Grease has been a crucial tool in every toolbox or work shelf for the past half-century. From helping a house window slide shut easier to lubricating complex machinery, grease is a go-to solution. The evolution of grease over the decades has boiled down to two major types; Lithium and Lithium Complex. Let’s understand these two types of greases better.

Lithium, or lithium soap in grease applications, is used as a base for greases. Starting life back in the early 1940s when grease was mostly alkali metal soaps, grease was made based on simply lithium soaps. The new type of grease revolutionized the lubrication industry thanks to a wide array of benefits. 

Offering improved lubrication properties, some of the benefits of lithium grease over sodium and calcium soap greases were;

• Better water resistance 
• Better high-temperature resistance
• Better shearing resistance
• Improved ability to pump mechanical machinery
• Excellent mechanical properties

Despite their being more expensive greases for sale at the time, lithium greases performed significantly better at a fraction of a cost.

Lithium complex grease is an evolution of lithium grease itself. Carrying over many benefits of lithium grease mentioned above, lithium complex also has;

• Higher dropping points and ability to perform at higher temperatures
• Stronger shear resistance
• Good resistance to being washed away or absorbed by water

What sets lithium complex grease apart? It is the presence of a second thickener component called the complexing agent. This thickener gives the lithium complex a greater dropping point and elevates its advantages. 

Lithium and lithium complex are both excellent greases that are suitable for a wide range of applications. Understand their individual capabilities and choose wisely based on your requirements. The table below shows a brief comparison between Lithium Grease and Lithium Complex Grease.