ASTM F2489 PDF

1.1 This guide is a tool to aid in the choice of lubricating grease for precision rolling element bearing applications. The recommendations in this guide are not intended for general purpose bearing applications There are two areas where this guide should have the greatest impact: (1) when lubricating grease is being chosen for a new bearing application and (2) when grease for a bearing has to be replaced because the original grease specified for the bearing can no longer be obtained. The Report (see Section 5) contains a series of tests on a wide variety of greases commonly used in bearing applications to allow comparisons of those properties of the grease that the committee thought to be most important when making a choice of lubricating grease. Each test was performed by the same laboratory. This guide contains a listing of the properties of greases by base oil type, that is, ester, perfluoropolyether (PFPE), polyalphaolefin (PAO), and so forth. This organization is necessary since the operational requirements in a particular bearing application may limit the choice of grease to a particular base oil type and thickener due to its temperature stability, viscosity index or temperature-vapor pressure characteristics, etc. The guide provides data to assist the user in selecting replacement greases for those greases tested that are no longer available. The guide also includes a glossary of terms used in describing/discussing the lubrication of precision and instrument bearings.