ASTM D6184 Oil Separation from Lubricating Grease

Scope: 

The ASTM D6184 is a standard test technique for oil separation from lubricating grease at extreme temperatures using a conical sieve method. When oil separates from lubricating grease, the leftover material changes in consistency, which might impact the product’s capacity to function as intended. So, the outcomes of this process are intended to be correlated with oil separation in 35-pound pails of grease during storage. The performance of specimens tested by this approach is quantified in SI units, and it is utilized for specifications and quality control. 

Test procedure:

The weighed sample is placed in a cone-shaped wire cloth filter, suspended in a beaker, and heated under static circumstances for the time and temperature suggested by ASTM D6184.  Unless the grease specification specifies otherwise, the sample is tested under standard circumstances of 100 ± 0.5°C for 30 ± 0.25 hours. Then, the separated oil is weighed and expressed as a percentage of the original test sample’s mass. 

Video 01: ASTM D6184 Lubricating grease oil separation apparatus

Specimen size:

Lubricating grease is utilized as the test specimen in the ASTM D6184 test technique, and the sample is checked for any signs of non-homogeneity, such as oil separation, phase shifts, or gross contamination. A new sample is taken if any aberrant circumstances are discovered. 

Data:

According to ASTM D6184, oil separation is calculated as the percentage of the original sample  that has been separated: 

where: 

W_i = mass of the beaker before heating 

W_f = mass of the beaker after heating 

G = mass of the grease tested

Conclusion:

The ASTM D6184 is a standard test technique for oil separation from lubricating grease at extreme temperatures using a conical sieve method.