Lithium vs. Aluminum

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From what I have read, Aluminum thickeners have it all over Lithium. Better washout, higher heat resistance, better reversibility, compatible with most other greases, better corrosion resistance, etc...

So why is Lithium used? Is it a matter of cost? Or are there other properties of Lithium that give it an advantage over Alum. that don't show up on a spec. sheet?
 
Actually the Al or Li is just the carrier for the oil. Li does have some advantages as you point out, but it's not the be all, end all.

Some of the supposed washout of Li greases is way over hyped. I have done my own tests after Bob was making some ridiculous claims - and Amsoil S2000 grease did not "wash out" as he claimed.

Check out what the racers use, or folks that want higher speed, lower rolling resistance. It's not Al based. Al is great when you need a very sticky grease, but this is not always the case.
 
quote:

Originally posted by salesrep:
" Is it a matter of cost?"

I'll assume from that response that it is more costly to make Al grease. Is it just the process? Special chemicals/machinery? I would think that Li is a more expensive commodity than Al.

quote:

Actually the Al or Li is just the carrier for the oil.

Oh yeah, I know. I just figured everybody else here did too so I kept my post as short as possible.
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Pablo I agree with the overblown Li washout. The Amsoil grease and the PL-10 that I like have a washout of less than %5. I'm not sure where Al grease is with this. Is it 0?

There must be something other than cost that makes Li grease the dominant thickener. Some "intangible" that doesn't show up on spec. sheets/tests. I'm just trying to find out what that is.
 
With lithium manufactures have the ability to make it in one day. Not sure that is possible with al
 
Lithium thickened grease/so called carrier can is manuf. more quickly,Al as lithium need a longer refergant,colder set time,,,say no more,,the propertys is that in the life of a grease,and to pick reversability,Al will shine in MOST cases,under hard impact,moisture,etc,,yes Lithium is a more lesser in some areas,but for the common automotive apps. it would be fine,to add lithium complex in proper vis. will perform better in higher RPMs and in some cases lower temps now Calcium Sulfanate complex is the one to watch,in a Synt. oil ,,,BL
 
it takes 4 hours to make li grease. it takes 4 days to make the same amount of grease for al. the cost is more expensive when you figure that in.

as for water wash out. you may not believe that li washes out. I use the li grease for a modified hand cleaner as you will notice that after you have packed a bearing with li grease you'll have cleaner hands because li is another form of
s o a p or better known as soap. so just because li you have may not show to mix as well, why does li grease on mobil or shell or some of the other name brands show mixed with water? as the picture shows,
why does grease turn milky colored

they do mix with water. so say what you want, li is a soap and it will mix with or emulsify with water. thats why so many boat trailers are sitting on the side of the road with wheel bearings messed up as the cold river goes into the hot bearing and then mixes with grease as you mix the water with the grease.
 
As with most sales pitches there are grains of truth mixed in. SOME Li compounds can be a soap, but Li is not a soap.

First of all Al based greases are better for boat trailer bearings but this does NOT make Al based greases better for ALL applications.

I have blasted Amsoil Series 2000 grease with 212°F water for long periods of time. The grease did not blend, wash out, move or otherwise dissolve. I have used Amsoil Series 2000 grease for 150,000 miles in wet Washington conditions. All parts look perfect when disassembled.

"Modified hand cleaner"!? Please stop it with corny soap comments. People respect and believe you, but if you just make up krap like that, well I for one think you are just pitching your products.
 
"Numerous types of grease thickeners are currently in use, each with its own pros and cons. The most common types are simple lithium soaps, lithium complex and polyurea. Simple lithium soaps are often used in low-cost general-purpose greases and perform relatively well in most performance categories at moderate temperatures. Complex greases such as lithium complex provide improved performance particularly at higher operating temperatures."
Machinery Lubrication

Many lithium complex greases that I test against do make for a terrific handcleaner after handling petroleum products.

As with any product one must take into account many factors. With grease. Reversability, percent of base oil, quality of base oil, additive package,thickener,tackiness and the severability of the application. The more severe the environment and/or the particular application the more seperation you will get with qualities of greases.
Boat trailers are not that severe of an environment.
 
you are correct pablo. I was mistaken about li. I was refering to li soap base greases not just li. Li compex should not be cofused with li soap base greases. alot of li greases are soap base greases and soap based do mix with water.
 
Thanks for the info guys.

Does anybody have any info on this thickener:
quote:

Lithium 12 hydroxystearate sebacate complex

Just wondering what it's properties might be as opposed to Al thickeners. It is the base for the PL10 that I am currently using.
 
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