waxy lubricants do very well. 1. Lubricating oil or grease? Lubricating oil can automatically penetrate to the friction point and also act as a cooling agent, making it generally the first choice for continuous lubrication. They are also the most commonly used chain lubricants. Grease can be used for initial lubrication as well as unscheduled lubrication, just like lubricating oil. When dust such as lime, talc, and flour is present in the ambient air, lubricating grease is often a better choice. When dust accumulates on the chain, it can cause a capillary effect that can suck lubricant away from the friction point.
2. Viscosity Chain lubricants must have a high viscosity to prevent chain components from wearing and seizing under production line loads, vibration during operation, and operating shocks. The required viscosity depends on the pressure on the surface of the chain link and the speed at which the chain moves. Figure 2 lists the recommended viscosity of the lubricating oil according to DIN 819512.
3. Load carrying capacity
The lubricating oil film can play a role in reducing wear. In chains, even if the relative speed of the friction object is low, the lubricant must have a high viscosity to form an effective lubricating oil film. However, if the viscosity is too high, it will prevent the lubricating oil from seeping into the chain link. When considering both permeability and high viscosity, special additives and solid lubricants can be used to further enhance the required load carrying capacity. 4. Emergency lubrication In dry friction, emergency lubricants can prevent the friction pair from seizing immediately. Emergency lubricants are typically used in situations where conventional lubrication cannot meet. After considering the above factors, I believe that everyone has their own understanding. However, how to combine the actual application conditions of the chain.
