Industrial Grease Selection — NLGI Grade, Base Oil, Thickener and Temperature Range
Reference manual hosted for technician access. 4 pages.
Brand
cBallast
Equipment
Lubricating grease
Document type
Selection guide
Revision
NLGI Lubricating Grease Guide 6th ed.
Issued
2026-07-14
Pages
4
Format
PDF (application/pdf)
How to specify an industrial grease by its four defining characteristics: NLGI consistency grade (00 through 6), base oil (mineral, synthetic PAO, PAG, silicone, ester), thickener (lithium, calcium, aluminium, polyurea, PTFE, bentonite / clay), and operating temperature envelope. Includes cross-reference for the most-used industrial and marine greases (Mobil Mobilith SHC, Shell Gadus S3, Klüber Isoflex, SKF LGMT / LGHP, Molykote BR2 Plus).
The four selection dimensions
A grease is a semi-solid lubricant made by dispersing a thickener (a soap or non-soap gel) into a base oil, sometimes with additives. Four properties fully specify a grease for a given service: NLGI consistency grade (how firm it is), base oil (what fluid actually does the lubricating), thickener chemistry (what holds the base oil in place), and operating temperature envelope. Getting all four correct is what separates a bearing that runs to L10 life from one that fails at half life.
NLGI consistency grade
The National Lubricating Grease Institute (NLGI) grade is a hardness rating measured by cone penetration (ASTM D217). Higher NLGI number = firmer grease.
NLGI
Penetration (mm/10)
Consistency
Typical use
000
445-475
Fluid
Central lubrication of low-speed gears, semi-fluid enclosed gears
00
400-430
Semi-fluid
Central lube systems, closed gearboxes
0
355-385
Very soft
Cold-climate central lube
1
310-340
Soft
Central lube, low ambient temp
2
265-295
Medium (default)
General bearings, chassis, wheel hubs — most bearing greases
3
220-250
Firm
High-speed bearings, vertical shafts
4
175-205
Hard
Sealed-for-life bearings
5
130-160
Very hard
Rolling mills, plain bearings
6
85-115
Block-grease
Traditional railway journal boxes
Base oil
Base oil
Temp range (°C)
Cost
Notes
Mineral (paraffinic / naphthenic)
-20 to +120
Low
Standard for general industrial service
PAO (polyalphaolefin)
-50 to +180
Medium
Wide temperature range, low volatility
Ester (POE / diester)
-60 to +200
Medium-high
High-temperature bearings, aerospace
PAG (polyalkylene glycol)
-40 to +200
High
Water-glycol-compatible, refrigeration
Silicone
-70 to +260
High
Extreme temperatures, electrical isolation
PFPE (perfluoropolyether)
-70 to +260
Very high
Oxygen service, aggressive chemicals
Thickener
Thickener
Max drop point (°C)
Water resistance
Notes
Lithium (Li-12-hydroxystearate)
180
Good
Most-used general-purpose thickener
Lithium complex
260
Very good
Higher temperature multi-purpose, EP grades common
Calcium
110
Excellent
Legacy chassis grease, weather-resistant
Calcium sulfonate complex
300
Excellent
Marine, corrosion resistance, high-temp EP
Aluminium complex
250
Excellent
Food-grade (NSF H1) common, adhesive
Polyurea
250
Very good
Sealed-for-life electric motor bearings
Bentonite (clay)
None (non-melting)
Good
High-temperature, oven doors, chains
PTFE (thickener + base oil)
260
Excellent
Chemically inert, food-grade, high-temp
Common industrial + marine greases
Product
NLGI
Base oil
Thickener
Temp (°C)
Mobil Mobilith SHC 220
2
PAO
Lithium complex
-40 to +180
Shell Gadus S3 V220C 2
2
Mineral
Lithium complex
-25 to +140
Klüber Isoflex NBU 15
2
Ester / mineral
Barium complex
-40 to +130
SKF LGMT 2
2
Mineral
Lithium
-30 to +120
SKF LGHP 2
2-3
Mineral / PAO blend
Polyurea
-40 to +150
SKF LGWA 2 (Automotive wheel)
2
Mineral
Lithium complex, EP
-30 to +140
Molykote BR2 Plus
2
Mineral
Lithium + MoS₂
-30 to +130
Chesterton 622
2
Mineral
Calcium sulfonate
-30 to +180
Selection procedure
Ambient temperature range — pick base oil whose pour point is below the coldest expected ambient and whose flash point sits well above the highest bearing service temperature.
Operating speed — for a bearing, calculate the speed factor n × dm (rpm × mean bearing diameter in mm). Speed factor below 400,000 permits NLGI 2 lithium; above 600,000 typically demands a lower-viscosity base oil (ISO VG 32-68 base) with polyurea or lithium-complex thickener.
Water exposure — for wet or splash-water service, choose a calcium-sulfonate or aluminium-complex thickened grease.
Load — bearings under shock or heavy static load need an EP (extreme-pressure) additive package. Chassis and gear applications typically demand EP grades.
Compatibility — when top-up-refilling an already-greased bearing, always confirm the incoming grease is compatible with the residue. Lithium is broadly compatible; polyurea and calcium-sulfonate are notoriously incompatible with several other thickeners.