null
Toggle menu
Free Shipping on orders $75+ (Click for details)
Toggle menu
1-855-215-2914
Aviation Oil Outlet
Log In Create an Account Quote Request Credit Application Contact Us
View Cart Cart
loginLogin
Cart Cart

HOME OUR PRODUCTS OUR MISSION CUSTOMER SERVICE VIDEO BLOG
sun-n-fun logo
sun-n-fun countdown
Aviation Oil Outlet Aviation Oil Outlet
  • Aviation Lubricants By Application
    • All Aviation Lubricants By Application
    • Aviation Piston Engine Oils
      • Straight Grade Mineral Oil for Engine Break-in
      • Straight Grade Ashless Engine Oil for Normal Use
      • Multi-Viscosity Mineral Oil for Engine Break-in
      • Multi-Viscosity Ashless Engine Oil for Normal Use
      • Multi-Viscosity Grade Oil for Light Sport Aircraft
      • Aviation Oil with Lycoming LW 16702 Additives
    • Aviation Turbine Oil
    • Aviation Hydraulic Oil
    • Aerobatic Smoke Oil
    • Aviation Greases
  • Aviation Lubricants By Weight
    • All Aviation Lubricants By Weight
    • Aviation Grade 65, SAE 30
      • Straight 65 Grade Mineral, Break-In Oil
    • Aviation Grade 80, SAE 40
      • Straight 80 Grade Mineral, Break-In Oil
      • Straight 80 Grade, Normal Operation Ashless
    • Aviation Grade 100, SAE 50
      • Straight 100 Grade Mineral, Break-In Oil
      • Straight 100 Grade, Normal Operation Ashless
      • Grade 100 with Lycoming LW 16702 Additives
    • Aviation Grade 120, SAE 60
      • Grade 120 Mineral, Break-in Oil
      • Grade 120 Ashless for Normal Operation
    • Aviation Oil SAE 10w-40
    • Aviation Oil SAE 15w-50
      • Multi-Grade 15w-50 Ashless for Normal Use
    • Aviation Oil SAE 20w-50
      • Multi-Grade 20w-50 Break-In Oil
      • Multi-Grade 20W-50 Ashless for Normal Use
    • Aviation Oil SAE 25w-60
      • Multi-Grade 25w-60 for Engine Break-In
      • Multi-Grade 25w-60 Ashless for Normal Use
  • Sanitary Products
  • Bookmark Our Site
  • Get Aviation Oil Outlet's FREE Web App
  • PayPal Resource Page
  • Credit Application
  • Shipping Information
  • Our Products
  • Our Mission
  • Customer Service
  • Video
  • Blog
  • Return Policy
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Quote Request
  • Terms and Conditions of Online Sales
  • Online Shopping Security
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Shop By Brands
  • Login Create an Account
  • Blog
  • Site Map
The Flight Blog - Read Articles The Flight Blog - Read Articles
Back to Blog Homepage
Aviation Grease: A Critical Component for Maintaining Airworthiness

Aviation Grease: A Critical Component for Maintaining Airworthiness

By Sarah Simonovich on Jul 6th 2018

You might say that grease is the unsung hero of the aviation world. Sure, fuels and engine oils get you up in the air (and pilot skills keep you up), but it's the lubricants that help keep everything running smoothly.  
Using grease is important for keeping your plane in perfect flying order. But what exactly are aviation greases?  
Greases are either solid or semi-solid lubricants meant to protect, seal, and lubricate aircraft components. As with any type of lubricant, the goal is to reduce friction by creating a film that separates moving surfaces. Lubricants, including greases, prevent metal-to-metal contact.

While grease can behave similarly to lubricating oils when used as a lubricant, they are not the exact same thing. Greases are not simply very viscous (or thick) oils. In fact, grease is used when oils cannot provide sufficient lubrication. What makes grease different is it contains an additional thickener which gives it its solid or semi-solid consistency. This consistency allows the grease to stay put and not settle. 

There are three major components to the composition of grease: the base oil, thickeners, and additives. There are many grease applications in the aviation industry and just as many grease formulations to meet those requirements. All three of these component categories determine whether a specific grease is ideal for any given application.

Base Oil

As with any oil or lubricant, the base oil is the most important factor in determining what grease is right for you-and your plane. It is actually the oil that carries out the actual lubrication, and not the grease itself. The application will determine what base oil is best-synthetic or mineral-and what viscosity. For example, a high viscosity mineral oil would perform well in applications involving heavy load conditions. However, a high viscosity mineral oil wouldn't be ideal for low-temperature applications because they can become too thick.

Synthetic-based greases are more often than not better for performance over a very wide temperature range. While mineral oils are derived from petroleum, synthetics are often derived from esters. Only use the type of base oil as specified by your aircraft-synthetic oils can be more aggressive to seals.

Thickeners

The thickening agents impact your grease's consistency-its softness or stiffness. Grease can range from very soft (cream-like) to very stiff and solid (wax-like). A grease's ability to resist changing consistency despite heavy working conditions is referred to as -Working Stability,- quantified by measuring penetration value, often referred to as -Working Penetration- value. Aviation greases typically have worked penetration values of around 260-320. 

The thickeners don't actually perform any lubrication, but they do act like a sponge. When stress or pressure is applied, oil is released to provide lubrication. When the stress is released, the thickener and oil return to their semi-solid or solid state.

Thickening agents can generally be classified as soap-based or non-soap-based. Soap-based greases include aluminum, calcium, sodium, or lithium soaps. A -soap- is a salt formed when a metal hydroxide, or alkali, is reacted with a fatty acid. Non-soap-based include silica gel, clay, and substituted urea, with clay being the most common.

Each type of thickener has its own benefits and limits depending on the application.



Additives

The additives found within aviation greases are similar to those used in lubricating oils. These can include anti oxidants, corrosion inhibitors, load carrying additives, extreme pressure additives, etc. They are incorporated into both the base oil and the thickener. One thing to consider with additives is that while certain ones can provide considerable advantages in one application can also be detrimental in another. Take tackiness additives, for instance, which are common in greases. These additives make a grease stringy and help it stay in place. These greases are great in applications that see a lot of jarring thrust loads--like Bucket Pins on a Backhoe or Universal Joints on a car--but you would not want to use that same grease on a high speed bearing application. A tacky grease would create too much internal friction causing the bearing to over-heat.

In short: all components of a grease must be considered before utilizing it in any part of your aircraft.


Looking for Aviation Grease?

Mobilgrease 28 is a wide-temperature, antiwear grease that combines the features of a PAO-based fluid with an organo-clay thickener. This multipurpose aviation grease can be used in landing wheel assemblies, control systems and actuators, screw jacks, servo devices, sealed-bearing motors, oscillating bearings, and helicopter rotor bearings on both military and civil aircraft. You can get your hands on this supreme grease at AviationOilOutlet.com.




Sources:

http://www.shell.com/business-customers/aviation/a...

https://generalaviationnews.com/2014/07/01/grease-...

 

 
  • #General Aviation
  • #Aircraft
  • #airplane engine lubrication
  • #aviation grease
  • #aviation oil outlet
  • #base oil
  • #fuel additives
  • #mobilgrease 28
  • #PAO-based fluid
  • #plane grease
  • #plane lubrication
  • #synthetic grease
  • #thickeners
  • #sarah simonovich

You might also be interested in:


Newsletter | May 2022
by Aviation Oil Outlet on May 5th 2022

Another Year in the Books! Sun 'N Fun 22 Edition
monthly newsletter
Newsletter | April 2022
by Aviation Oil Outlet on Apr 8th 2022

AeroShell Aviation Grease Grease 5 amber colored, high temperature grease composed of a…
monthly newsletter
Newsletter | March 2022
by Aviation Oil Outlet on Mar 4th 2022

Recommendations for Infrequently Flown Aircraft Ideally, aircraft engines should be use…
monthly newsletter
!

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get the latest updates on new products and upcoming sales

aoo logo
Aviation Oil Outlet
454 South Main Street
Wilkes Barre, PA 18703
United States of America

1-855-215-2914

Information

  • About Us
  • Brands
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Online Shopping Security
  • Privacy Policy
  • Shipping Information
  • Terms & Conditions of Online Sales
  • Terms of Use
  • Video Library

Customer Service

  • Contact
  • Credit Application
  • Quote Request
  • Returns
  • Sitemap

Account

  • Account
  • Cart
  • Checkout
  • Order History

© 2022 Aviation Oil Outlet

payment method icons Bizrate
​