Lubricating grease or anti-seize compound? Which should I use

In manufacturing and assembly industries, lubricating grease and anti-seize compounds are essential for maximising the performance of machinery and components.

These maintenance technologies are often specifically designed with unique properties/features applicable to different areas of manufacturing. As a result, it’s important to know the right solution for your applications.

A common question when looking into manufacturing solutions is, what is the difference between an anti-seize compound and lubricating grease?

In short, a grease is used to lubricate moving (dynamic) parts. whereas, an anti-seize compound is used to prevent non-moving (static) parts from seizing.

To understand the difference between the two, it’s important to understand their purpose.

An anti-seize compound is used to prevent/inhibit the mechanicals from seizing.

A lubricating grease is a base oil/thickener and performance additive used to protect machinery and components from extreme conditions and temperatures during operation.

The choice of which solution is right for you depends on your specific requirements.

When should I use an anti-seize?

Though there are numerous applications for an anti-seize compound, they are typically used to prevent seizure of threaded fasteners in MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) and assembly applications.

Anti-seize is formulated to lubricate, converting tightening torque to clamping force more efficiently. They contain high solid content which allows them it to be used in extreme temperature (high and low) high-load applications while also lubricating the application.

Unlike bearing greases, anti-seize compounds are designed to withstand high temperatures, which makes them good for high-temperature manufacturing plants.

However, unlike lubricating greases, they do not perform well in fast-moving environments. This makes them ineffective in anything other than slow-moving machinery.

What types of anti-seize compounds are available?

Anti-seizes come in several different forms and unique bases that make them applicable to many different manufacturing processes and industries.

Products such as Copaslip are specially designed for extreme environmental protection. This makes it ideal for use in the marine industry due to its excellent water resistance and corrosion prevention properties.

On the other hand, products like Ferroslip, a nickel-free anti-seize makes it perfect for high-strength superalloy fasteners used in high-temperature applications.

Specific compounds are also required for industries such as food processing/manufacturing. Products such as Foodslip, a food-grade anti-seize, are metal-free and have NSF H1 registration for use in food-based industries.

Finding the specific anti-seize to meet the requirements of your manufacturing equipment will depend on the above factors and the specifications of the industry being worked within.

You can click here to view our full guide for choosing the right anti-seize grease.

It’s usually advisable to speak to an expert to define the right product for you. Molyslip’s team of experts can help choose the right anti-seize for your production, click through to speak to an expert.

When is it best to use lubricating grease?

Lubricating greases come in a variety of forms, they are formulated from a combination of various base oils, thickener systems and performance additives (anti-wear, load carrying, corrosion prevention etc.). Unlike anti-seize compounds, they are relatively low solids. They allow fast-moving parts to operate more efficiently, generating less frictional heat and resulting in less wear. This can extend the life of parts and reduce costly machine downtime when machines need to be repaired.

What types of lubricating grease are there?

Lubricating greases come in several forms. Often dependent on the base oil they are formulated from. They are often “purpose-built” for the requirements of the industries they are used within.

Lubricants like Arvina OG0 are formulated on highly refined, high-viscosity mineral bases. These are then clay-thickened to make them efficient for high-load, open gear applications that are commonly ‘open to the elements’.

Products, such as the Arvina range of high-performance bearing greases, are designed with high-quality mineral and synthetic bases. This makes them applicable to modern industries.

Some common types of bearing greases include MX2 an extreme performance, multi-purpose grease. This grease works in varying conditions and can deal with changes in temperature and environment.

HX2 works for high-load bearings, while FM2 is our food-grade bearing grease specifically designed for use in food-based industries.

As can be seen, there are many different types of lubricating greases and various applications for them within the manufacturing and maintenance sectors.

Conclusion

As you can see, despite their similarities, anti-seize compounds and greases are two very different products for very different applications.

To ensure that your machinery continues to work at optimal efficiency and is properly maintained it’s vital that they are being lubricated with the right product(s).

To find out more about lubricating compounds, we have all the answers and products that you need here at Molyslip.