Bio-Based & Biodegradable Grease
Grease ends up where oil cannot stay — open gears, rail flanges, wire ropes, marine fittings, total-loss points. That makes it a prime candidate for renewable, biodegradable chemistry. A bio-grease keeps the thickener and protection of a conventional grease while breaking down safely if it escapes. Here is how they are built.
What a grease is made of
A grease is three things working together: a base oil (typically 70–90%), a thickener that holds the oil like a sponge and releases it under load, and an additive package for wear, oxidation and corrosion protection. A bio-grease simply replaces the mineral base oil with a renewable ester or high-oleic vegetable oil, then keeps the thickener and additives compatible and low-toxicity.
Two numbers define a grease. The NLGI grade (000 semi-fluid to 6 block, set by worked penetration, ASTM D217) describes consistency. The dropping point (ASTM D2265) marks the temperature at which the structure releases its oil — a key high-temperature indicator. Our dedicated grease formulation service covers grade and process design in detail.
Soap and non-soap thickeners
The thickener defines a grease's water resistance, dropping point and load behaviour. Each can be built on a biodegradable base oil:
Lithium
The universal multipurpose thickener — see lithium grease manufacturing.
Lithium complex
High dropping point and EP performance — see lithium-complex grease.
Calcium sulfonate
Outstanding water resistance and inherent EP/anti-corrosion — ideal for marine and wet duty.
Calcium
Water-resistant, economical, general-purpose.
Aluminium complex
High-temperature, adhesive and clean — suited to bio and food-adjacent duty.
Polyurea (non-soap)
Long-life, oxidation-stable, for sealed bearings and electric-motor duty.
Bentonite clay (non-soap)
Non-melting thickener for sustained high temperatures.
PTFE (non-soap)
Low-friction, inert fortifier for precision and chemical duty.
Choosing the base oil for a bio-grease
The base oil governs the grease's biodegradability, temperature range and low-temperature torque:
- High-oleic vegetable oils give a very biodegradable, economical grease for moderate-temperature, total-loss duty.
- Synthetic and bio-synthetic esters extend the temperature range, oxidation life and cold-start performance — the choice for long-life or wide-temperature bearings.
- Blends tune cost against performance while keeping the biodegradation target.
As with oils, the goal is the lowest-cost base that meets the dropping point, water resistance and biodegradability the application demands.
Performance and testing
A bio-grease is qualified on the same battery as any premium grease, plus the environmental tests that substantiate the claim:
Penetration (D217)
Worked penetration sets and confirms the NLGI grade.
Dropping point (D2265)
High-temperature integrity of the thickener structure.
Water washout (D1264)
Resistance to being washed from the bearing — critical for marine duty.
Four-Ball wear & weld
Anti-wear and extreme-pressure load capacity.
Oxidation (D942)
Bomb oxidation life for shelf and service stability.
Biodegradability (OECD 301)
Confirms ready biodegradability for an EAL claim.
Where bio-greases are used
Marine fittings & wire ropes
Water-resistant EAL greases at the oil-to-sea interface (VGP).
Wind-turbine bearings
Long re-lube-interval main-bearing, pitch and yaw greases.
Railway
Wheel-flange, curve and axle-box greases near ballast and soil.
Agriculture & forestry
Open-gear and chassis points in contact with land and crops.
Construction
Pins, bushes and open gears on environmentally sensitive sites.
Total-loss points
Any once-through lubrication where grease ends up in the environment.
Bio-grease development with Lubechem
We develop biodegradable and bio-based greases across every thickener chemistry, on renewable base oils, to your NLGI grade and performance target. That includes the formula and process design, a low-toxicity additive package, full testing and, where needed, grease-plant design. You own the formula and the IP.
Related guides
Bio-based grease FAQ
What makes a grease biodegradable?
The base oil. Replacing the mineral base with a renewable ester or high-oleic vegetable oil — and keeping the thickener and additives compatible and low-toxicity — yields a grease that breaks down readily (OECD 301) if it escapes.
Can lithium grease be made biodegradable?
Yes. Lithium and lithium-complex greases can be built on biodegradable base oils, giving the familiar multipurpose performance with ready biodegradability for sensitive applications.
Do bio-greases work at high temperature?
Ester-based bio-greases with lithium-complex, aluminium-complex or polyurea thickeners deliver high dropping points and long oxidation life. The base oil and thickener are matched to the temperature target.
Are bio-greases water resistant for marine use?
Yes — calcium-sulfonate and lithium-complex thickeners on ester bases give excellent water washout resistance, which is why they suit marine and offshore EAL duty.
What NLGI grades can you formulate?
The full range, from semi-fluid (000/00) for centralised and gearbox systems to NLGI 2/3 for general bearing duty, on renewable base oils.
Develop a biodegradable grease that protects and breaks down safely.
Any thickener chemistry and NLGI grade, on renewable base oils — formulated, tested and documented, with the IP yours.
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