Lubrication Contamination

Particle contamination in bearing grease, also known as lubrication contamination, is a common problem encountered by manufacturers and their lube techs around the world.

A study done by the National Research Council of Canada found that 82% of bearing wear is caused by particle contamination. This makes lubrication contamination the leading cause of premature failures.

Lubrication contamination occurs regardless of industry, geographic location, facility size, standard operating procedures, and the training and experience of the maintenance staff and lubrication techs on-site. And this is because there isn’t always that much that can be done to completely avoid lubrication contamination. All it takes is one particle of dust, dirt, or other debris to get entangled within your bearing lubricant, for its effects to deteriorate the asset’s reliability. This makes the margin of error for preventing lubrication contamination very small. However, there are steps that can be put in place to minimize the disastrous effects of bearing lubrication contamination. But first, let’s learn a little more about contamination.