An American National Standard

Designation: D 1264 – 03e1

Standard Test Method for

Determining the Water Washout Characteristics of
Lubricating Greases1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 1264; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.

e1 NOTE—Updated adjunct information and deleted apparatus footnote editorially in November 2003.

1. Scope* temperature, impinges on the bearing housing at a rate of 5 6

1.1 This test method covers the evaluation of the resistance 0.5 mL/s. The amount of grease washed out in 60 6 1 min is
of a lubricating grease to washout by water from a bearing, a measure of the resistance of the grease to water washout.
when tested at 38 and 79°C (100 and 175°F) under the 4. Significance and Use
prescribed laboratory conditions. It is not to be considered the
equivalent of service evaluation tests. This test method may not 4.1 This test method estimates the resistance of greases to
be suitable for some greases containing highly volatile com- water washout from ball bearings under conditions of the test.
ponents. No correlation with field service has been established.
1.2 The values state in SI units are to be regarded as the 5. Apparatus
standard. The values given in parentheses are for information
only. 5.1 Ball Bearing, ASTM test bearing size 6204 (see
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the ADJD3336).2
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the 5.2 Bearing Housing and Shield with dimensions as shown
responsibility of the user this standard to establish appropriate in Fig. 1.
safety and health practices and determine the applicability of 5.3 Reservoir, Bearing-Housing Mount, Circulating Pump,
regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific warning and Drive Motor, similar or equivalent to those shown in Fig.
statements, see 6.3. 1. Table 1 provides the metric equivalents.
5.4 Heating Source, to maintain the water temperature at 79
2. Referenced Documents 6 1.7°C (175 6 3°F).
2.1 ASTM Adjuncts: NOTE 1—Suitable temperature control may be obtained by the use of
ADJD3336 Standard Ball Bearing2 immersion heaters, steam coils, or infrared heat lamps, in conjunction with
ADJD6300 D2PP, Version 4.43, Determination of Preci- transformers or thermostats.
sion and Bias Data for Use in Test Methods for Petroleum 5.5 Thermometer or Thermocouple, to determine the tem-
Products3 perature of the water reservoir.
3. Summary of Test Method 6. Materials and Reagents
3.1 The grease is packed into a ball bearing, the bearing is 6.1 Purity of Reagents—Reagent grade chemicals shall be
then inserted in a housing with specified clearances, and used in all tests. Unless otherwise indicated, it is intended that
rotated at 600 6 30 rpm. Water, controlled at the specified test all reagents shall conform to the specifications of the commit-
tee on Analytical Reagents of the American Chemical Society,
1
where such specifications are available.4 Other grades may be
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D02 on
Petroleum Products and Lubricants and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee
D02.G0.06 on Functional Tests - Contamination.
4
Current edition approved June 10, 2003. Published July 2003. Originally Reagent Chemicals, American Chemical Society Specifications, American
approved in 1953. Last previous edition approved in 2000 as D 1264–00. Chemical Society, Washington, DC. For suggestions on the testing of reagents not
2
The ball bearing has been standardized by Committee D02. Available from listed by the American Chemical Society, see Analar Standards for Laboratory
ASTM International Headquarters. Order Adjunct No. ADJD3336. Chemicals, BDH Ltd., Poole, Dorset, U.K., and the United States Pharmacopeia
3
Available from ASTM International Headquarters. Order Adjunct No. and National Formulary, U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention, Inc. (USPC), Rockville,
ADJD6300. MD.

*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard.

Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.

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 D 1264 – 03e1

FIG. 1 Water Washout Characteristics of Lubricating Grease Apparatus

TABLE 1 Metric Equivalents for Fig. 1

in. mm in. mm °F °C
0.010 0.25 0.875 22.22 100 6 5 37.8 6 3
0.015 0.38 0.938 23.81 175 6 3 79.4 6 2
0.031 0.79 21⁄4 57.1
1⁄ 8 3.18 6 152
5⁄32 3.97
3⁄16 4.76
1⁄ 4 6.35

used, provided it is first ascertained that the reagent is of 6.3 Cleaning Solvent—Capable of sufficiently cleaning the
sufficiently high purity to permit its use without lessening the test bearing for use in the test. Either reagent grade Stoddard
accuracy of the determination. solvent, also known as Mineral Spirits, (Warning—
6.2 Distilled Water. Combustible. Vapor harmful), or American Chemical Society

2
 D 1264 – 03e1
reagent grade n-heptane4 (Warning—Flammable. Harmful if occurring during the drying period, should not be considered as
inhaled) has been found suitable for use. grease lost. Duplicate tests shall be run.
NOTE 3—Some weight loss may be experienced for greases containing
7. Preparation of Apparatus highly volatile oils because of evaporation during drying.
7.1 Clean the reservoir and water passages by flushing with NOTE 4—Some greases may contain components which make it diffi-
distilled water. Wipe off any oil scum which has been deposited cult to completely dry the sample at 77 6 6°C (170 6 10°F). For those
on the surfaces of the reservoir. Clean the test bearing with greases, the drying temperature may be increased to 93 6 3°C (200 6
5°F) to facilitate removal of water during the time specified.
cleaning solvent (see 6.3).
9. Report
8. Procedure 9.1 Report the average of duplicate tests as the percentage
8.1 Pack the tared bearing with 4.00 6 0.05 g of test grease. weight of grease washed out at the test temperature, and
Insert the bearing and tared shields into the housing, and indicate the temperature at which the bearing assembly and
assemble the unit in the test apparatus. grease were dried.
8.2 Add a minimum of 750 mL of preheated distilled water
to the reservoir, but keep the water level below the bearing 10. Precision and Bias 5
housing. Without starting the bearing, start the water circulat- 10.1 The precision of this test method was obtained using
ing pump while diverting the water spray from the housing by ADJD6300 (D2PP).3
means of a piece of tubing attached to the capillary discharge 10.2 Repeatability—The difference between successive re-
tube or with a deflecting metal shield until equilibrium tem- sults obtained by the same operator with the same apparatus
perature is attained. When the test is to be made at the higher under constant operating conditions on identical test material
temperature of 79 6 1.7°C (175 6 3°F), it will be necessary to would, in the long run, in the normal and correct operation of
heat the water to the specified temperature by a previously the test method, exceed the following values only in one case
selected source of heat. in twenty.
8.2.1 If the rig has one motor driving both pump and test Repeatability
38°C r = 0.8 (X + 2)
bearing, remove the belt from the test bearing spindle pulley 79°C r = 0.6 (X + 4.6)
during water warm-up time.
8.3 When the water reaches the specified temperature, where:
adjust the bypass valve to give a water-flow rate, through the X is the average of two results in %.
rubber tubing and into a glass graduate, of 5 6 0.5 mL/s (Note 10.2.1 Reproducibility— The difference between two single
2). Remove the rubber tubing from the capillary discharge and independent results obtained by different operators work-
tube, and adjust the water jet so that it impinges on the end ing in different laboratories on identical test material would, in
plate 6 mm (1⁄4 in.) above the outer opening of the bearing the long run, exceed the following values only in one case in
housing. Start the bearing. twenty.
Reproducibility
NOTE 2—Sufficient experience should be obtained with a particular 38°C R = 1.4 (X + 2)
tester to make sure that the water-flow rate can be maintained within the 79°C R = 1.1 (X + 4.6)
specified limits for a 60 6 1 min test run.
where:
8.4 With the bearing operating at a speed of 600 6 30 rpm, X is the average of two results in %.
continue the operation for 60 6 1 min. 10.3 Bias—The procedure in this test method has no bias
8.5 Shut off the motor and heating source, if used. Remove because the value of grease washout can be defined only in
the test bearing and shields and place them on a tared watch terms of a test method.
glass, with the shields being separated from the bearing and
placed with their inner faces upward to expose the wet grease 11. Keywords
to the air. 11.1 grease; washout; water
8.6 Dry the bearing and shields for 15 6 0.25 h at 77 6 6°C
(170 6 10°F), and then weigh to determine the grease loss 5
Supporting data have been filed at ASTM International Headquarters and may
(Note 3). The grease remaining on the shields, and any leakage be obtained by requesting Research Report RR: D02-1272 and D02–1434.

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 D 1264 – 03e1
SUMMARY OF CHANGES

Subcommittee D02.G0 has identified the location of selected changes to this standard since the last issue
(D 1264 – 00) that may impact the use of this standard.

(1) Updated Referenced Documents Section. (2) Updated Reagents Section.

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