High Temperature Grease —
Global HT 200+ °C BOM & Recipe
High-temperature (HT) grease is engineered for continuous service above 150 °C — typically 180-220 °C with brief peaks to 260-280 °C — in kiln bearings, furnace fan bearings, oven chains, drying chamber rollers and rotary kiln support rollers. Required: dropping point >280 °C, oxidation life D942 <10 kPa @ 100 hr, synthetic base oil (PAO / ester). This guide gives the recommended calcium sulfonate complex BOM (the sweet spot for industrial HT worldwide, including India), thickener selection by temperature window, applications across India, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and beyond, and brand benchmarks.
Choosing HT Thickener
By Service Temperature
Working HT Grease NLGI 2
Calcium Sulfonate Complex BOM
| 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-gel CaSX with 4-5% water at 80-95 °C; add 12-HSA + Ca(OH)2 + boric acid for complexing at 95-110 °C; in-situ complexing 110-140 °C; dehydration vacuum 140 °C; cool to 90 °C and add the EP/AW/AO/CI/tackifier grease additive package; mill to NLGI 2. Final QC under our ASTM lubricant & grease testing protocol: drop no-drop (>300 °C), penetration 270-285, 4-ball weld 400+ kgf, D942 oxidation <5 kPa @ 100 hr, D2266 wear <0.45 mm. Ex-works cost ₹360-520 / kg (~US$4.2-6.1/kg) at 5 MT batch — see the grease plant setup cost guide for batch economics.
Where HT Grease
Is Specified
HT Grease Working
Target Properties
| Property | Test Method | HT Spec | LC-GR-CASX-HT Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worked Penetration | ASTM D217 | 265-295 | 270-285 |
| Dropping Point | ASTM D2265 | >280 °C | No drop / >300 °C |
| Oxidation Stability @ 100 hr / 99 °C | ASTM D942 | <15 kPa | <5 kPa |
| Oxidation Stability @ 500 hr | ASTM D942 | <40 kPa | <15 kPa |
| 4-Ball Weld Load | ASTM D2596 | 315 kgf min | 400+ kgf |
| 4-Ball Wear Scar | ASTM D2266 | <0.55 mm | <0.45 mm |
| Water Washout @ 79 °C | ASTM D1264 | <10% | <5% |
| Copper Strip @ 121 °C / 24 hr | ASTM D4048 | 1B | 1A-1B |
| Roll Stability @ 80 °C, 200k cycles | ASTM D1831 | <15% | <10% |
Frequently Asked About
High Temperature Grease
High temperature (HT) grease is grease designed for continuous service above 150 °C — typically 180-220 °C continuous with peaks to 260-280 °C. Used in kiln bearings (cement, ceramic, brick), furnace fan bearings (steel, glass), oven chain (paint shop, food bakery), drying chamber rollers, rotary kiln support roller.
Requires dropping point >280 °C and oxidation life >500 hr at 150 °C. Standard thickeners: calcium sulfonate complex (drop >300 °C), polyurea (drop >260 °C), lithium complex (drop >260 °C). Base oil PAO, ester or high-VI Group III for thermal stability.
NLGI 2 calcium sulfonate complex HT grease BOM (%): PAO 6 cSt base oil 55%, overbased calcium sulfonate TBN 400 (gellant) 25%, calcium hydroxide 1.5%, 12-hydroxystearic acid 4%, boric acid 0.5%, sulphurised olefin EP 2%, ZDDP AW 1%, phenolic AO methylene-bis-DTBP 1%, aminic AO alkylated DPA 1%, calcium nitrite CI 0.8%, PIB tackifier 0.7%, dye 100 ppm, balance PAO 8 cSt diluent.
Process: pre-gelation with water + sulfonate at 80-95 °C; in-situ complexing with Ca(OH)2 + 12-HSA + boric acid; finishing 140 °C; milling. Drop no-drop (>300 °C), penetration 270-285, 4-ball weld 400+ kgf, D942 oxidation <5 kPa @ 100 hr.
For continuous service 150-180 °C: lithium complex (drop >260 °C, cheapest HT option). For 180-200 °C: calcium sulfonate complex (drop >300 °C, inherent EP + corrosion). For 200-220 °C: polyurea (excellent oxidation, sealed-for-life). For >220 °C: bentonite organoclay (no soap melt) or PFPE for extreme.
Cost ranking: Li complex < CaSX < polyurea < bentonite < PFPE. For most industrial HT applications worldwide — including across India, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe — (kiln, oven, furnace fan), CaSX is the sweet spot — performance, cost and BIS-acceptable (one standard among API/ISO equivalents).
Mineral base oil oxidises rapidly above 150 °C — RPVOT drops, oil bleeds and darkens, viscosity rises by varnish formation. Group I SN500 is unsuitable for sustained 180+ °C service. Group II 220N is marginal. Synthetic base oils — PAO (polyalphaolefin, drop pour <-50 °C, thermal stability 250+ °C), ester (POE, TMP-trioleate), or polyglycol PAG — are standard for HT grease.
PAO is the universal choice; ester is used when additive solubility matters or for food-grade. PAO costs ₹220-340/kg (~US$2.6-4/kg) vs Group I SN500 at ₹80-110/kg (~US$0.9-1.3/kg) — the HT grease premium is driven mostly by base oil choice.
Indian HT grease volume: cement plant kiln and pre-heater (Ambuja, UltraTech, ACC, Dalmia), steel plant furnace fan bearings (Tata Steel, JSW, Sail), glass plant feeder bearings (Saint-Gobain), brick kiln drying chamber, ceramic / sanitary kiln, food industry oven chain, automotive paint shop oven, textile drying.
Brands: SKF LGHB 2 (sulfonate complex 200 °C), Mobil Polyrex EM (polyurea 200 °C), Klüber Petamo GHY 133 N (synthetic 160 °C), IOCL Servo Hytemp, BPCL Mak Heat Resist. ₹400-1,200 / kg (~US$4.7-14/kg) depending on chemistry. Lubechem custom CaSX HT (LC-GR-CASX-HT) ex-works ₹360-520/kg (~US$4.2-6.1/kg).
ASTM D942 (oxidation bomb stability) — grease in O2-pressurised bomb at 99 °C, oxygen pressure drop measured at 100 hr and 500 hr. Standard EP2 lithium grease drops 20-40 kPa at 100 hr; HT grease must drop <10 kPa at 100 hr and <40 kPa at 500 hr.
Achieved by synthetic base oil (PAO / ester) plus heavy AO loading (phenolic 0.8-1.5% + aminic 0.5-1.0%). Some OEM HT specs require RPVOT D2272 >1,000 minutes on extracted base oil — only synthetic bases can pass.
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