Free Engineering Tool
Lubricant Compatibility Checker
Check compatibility between grease thickener types before mixing. Select your existing and new lubricant to see compatibility rating, mixing recommendations, and flushing requirements.
Compatibility Result
C = Compatible | B = Borderline | I = Incompatible
What Determines Compatibility?
Grease compatibility depends primarily on the thickener type, not the base oil. When incompatible greases mix, the thickener structure can break down, causing:
- Softening (grease runs out of bearing)
- Hardening (grease won’t flow, starves the bearing)
- Oil separation and bleeding
- Reduced load-carrying capacity
Best Practices for Grease Changes
- Compatible greases: Can be mixed directly. Apply new grease and purge old through normal relubrication cycles.
- Borderline greases: Minimize mixing. Shorten relubrication interval for the first 3–5 cycles after changeover.
- Incompatible greases: Do NOT mix. Fully disassemble and clean the bearing, or flush with base oil of the new grease until clean, then repack.
Base Oil Compatibility
Also consider base oil compatibility. Generally:
- Mineral + Mineral: Compatible
- Mineral + PAO (synthetic): Compatible
- Mineral + Ester: Usually compatible (check seal compatibility)
- Mineral + Silicone: Incompatible
- PAO + Ester: Compatible
⚠️ Important: This chart shows general thickener compatibility. Specific grease formulations may differ from the general rule due to additive packages. When in doubt, contact the lubricant manufacturer for specific compatibility testing data (ASTM D6185).
Professional field balancing instruments and software. Used in 50+ countries.
Nikolai Shelkovenko
Nikolai Shelkovenko is a vibration analysis engineer and the founder and CEO of Vibromera. For more than 15 years he has balanced rotating equipment in the field rather than on a test bench: mulchers, industrial fans, crushers, centrifuges, shafts and spindles. That work is what the Balanset instruments grew out of — they were designed as a tool a specialist can carry to the machine and use alone, on site, not as laboratory equipment. Vibromera was founded in 2017 and has been based in Porto, Portugal, since 2023. Development, assembly and support of the Balanset line all happen here. The flagship instrument is the Balanset-1A, a portable analyser for single- and two-plane balancing and for vibration diagnostics. Nikolai is personally involved in customer support, in working through difficult balancing cases and in the development of the software. He works with customers worldwide, in any language.
