{"id":45154,"date":"2020-08-05T14:00:45","date_gmt":"2020-08-05T06:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.interlubric.com\/?p=45154"},"modified":"2020-08-05T14:00:45","modified_gmt":"2020-08-05T06:00:45","slug":"nlgi-targets-january-for-new-highperformance-multiuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.interlubric.com\/en\/nlgi-targets-january-for-new-highperformance-multiuse.html","title":{"rendered":"NLGI targets January 2021 for new High-Performance Multiuse grease specification"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text][\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”45155″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of NLGI<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The National Lubricating Grease Institute or NLGI is on the verge of releasing a new high-performance multiuse (HPM) grease specification that will modernise the incumbent\u00a0standard and provide broader utility. The new benchmark will include an HPM core specification\u00a0that delivers higher performance than the existing GC-LB specification, as well as enhanced\u00a0sub-categories for water resistance, corrosion resistance, high load, and low temperature.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The finalisation meeting, originally planned to be held in Miami, Florida, U.S.A., was completed virtually in June and unveiled a draft recommendation of the new classification. Board of Directors\u2019 approval will be sought between July and September 2020, with NLGI\u2019s Grease Specifications Working group aiming to publish the new specification towards the end of the\u00a0year. A marketing taskforce is working towards a January 2021 rollout.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]In 1989, a joint effort between NLGI, ASTM International and SAE culminated in the development of the GC-LB grease specification, which was published as ASTM D4950, the \u201cStandard Classification and Specification for Automotive Service Greases.\u201d While this specification was \u201cground-breaking\u201d at the time, it took 21 years to develop. It is more than 30 years since the internationally recognised performance classification was published. GC-LB,\u00a0originally conceived as an automotive chassis and wheel bearing specification, is now considered a mark of quality for grease specifiers. Currently, 306 products are licensed by\u00a085 different companies, with a 10% increase in licenses since May 2014.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]To date, the HPM grease specification is 18 months in the making. Considering the typical speed of new specification development, this is a remarkable achievement. The Grease\u00a0Specification Working Group was led by Mike Kunselman of the Center for Quality Assurance and NLGI Technical Expert Chuck Coe.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]During the meeting, Kunselman highlighted \u201cimpressive participant expertise,\u201d the inclusion\u00a0of \u201creal-life experiences,\u201d and a continuous feedback loop as key inputs into a streamlined process. Test development is a routine stumbling block for specification updates. About\u00a0one-quarter of the HPM tests, methods and limits could be agreed with consensus, says Kunselman. The remainder required additional data collection and analysis.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]In recent years, advancements in materials and technologies prompted calls for the update or\u00a0replacement of GC-LB. Many OEMs asserted the existing performance standard was unsuitable\u00a0for new applications. \u201cThe current premise that we need a lubricating grease performance standard for automotive service greases for passenger cars and light trucks is significantly\u00a0distant from reality,\u201d says Dr. Gareth Fish, technical fellow, at The Lubrizol Corporation. \u201cThere is almost no service requirement for light-duty automotive greases today,\u201d he says, as more than 90% of applications are sealed for life.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]In December 2012, ASTM D02.B0.04 met in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.A., to discuss the approval of\u00a0ASTM D4950. The validity of several test methods was called into question due to issues with repeatability and reproducibility. Problematic tests included ASTM D2265 (and D566) Dropping Point, D3527 Grease Life, D4290 Grease Leakage, D4170 Fretting Wear, D4289 Elastomer\u00a0Compatibility and D4693 Low-Temperature Torque.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]During the 2015 NLGI Annual Meeting in Coeur d\u2019Alene, Idaho, U.S.A., a working group was established to consider the upgrade or replacement of GC-LB. In 2019, the working group determined a new \u201cchallenging but realistic\u201d standard was required for the grease\u00a0industry, as opposed to upgrading GC-LB.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The HPM specification will not replace the current GC-LB specification, Fish said. We will continue to offer GC-LB certification as long as there is a need, he added. GC-LB is still widely\u00a0used, particularly in the trucking industry. ASTM D4950 was reapproved in 2019 and will remain valid until at least 2024.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The HPM core specification introduces several new tests, including: Oxidation Stability of Lubricating Greases by the Oxygen Pressure Vessel Method (ASTM D942); Low-Temperature\u00a0Torque of Ball Bearing Grease (ASTM D1478); Oil Separation from Lubricating Grease using\u00a0the Conical Sieve Method (ASTM D6184); Roll Stability of Lubricating Grease using \u00bd scale penetration (ASTM D1831); the Emcor Test for determination of corrosion-preventive properties of lubricating greases under dynamic wet conditions (ASTM D6138); and Detection of Copper Corrosion from Lubricating Grease (ASTM D4048). Several existing GC-LB tests are retained\u00a0with more stringent test limits.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]For some HPM tests, limits are still being defined. Road testing will be used to establish or\u00a0confirm the limits within the specification over the coming months. If there is a problem with a certain limit, we can revisit it, said Coe. The specifications will be \u201clive,\u201d and will evolve, he added.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]During the finalisation meeting, Coe emphasised the multiuse nature of grease. The specification is \u201cnot intended to provide superior performance under extreme conditions.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Even considering the supplementary performance \u201ctags\u201d that deliver improved water resistance\u00a0(WR), higher load carrying capacity (HL), saltwater corrosion resistance (CR) and low-temperature performance (LT) \u2014 the new specification is not suitable for extreme conditions, he said. To qualify for the supplementary performance \u201ctags\u201d, such as HPM+WR,\u00a0a grease must first achieve the HPM core specification requirements.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Initially, the HPM specification included a High Temperature\/Long Life category. This component was put on hold as it became apparent that test development could take several years. Following the launch of the HPM specification, work on the long life tag will continue with an estimated timeframe of between two to five years.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The new specification is intended to be chemistry neutral, said Coe. NLGI has focused on the creation of a performance specification, not one that would eliminate a certain type of\u00a0chemistry or mandate the use of certain base oils.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]source\uff1aF\uff06L[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text][\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”45155″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text] Photo courtesy of NLGI [\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The National Lubricating Grease Institute or NLGI is on the verge of releasing a new high-performance multiuse (HPM) grease specification that will modernise the incumbent\u00a0standard and provide broader utility. The new benchmark will include an HPM core specification\u00a0that delivers higher performance than the existing GC-LB…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":45157,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-trends","category-6","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interlubric.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interlubric.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interlubric.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interlubric.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interlubric.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45154"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.interlubric.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45154\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interlubric.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.interlubric.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interlubric.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.interlubric.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}