Bentonite organoclay grease uses quaternary ammonium-modified clay platelets as the thickener instead of metallic soap. Critical advantage: NO drop point — clay doesn't melt, grease structure persists to 260+ °C continuous. Used in steel mill ladle bearings, glass plant feeder, cement kiln support roller, ceramic furnace, very-high-temperature OEM. This guide gives the recommended BOM, polar activator chemistry, manufacturing process and Indian sourcing.
| Component group | Typical role | Typical share |
|---|---|---|
| Base oil(s) | Carrier fluid (mineral / synthetic / bio) | ~75–90% |
| Thickener / soap system | Builds structure & consistency (NLGI grade) | ~8–15% |
| EP / anti-wear additive package | Load-carrying & wear protection | ~2–6% |
| Antioxidant, corrosion inhibitor, tackifier | Service life, rust protection, adhesion | balance |
Indicative high-level composition only. The exact components, treat rates, performance additives and approved suppliers are shared under NDA as part of a Lubechem formulation engagement.
Process: pre-disperse organoclay in 70% PAO with high-shear at 60-80 °C; add propylene carbonate polar activator — CRITICAL STEP, clay exfoliates and gel forms here; cool to 50 °C and add the EP / AW / AO / CI / FM / tackifier grease additive package; mill 3-pass colloid mill to NLGI 2. QC follows our ASTM lubricant & grease testing protocol: no drop point (>300 °C), penetration 270-285, 4-ball weld 315 kgf, D942 oxidation <5 kPa @ 100 hr. Ex-works cost ₹420-650 / kg at 5 MT batch — see the wider grease plant setup cost guide for batch economics.
Bentonite organoclay grease uses thermally stable clay (sodium / calcium bentonite) modified with quaternary ammonium surfactant as the thickener — instead of a metallic soap. The organoclay forms a 3D structure in base oil that gives grease consistency.
Key advantage: NO drop point — clay doesn't melt, so the grease structure persists to 260+ °C continuous service. Used in steel mill ladle bearings, glass plant feeder bearings, ingot mould lubrication, cement kiln support roller, ceramic furnace, very-high-temperature OEM bearings.
NLGI 2 bentonite organoclay grease BOM (%): PAO 6 cSt 70%, organoclay 9%, polar activator (propylene carbonate) 3%, sulphurised olefin EP 3%, ZDDP 1.5%, methylene-bis-DTBP phenolic AO 1%, alkylated DPA aminic AO 1%, Ca sulfonate CI 1%, ASA 0.5%, MoDTC 0.4%, Ca nitrite 0.5%, PIB tackifier 0.5%, PAO 8 cSt diluent 8.6%, dye 100 ppm.
Process: pre-disperse organoclay in PAO with high-shear at 60-80 °C; add polar activator — clay exfoliates and gel forms; cool to 50 °C and add additives; mill to NLGI 2. No drop point, penetration 270-285, 4-ball weld 315 kgf.
Polar activator (propylene carbonate, methanol, water, ethylene glycol) is the critical chemistry step in bentonite grease manufacture. The quaternary ammonium-modified clay sheets are stacked when received as raw material. When dispersed in nonpolar base oil, the polar activator molecules penetrate between the clay sheets and force them apart (exfoliation).
The exfoliated clay platelets form a 3D network in the base oil that gives the grease its consistency. Without polar activator, the clay stays in unswollen aggregates and gives no thickening — the grease batch fails. Treat rate 2-5% polar activator.
All three are layered silicate clays used as grease thickeners. Bentonite (sodium / calcium bentonite from natural deposits) is the cheapest and most-used. Hectorite (lithium-magnesium silicate) is a higher-purity natural clay with finer particle size — premium synthetic-grease feedstock. Synthetic hectorite (Laponite, Optigel) is engineered to high purity for cosmetic and pharmaceutical use, also used in premium grease.
For industrial grease application, bentonite is the workhorse — Bentone 27 / 38 (Elementis), Tixogel (BYK), Cloisite (BYK). Indian sourcing via importers.
Steel mill ladle bearings at 260+ °C — Tata Steel, JSW, SAIL. Glass plant feeder bearings (Saint-Gobain, Asahi India Glass) at 200-220 °C. Cement kiln support roller at 200 °C continuous (Ambuja, UltraTech, Shree). Ceramic / sanitary kiln (HSIL, Hindware). Very high temperature OEM (continuous casting, foundry handling).
Brands: Kluber Petamo GHY 133 N (bentonite + ester), Mobil Polyrex Heavy Duty, Castrol Thermoshield Bentone, IOCL Servo Hytherm Clay. ₹520-1,200 / kg. Lubechem custom LC-GR-BENT-HT ex-works ₹420-650/kg.
Dropping point (ASTM D2265) is the temperature at which a grease's soap thickener melts and base oil separates. Bentonite clay doesn't melt at any temperature within the grease service range — the clay platelets are thermally stable to >300 °C (and decompose only at much higher temperatures).
The grease therefore has no measurable drop point; the temperature limit is dictated by base oil oxidation (synthetic PAO / ester ~260 °C) and additive thermal stability. This makes bentonite grease the natural choice for sustained service above 200 °C where soap-based thickeners such as lithium complex grease (260 °C drop) and CaSX (300 °C drop) approach their limits. For lower-temperature duty, simpler routes like lithium grease manufacturing, sodium soap grease and polyurea grease manufacturing remain more economical, while plants diversifying into chemical lines often add DEF / AdBlue manufacturing alongside grease.
Share your service temperature, application (steel ladle / glass feeder / cement kiln), volume and budget. We respond within one business day with the BOM and ex-works cost.