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Thread: Why does oil weap or sweat out of grease?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Canada, Ontario, Durham region
    Posts
    548

    Why does oil weap or sweat out of grease?

    I have some Lucas Red-n-Tacky that I noticed liquid oil separating out and floating on top of the thick grease. I checked a tub of Rand brand "Hawg" gun grease and it also has a big puddle of liquid oil floating on top. I think the Rand Hawg grease is re-package Lucas Red-n-Tacky it looks, smells feels the same.
    My old tub of molly grease has not separated but I've ruined too clothes to mess with molly grease any more.

    Have these greases gone bad?
    Will the lighter oil keep sweating out till the grease is a hard lump?

  2. #2

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master

    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Northwest Ohio
    Posts
    14,420
    most greases are a wax or clay base carrying the lubricants and holding them where they need to be. Like oil on a piece of metals slowly flows ands moves the oil in grease over time does the same. The carriers are heavier so the oil works to the top. Ussually it can be stirred back into the mix.

  4. #4
    Banned

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    soda springs Id.
    Posts
    28,088
    most greases are mineral oil based.
    some clays can be used as a gelling agent to augment the stearate used to gel the oils into a grease.
    usually it's a lithium stearate grease but there are other stearates you can use and even different Lithium stearates. [longer or shorter lithium chains]
    aluminum, calcium, and sodium are all different stearates used to make a grease.
    they can have other things like the clay used as a gallant and sometimes even strong chained waxes are used to add more strength to resist pounding or high pressure [load bearing] situations.

    greases run the gamut of looking like a thin oil up through it looking like a block of wax.
    and are graded from OO up through about 7. [7 is like 12% stearate content and usually has a supplemental gallant agent]
    your average chassis grease is a number-2 [about 3% stearate content] white lithium is a number-1.
    wheel bearing greases are a 2.5 or a 3.

    anyway they all will give up some of their oil content [more or less depending on how/where they are stored]
    it isn't of any concern just stir it back in or dump it off.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check