Can We Put a Value on the Adhesion and Tackiness of Greases?

© 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. This work focuses on presenting a new methodology, based on approach-retraction curves, to objectively and accurately measure adhesion and tackiness of industrial greases. The definitions of pull-off force and tackiness are redefined, explained and measured, whereas the effect of testing parameters such as retraction speed, grease film thickness, applied load and temperature is discussed. This work aims to point out that the adhesion and tackiness of greases are not just a single value, but that they strongly depend on the experimental conditions. Based on this proposed method, a mapping of the tackiness of greases with respect to the experimental or working conditions can be performed.