Grease Oil Separation Tester (Cone Bleed)

What is the Grease Oil Separation Tester (Cone Bleed)?

A grease oil separation tester holds a grease sample in a wire-mesh cone at a set temperature and weighs the oil that drains out over 30 hours. It measures storage stability and bleed tendency of greases, following ASTM D6184 and IP 121.

Overview

About 10 g of grease is placed in a 60-mesh nickel wire cone suspended in a beaker. The assembly is held in an oven at 100 °C for 30 hours, with the beaker collecting oil that passes through the mesh. Oil separation is reported as the percentage of the original sample mass. A related variant for storage stability, ASTM D1742, uses pressure on a grease in a sieve at 25 °C for 24 hours. Precision ovens with uniform temperature and exact timing provide consistent results, and multiple stations allow parallel samples. High oil separation can indicate thickener weakness or poor base-oil compatibility and may lead to lubricant starvation in a bearing, or to hardened grease in a container.

How does it work?

Grease is a dispersion of a thickener, such as lithium or calcium soap, polyurea or clay, in base oil with additives. Its behavior is non-Newtonian, so tests measure structure rather than viscosity. Consistency is measured by letting a standard cone sink into the sample for five seconds and reading the penetration depth in tenths of a millimeter, usually after working the grease in a standard worker. Dropping point is the temperature at which the first drop falls from a heated cup, indicating thermal limit of the thickener structure. Oil separation measures how much base oil bleeds through a wire cone under storage conditions. Oxidation tests heat grease in oxygen and record pressure drop, and water washout tests spray or immerse grease to find the percentage lost. Standard cup, cone and temperature geometry give comparable results.

What are the key features?

• Wire-mesh cone and beaker set for each station
• Forced-air oven with uniform temperature
• Multi-station configuration for parallel tests
• Digital timer for 30 h runs
• Optional pressure-type station for ASTM D1742

What are the technical specifications?

A typical grease oil separation tester (cone bleed) configuration offers test temperature of Ambient +10 to 200 °C (100 °C standard), temperature uniformity of ± 1 °C, test duration of 30 h typical, stations of 2–12, sample mass of ≈ 10 g and mesh size of 60 mesh nickel wire cone. Values are indicative of the product class; the exact figures for each configuration are confirmed on the quotation and the calibration documents supplied with the instrument.

Which applications is it used for?

The Grease Oil Separation Tester (Cone Bleed) is used in grease storage stability, formulation screening of thickeners and quality control of packaged greases. Across the wider Grease Testing class, laboratories also deploy it for grease batch quality control, NLGI grade determination and high-temperature grease development.

Which standards and certifications apply?

Relevant standards and methods include ASTM D217, ISO 2137, ASTM D566, ASTM D2265, IP 396, ASTM D942, ASTM D1264 and ASTM D6184. Certification candidates for this model are CE and ISO 9001 manufacturing; each is to be confirmed for the specific configuration before shipment, and certificates are supplied only where they have been issued.

Grease tests are sensitive to sample handling. Fill cups without air pockets, and bring samples to 25 °C in a bath before penetration testing. Keep cones and worker plates clean and undamaged, and verify penetrometer zero and cone mass and dimensions. Calibrate temperature sensors in dropping point blocks. For oxidation bombs, check pressure transducers and leak tightness, and treat oxygen with care: use clean, oil-free regulators and a ventilated area. Replace consumables such as wire cones and cups per the method. Keep grease waste separate from solvents, and record reference grease checks with certified materials to support laboratory accreditation.

How do I select the right Grease Oil Separation Tester (Cone Bleed)?

Choose a cone bleed tester for product release and complaint testing on greases expected to store for months. Specify temperature capability, number of stations, whether D1742 pressure stations are needed, and timer and alarm functions. Balances for weighing separated oil are normally sourced separately.

How does it compare with other Grease Testing variants?

Choose equipment according to the grease properties in your product specification. Every grease plant needs a penetrometer and grease worker for NLGI grade, plus a dropping point apparatus. Formulators of high-temperature and long-life greases add oxidation stability testing. Storage and bearing-application tests such as oil separation and water washout support quality control and complaint handling. Consider whether the penetrometer needs automatic operation, full-scale or quarter-scale cones, and heating capacity for the dropping point block, which is often 260 to 400 °C for high-temperature greases. Check compatibility with the standard edition cited by customers, and whether consumables such as wire cones, cups and wheel bearings are available. In the RFQ, list methods, sample throughput and the thickener types tested.