GREASE PLANTS

Grease is a fine dispersion of an oil-insoluble thickening agent - usually soap in a fluid lubricant which is generally mineral lubricating oil. The soap is made up of fatty acid, tallow or vegetable oil saponified with alkali which can be hydrated lime, caustic soda, lithium hydroxide or aluminum hydroxide. The lubricating oil component is refined base oil-naphthenic, of medium viscosity index, or cylinder oil stock.
Structurally grease is a “water-in-oil” emulsion. Its appearance is smooth, mostly translucent, soft or hard.
Properties essential for performance of grease are structural stability, lubricating quality, low and high temperature performance (which are provided by the selected lube oil base stock), where as properties such as water resistance, high temperature quality, resistance to break down through continuous use and ability of grease to stay in place are provided by the soap.
Additives eg. Graphite, modified clay, asphalt, oxidation and corrosion inhibitors, extreme pressure additives melybdenum disulphide etc. are used to impart specific properties as required by end application.

1. Pumping of raw material from storage tanks into day tanks

2. Raw materials measurement by volume or weight using weighing scales, meters, tank gauges etc.
3. Preparing the soap by heating and premixing fat and lube oil in kettles with counter rotating scraper stirrer operated by motor and reduction gear.
4. Cooling of the prepared soap and balancing with oil to prepare grease in a cooling kettle.
5. Formation of grease structure by dispersion in a milling machine under controlled moisture and temperature parameters.
6. Deareation using deareator.
7. Filtering through filter.
8. Filling using weigh scales/ filling machines.
9. Instrumentation - indicators/recorders for temperature and pressure.
10. Pumps- gear and centrifugal for lube oils, vegetables oils, liquid soap and grease at various stages of manufacturing.
11. Material handling equipment like hoist, pallet trucks, and fork lifts to handle solid fats, additives, alkali, drums etc.
12. Safety and fire protection devices.
13. Lab equipment
14. Utilities like hot oil system, cooling system, air compressor, water etc