Multi-Purpose Grease Guide: NLGI 2, Specs & Sourcing
Multi-purpose grease is a single lubricating grease — almost always an NLGI (National Lubricating Grease Institute) 2 lithium-soap or lithium-complex formulation with an extreme-pressure (EP) additive package — built to perform acceptably across many duties instead of being optimized for one. In practice, chassis points, wheel bearings, universal joints, ball joints, and general bearing lubrication can often be serviced from a single product instead of a shelf of specialized greases, which is why multi-purpose grease is the highest-volume grease category in most maintenance programs and export catalogues. But "multi-purpose" does not mean "unlimited-purpose": it carries defined temperature, load, and compatibility limits — starting with the fact that switching thickener families on an already-greased bearing is never a simple top-up. This guide covers the specifications, test methods, sourcing logistics, and the one compatibility rule that matters most.
Multi-Purpose Grease: Properties at a Glance
| Property | Typical Specification | Test Method |
|---|---|---|
| NLGI Consistency Grade | NLGI 2 (worked penetration 265–295 in 0.1 mm) is the default multi-purpose grade; NLGI 1 is sometimes used for low-ambient-temperature or centralized-pumping service | ASTM D217 |
| Thickener System | Lithium soap (economical, moderate duty) or lithium-complex (higher dropping point, longer relubrication interval) | — |
| Dropping Point | Lithium soap: typically 190–220 °C. Lithium-complex: typically ≥250 °C. Always confirm on the specific product's Technical Data Sheet (TDS) | ASTM D2265 |
| Water Washout | Lithium soap: typically ~3–10% at 38 °C. Lithium-complex: often below 5% at 79 °C. Figures vary by formulation — request the supplier's actual test data | ASTM D1264 |
| Base-Oil Viscosity (KV40/KV100 — kinematic viscosity at 40 °C and 100 °C) | Formulation-specific; not established generically in this guide — request from the supplier's TDS/Certificate of Analysis (COA) | Supplier TDS |
What Is a Multi-Purpose Grease, and What Jobs Is It Meant to Cover?
A multi-purpose grease is formulated to perform acceptably across several applications — typically chassis points, wheel bearings, universal joints, ball joints, and general bearing lubrication — rather than being optimized for one narrow duty. It is most often built as an NLGI 2, lithium-soap or lithium-complex grease with an EP additive package plus rust and oxidation inhibitors, giving it broad-enough performance to replace several specialized greases in one maintenance program.
Lithium-soap grease became the dominant multi-purpose base because it proved superior to the older calcium- and sodium-soap greases it displaced, and remains the most widely used multi-purpose thickener worldwide today — which is also why lithium and lithium-complex products are among the most frequently requested in this category on export RFQs, with buyers usually comparing suppliers on dropping point, washout performance, and packaging rather than base thickener chemistry.
Why Is Lithium or Lithium-Complex NLGI 2 the Industry Workhorse?
NLGI grades classify a grease's consistency, or firmness, by worked penetration under ASTM D217, measured in tenths of a millimetre (0.1 mm) after 60 strokes of a standard grease worker. NLGI 2 sits in the middle of the scale and is the dominant grade globally for general-purpose rolling-element bearings — firm enough to stay in place at an open chassis fitting, yet soft enough to be pumped through a standard grease gun or centralized lubrication line.
| NLGI Grade | Worked Penetration (0.1 mm) | Typical Application |
|---|---|---|
| 000 | 445–475 | Centralized lubrication systems, enclosed gears |
| 00 | 400–430 | Centralized systems, fluid gears |
| 0 | 355–385 | Centralized systems, open gears |
| 1 | 310–340 | Low-speed heavy loads, centralized systems |
| 2 | 265–295 | Most common: rolling-element bearings, general/multi-purpose use |
| 3 | 220–250 | High-speed bearings, vertical shaft |
| 4 | 175–205 | Semisolid plugs, open machinery |
| 5 | 130–160 | Block greases |
| 6 | 85–115 | Hard block, special applications |
NLGI 1 is sometimes preferred over NLGI 2 in low ambient temperature (≤ −20 °C) or centralized-pumping service, where lower consistency improves pumpability — worth raising with the equipment OEM manual before defaulting to NLGI 2.
On the thickener side, plain lithium-soap grease typically shows a dropping point of 190–220 °C (ASTM D2265) and a maximum continuous service temperature around 120–130 °C, with moderate water resistance — the most economical, most widely available general-purpose thickener, though compatible only with other lithium-soap greases. Lithium-complex is the premium step up: a typical dropping point of 250 °C or higher (ASTM D2265) and a maximum continuous service temperature around 150–180 °C, with moderate-to-good water resistance, at a higher price than plain lithium. Together they became the default multi-purpose choice by sitting at the practical intersection of a widely suitable consistency grade, adequate dropping point and water resistance for chassis and wheel-bearing service, and broad global manufacturing availability compared with more specialized thickeners such as calcium-sulfonate complex or polyurea, which are reserved for applications with one specific extra requirement.
How Is Water Resistance Measured, and Why Does Washout Matter?
Because a multi-purpose grease is expected to perform across many components — including exposed chassis points and wheel bearings that see rain, wash-down, and road spray — water resistance is a key differentiator even within the same NLGI grade.
The standard test is ASTM D1264, which measures the percentage of grease washed out of a standard test bearing under a controlled water spray. A standard ABEC 6204 bearing is packed with grease, rotated at 600 rpm, and sprayed with water at 300 mL per minute for one hour at either 38 °C (100 °F) or 79 °C (175 °F); the percentage weight loss is reported, and a lower percentage means better water resistance.
A typical passing value cited for general-purpose greases is often around 10% or less at 38 °C, though this varies by specification. Lithium-soap greases typically test at roughly 3–10% washout at 38 °C, while lithium-complex and calcium-sulfonate complex formulations often test better — sometimes below 5% at 79 °C. These are industry-typical ranges only; request the actual D1264 result from the supplier's TDS for the specific product and temperature needed, and confirm the current published edition of D1264 directly with ASTM before citing it on a commercial document (see Verification Notes).
What Is Mechanical (Shear) Stability, and How Is It Tested?
A multi-purpose grease also has to hold its consistency against the physical working, or shearing, it receives inside a moving bearing or joint over its service life. This property is called mechanical stability or shear stability, and it commonly appears on a grease TDS in two forms.
The first is prolonged worked penetration, an extension of standard ASTM D217 testing. The routine test applies 60 double-strokes before measuring penetration — the number behind the NLGI table above — but D217 also includes prolonged-working options, commonly 10,000 or 100,000 double strokes, used to predict how consistency will change under extended mechanical working in service. A grease that stays close to its original penetration after 100,000 strokes is considered mechanically stable; one that softens or hardens significantly is not.
The second is the Roll Stability Test, ASTM D1831, in which a grease sample is milled inside a cylindrical chamber by a heavy roller for two hours — commonly at room temperature, with elevated-temperature variants available — after which the penetration change is measured as a directional indicator of consistency shift under mechanical stress.
Treat both results as directional quality-control indicators, not a guarantee of field behavior: no precise correlation exists between roll-stability bench results and actual shear stability in service, because shear rates inside the D1831 apparatus run roughly 100–1,000 s⁻¹, while shear rates inside an actual rolling-element bearing can run as high as, or higher than, 1,000,000 s⁻¹. A longer relubrication interval or more severe duty cycle is a good reason to request this data — but read it as one input among several, not a standalone pass/fail spec.
What Does "Multi-Purpose" Not Cover? High-Heat, Heavy-Shock, and Food-Grade Limits
The single most important limitation for a multi-purpose grease specification is temperature. Multiple sources agree it is generally not advisable for disc-brake wheel bearings or other genuinely high-heat applications — those duties need a grease selected specifically for higher continuous service temperature, not a general-purpose product pushed past its design range. This is general guidance rather than a precise rule for a specific product, and the actual temperature ceiling depends on the supplier's formulation — but if the application runs hot continuously, ask for a dedicated high-temperature grease rather than defaulting to multi-purpose.
A related limit applies to load. The EP package in a typical multi-purpose grease is calibrated for boundary-lubrication conditions in normal chassis, wheel-bearing, and general bearing service — a general-service EP treatment, not the same as a grease engineered for continuous heavy-shock or extreme-pressure duty, such as heavy construction, mining, or comparably severe off-highway equipment. If an application involves that level of load or shock, say so explicitly in the RFQ and ask whether a dedicated extreme-pressure grease is the better fit.
The same logic applies to food-contact or food-processing environments: a standard industrial or automotive multi-purpose grease is a general-service product, not one to assume suitable for food-processing equipment without the supplier confirming the specific food-grade certification required. When sustained high heat, heavy shock/extreme load, or food-contact exposure applies, treat multi-purpose grease as the wrong default and ask the supplier directly for their recommended alternative.
Can a Multi-Purpose Grease Be Mixed With a Different Thickener?
No — not without verification. Greases from different thickener families must never be mixed unless laboratory-confirmed compatible. Mixing incompatible thickeners can cause catastrophic softening, hardening, or structural collapse of the grease within hours, which can lead directly to bearing failure.
The compatibility rules most relevant to a multi-purpose-grease buyer: lithium-soap grease is compatible only with other lithium-soap greases, and is incompatible with lithium-complex, calcium-sulfonate complex, and polyurea greases. Lithium-complex is likewise incompatible with plain lithium-soap and with polyurea.
The polyurea-versus-lithium case deserves special attention, because it is the single most important incompatibility risk for a multi-purpose-grease buyer to understand. Polyurea grease is the thickener commonly used in electric-motor bearings — including EV traction-motor bearings — and other sealed-for-life ball or roller bearings, because of its very low oil bleed, and it is incompatible with virtually all soap-based greases, including lithium and lithium-complex. Relubrication crews sometimes top up a sealed or specialty bearing with whatever multi-purpose lithium grease is on hand, without checking what is already inside it — and mixing polyurea with a lithium or lithium-complex multi-purpose grease can cause catastrophic softening or hardening of the grease structure within hours, leading to bearing failure.
If a bearing is known or suspected to contain polyurea grease, it must not be topped up with a standard lithium or lithium-complex multi-purpose grease. It must instead be fully purged and repacked with a compatible product, or a documented compatibility test must be run first. Many suppliers and lubrication-engineering references recommend either a full purge — running fresh grease through the bearing until only new grease exudes — or a documented bench compatibility test whenever a thickener family changes in equipment already in service. Never assume compatibility from the NLGI grade alone; NLGI grade describes consistency, not chemical compatibility.
How Does a Buyer Choose the Right Multi-Purpose Grease?
Working through the specifications above in order gives a practical selection checklist for an RFQ or purchasing decision:
- Confirm the application scope: list every component the grease must cover — chassis, wheel bearings, U-joints, general bearings — and rule out any high-heat, heavy-shock, or food-contact use that needs a dedicated product instead.
- Confirm the NLGI grade required by the equipment OEM manual. NLGI 2 is the default starting point for most multi-purpose service; NLGI 1 may suit low-ambient-temperature or centralized-pumping systems.
- Confirm lithium-soap versus lithium-complex based on the required dropping-point and service-temperature margin for the equipment.
- Confirm water and wash-down exposure and request the supplier's ASTM D1264 washout data for the relevant test temperature (38 °C or 79 °C).
- Confirm the relubrication interval and duty cycle. A longer interval or more severe mechanical working is a reason to request prolonged worked-penetration or ASTM D1831 roll-stability data.
- Confirm what thickener is already in the equipment before topping up or switching — apply the compatibility rule above, with special attention to the polyurea case.
- Confirm packaging format and minimum order quantity (MOQ) fit your consumption volume and logistics.
This is a decision framework only; every numeric figure a buyer relies on — dropping point, washout percentage, penetration result — should come from the specific supplier's TDS or Certificate of Analysis (COA), not from generic category guidance.
What HS Code Applies When Exporting Multi-Purpose Grease?
This is a flag, not a determination — always confirm with a licensed customs broker before shipping or quoting Incoterms. The most widely applied Harmonized System (HS) heading for formulated lubricating greases is HS 3403 ("lubricating preparations... based on lubricants"); within it, subheading 3403.19 (containing petroleum oils or oils from bituminous minerals) and subheading 3403.99 (other lubricating preparations not containing petroleum oils) are most often cited for mineral- and synthetic-base greases respectively.
Several trade-data sources note heading 3403 excludes preparations containing 70% or more by weight of petroleum oils or bituminous-mineral oils — such products may instead fall under HS 2710.19 (other petroleum oils and preparations, not crude). This 70% threshold comes from general trade-data and customs-classification aggregator sources, not a specific ruling for a grease product; the exact classification for any given finished grease depends on its actual composition and the destination country's own customs interpretation.
Because HS classification determines duty rates and documentation requirements, never rely on category-level guidance alone — confirm the exact code with a licensed customs broker or the destination country's tariff schedule (for example the USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule or the EU TARIC database) before it is printed on a commercial invoice.
What Packaging Formats and MOQ Ranges Are Typical?
Multi-purpose grease is traded across a standard set of packaging formats, with the 400 g cartridge and larger pails/drums covering most chassis, wheel-bearing, and industrial service use cases:
| Format | Typical Use |
|---|---|
| 400 g cartridge (12 per case) | PP, DIN 1284 standard; fits any grease gun — the most common format for chassis/wheel-bearing service packs |
| 1–2 kg tub/sleeve | Automotive-aftermarket small-quantity format |
| 5 kg pail | Small workshop quantities |
| 18 kg pail | Industrial-standard small-bulk format |
| 50 kg drum | Mid-size industrial format; UN 1A2 open-head steel drum |
| 180 kg (200 L) open-head drum | Bulk industrial standard; UN 1A2 open-head (not 1A1 closed-head) so a follower plate can be used; tare ≈18 kg, external ≈584 mm Ø × 876 mm H |
MOQ varies by supplier; the ranges below are industry-typical starting points for an RFQ — never treat them as guaranteed, and always confirm the actual figure with the specific supplier:
| Pack Format | Typical MOQ Range |
|---|---|
| 400 g cartridge (12/case) | 500–2,000 cases (6,000–24,000 cartridges) |
| 18 kg pail | 100–500 pails |
| 50 kg drum | 50–200 drums |
| 180 kg drum | 20–80 drums |
| Private-label custom packaging | Not established — confirm custom-label print-run minimums directly with the supplier |
What Documents Does a Multi-Purpose Grease Export Shipment Need?
A standard export documentation set applies to most shipments, though country-specific requirements can add to this list:
| Document | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Invoice | Contract proof, customs value | HS code (confirm with a broker), quantity, unit terms, Incoterms, buyer/seller details |
| Packing List | Physical shipment description | Drum/pail/case count, net/gross weights, container seal number |
| Bill of Lading | Title and transport contract | Original BL required for Letter-of-Credit transactions |
| Certificate of Analysis (COA) | Batch quality assurance | Batch-specific NLGI/penetration and dropping point — never assume it matches the generic TDS |
| Safety Data Sheet (SDS) | Hazard communication | 16-section Globally Harmonized System (GHS) format, current revision GHS Rev. 10 (2023); most mineral multi-purpose greases are not Class 3 flammable (flash point commonly above 60 °C — verify per supplier) |
| Certificate of Origin (COO) | Preferential tariff eligibility | Required for various regional preference schemes |
| Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate | Quality/quantity verification | Required in some markets (for example Nigeria SONCAP, Kenya KEBS PVoC) — verify the current requirement before quoting |
What Should a Buyer Include in an RFQ for Multi-Purpose Grease?
A well-specified Request for Quotation (RFQ) shortens the sourcing cycle and reduces back-and-forth with suppliers. For multi-purpose grease, include:
- Application scope (for example, chassis + wheel bearings + U-joints on a mixed fleet, or general industrial bearing lubrication)
- NLGI grade required (commonly NLGI 2)
- Thickener preferred (lithium or lithium-complex), including what grease is currently in service if a changeover is planned
- Minimum dropping point (°C)
- Water-washout requirement (ASTM D1264, maximum % at 38 °C and/or 79 °C) if wash-down exposure applies
- Mechanical/shear-stability requirement if the relubrication interval is long or duty cycle is severe
- Operating temperature range (min/max, °C), with confirmation the application is not a high-heat duty
- Packaging format requested
- MOQ per SKU
- Incoterms 2020 and Free On Board (FOB) port of loading
- Documents required (COA per batch, SDS, COO, Pre-Shipment Inspection certificate if applicable)
- Lead time and payment terms
Sourcing Multi-Purpose Grease Through Altonex Global
Altonex Global is a B2B discovery and RFQ marketplace for lubricants and fast-moving auto spare parts — it connects buyers with independent suppliers and does not manufacture, stock, sell, or certify any grease listed on the platform. Every specification, test result, and MOQ referenced in this guide should be confirmed against the individual supplier's TDS and COA before an order is placed. To source multi-purpose grease for export or B2B procurement, review listings in the Multi-Purpose Greases category, then use the checklist and RFQ fields above to Request a Quote or Contact Supplier directly. For related buying guides across other categories, visit the Altonex Global Knowledge Hub.