Lubrication

What is lubrication?

Lubrication refers to the use of a material (usually an oil or grease) to reduce friction during movement. Common applications where lubricants are used include gearboxes, bearings and specialised equipment such as linear guides.

Choosing the right product for a lubrication application such as a vacuum gearbox is highly important. The product is usually determined by the speed and the load. If the wrong product is used, the friction inside the system could cause high temperatures and failures. For low load, low speed applications grease is often the most suitable lubricant. Different greases are available with different textures, measured using the penetration or NLGI number.

Which Apiezon products can be used for lubrication applications?

Apiezon offer a number of greases designed to offer enhanced lubricity; these are Apiezon AP100, AP101 and PFPE 501. The most important properties for determining if the grease is right for the application are shown in the table below and further information is available on the technical datasheets. Note that AP100 does not have a base oil viscosity. This is because this grease is comprised of a hydrocarbon base which is semi-solid at room temperature, rather than the conventional base oil and thickener.

Apiezon AP303 Turbo Pump Oil

We also offer Apiezon AP303 which is a polyol ester based lubricating oil, often used in turbo molecular pumps with conventional bearings which require a high grade lubricant with low vapour pressure. High-speed bearings such as these, with a low bearing load, require oil with a low viscosity. AP303 provides excellent lubricity along with good resistance to ageing, which provides a long service life.

Find out more about the Apiezon family of silicone-free high vacuum greases manufactured by M&I Materials Ltd, by visiting the relevant product page or contact our team of experts available via our helpline.