Krytox Equipment Selection

Lubrication Equipment

Krytox™ grease has been used successfully in many types of grease guns and pumps. Generally, any lubrication equipment manufacturer’s gun or pump that fits a standard grease cartridge or grease bucket should work.

Although Chemours does not supply any pumps, guns, or grease fittings, there are many manufacturers of grease equipment. Two full service industrial manufacturers located in the United States are Lincoln and Alemite. Krytox™ grease has also been used successfully in single or multi-point auto lubers, such as those manufactured by Perma or other similar auto lubrication systems.

Manufacturers of lubrication equipment operate in most countries, and their equipment should work well if it fits standard containers. There is no performance advantage in using any specific manufacturer’s equipment, so the choice of guns or pumps should be based on the local supplier’s ability to deliver the equipment when needed.

Equipment Grades

Various grades of equipment are available. For longer life and more consistent performance, an industrial grade hand grease gun should be chosen over lighter weight, hobby-quality grease guns. Different pressures
and volumes of grease can be delivered from each type of gun, so the exact capacity of each gun should be determined before use to ensure that a bearing is not over- or under-filled.

Lubricating equipment is often tested with hydrocarbon greases; so, to avoid contamination, the equipment must be cleaned before adding Krytox™ grease.

A Krytox™ grease gun cartridge is the same size as a standard hydrocarbon cartridge, but because of the grease density difference, a Krytox™ grease cartridge weighs twice as much (1.75 lb vs. 14 oz [800 g vs. 400 g]). Krytox™ grease is also packed into 5-gal pails that are the standard size for hand- and air-powered pumps. Again, because of the higher density of Krytox™ grease, a pump that is listed as fitting 35-lb pails will fit a standard Krytox™ grease bucket. Larger quantities of grease are also packed into 55-gal drums that are sized for larger pumps.

Grease Fittings

Krytox™ grease has been used in many types of grease fittings. The most common standard grease fitting has a spherical head and is often called a zerk or bullneck. This is the standard that is supplied with autos and industrial equipment. Because Krytox™ is often used in special applications and can be near fittings that receive standard lubricants, special fittings such as pin type or button head are recommended for use. Note, when special fittings are used, the regular grease gun cannot hook onto the fitting. This keeps the equipment that has been lubricated with Krytox™ grease from being accidentally contaminated with other types of lubricants. Special fittings also require the use of a separate grease gun having an adapter that is compatible with the type of fitting used. It is also a good practice to label the guns and lubrication points with a tag
that indicates only Krytox™ grease is to be used.

Grease fittings have a built-in check valve to keep the grease in the equipment. If grease is observed oozing out after the re-lubrication, it usually means the check valve has failed and the fitting should be replaced. Before coupling the grease gun up to a fitting that has been in use, the fitting should be wiped to remove any dirt that has accumulated. If this is not done, the new grease will force the dirt into the fitting and bearing, and can cause premature failure.