FAQs

When will my order be dispatched?

All orders taken before 2pm will be processed and sent for despatch next working day, stock depending.

 

When will my order be delivered?

Delivery in the UK is usually 1-2 working days subject to availability, however delivery may take up to five working days for all UK customers (when depending on the Royal Mail) but longer for deliveries to Europe and Worldwide.

 

What do I have to do to get VAT excluded from my order?

If you are in the EU then VAT is chargeable unless you can provide a VAT exemption number, you are requested for this number at registration.

 

What is the shelf life of your products?

The shelf life of most oils and greases manufactured by Nye Lubricants is four years from date of shipment, provided that the oils and greases are properly stored in their original, unopened containers.

The shelf life of LIP products is one year from the date of production if stored in unopened containers and not exposed to frost or excessive heat.

 

Is shelf life the same as functional life?

No, shelf life is not the same as functional life. Shelf life is the period following the lubricant’s manufacture during which it is deemed suitable for use without re-testing its physical characteristics. Functional life is determined by durability or accelerated life testing of a lubricant in a component under expected operating conditions. It should be noted that most lubricants manufactured at Nye are designed for lifetime component lubrication, which often exceeds 10 years in extreme operation conditions.

Synthetic oils are inherently stable materials. Generally, they are not expected to oxidize, polymerise or volatilise at room temperature for 10 years or more. For example, we have regularly conducted ASTM tests to check the quality of certain very delicate synthetic hydrocarbon precision bearing oils five years after manufacture and have detected no degradation. Ester oils, where the ester linkage may be subject to a minute degree of hydrolysis in the presence of moisture, could become more acidic if moisture is present. Fluorinated oils and silicones are not likely to be affected by simple aging.

Greases can “age” in more complicated ways. Grease quality could be affected by a change in the gel structure. If the gel contracts, significant oil bleed would be evident and the remaining grease would stiffen. The gel structure may also become softer over a period of time. In both cases, however, a visual inspection of the grease should suggest retesting before use. LIP Antifriction Coatings vary in functional life expectancy depending on a number of factors such as material type, contact forces and frequency of operation.

 

Is the lubricant compatible with the materials in my component?

Compatibility issues are usually related to the base oil of the lubricant. For general base oil/material compatibility guidelines, refer to the Nye Synthetic Oil Compatibility Chart that is within the Engineering Reference Chart (1.4mb).

Note that even when base oils are listed as compatible in the chart, very low-viscosity versions of those oils may have some effect on materials. The lower the viscosity of the oil, the greater the possibility that it can penetrate plastics and elastomers.

Due to the variability of plastics and elastomers, it is advisable to perform a compatibility test. Submerge the material in the lubricant for >2 hrs. at 100ºC. A lubricant-free control sample of each material should also be subjected to the same temperature at the same time. Material measurements – notably weight, dimensions, Shore Hardness, and tensile strength – should be made before and after the test. Lubricant incompatibility can cause materials to swell, shrink, harden, soften, become more or less brittle, change colour, etc. Dimensional changes of up to 5% are usually considered acceptable.

We have two articles at our tech support website related to the subject of lubricant-material compatibility, both links open in new tabs:

• Lubricants and possible plastic or rubber compatibility issues
• Compatibility testing format for lubricant exposure to plastic or rubber

 

The colour of my Nye oil/grease has darkened compared to when it was new. Is it still OK to use?

Yes, it’s still OK to use. Some oils and greases contain small amounts of additives that will darken with exposure to sunlight, UV light, temperature or contact with air. The colour usually changes to a brown or orange tint. Since this colour change is the result of oxidation of the additives, which make up a very small portion of the oil or grease, there would be very little, if any, functional change to the lubricant.

 

Your product data sheets contain many lubricant properties. What are the definitions for those properties?

General descriptions of greases and oils:

Recommended Service Range (° C)
The operating temperatures at which the lubricant is expected to be fully functional. Application and exposure duration may affect lubricant life.

Colour
The predominant shade of the lubricant observed by visual inspection.

Appearance
A characteristic of the lubricant that is observable by visual inspection only.

Thickener
The solid particulate that is dispersed within the base fluid to form the structure of the grease, which is held together by surface tension and other physical forces. Nye offers greases manufactured with various thickener types including, lithium, aluminum, sodium (simplex or complex), carbon, clay, urea, PTFE, and silica.

Base Oil Type
The type of fluid used in the lubricant. Nye uses a full range of synthetic oils including polyalphaolefins, polyglycols, esters, silicones, multiplyalkylated cyclopentanes, perfluoropolyethers, polyphenyl ethers, and alkylated naphthalenes. A description of many tests methods used on the product can be found in the Test_Methods_Reference.pdf .

 

How can I clean or remove your product from my component?

Start by wiping off all the oil or grease you can reach. Then, for synthetic hydrocarbon, polyglycol, ester, silicone and polyphenyl ether oils and greases, wipe all surfaces with hydrocarbon solvent or mineral spirits and follow with an isopropyl alcohol wipe.

For PFPE greases and oils, wipe with a completely fluorinated, fast-evaporating “ozone-safe” solvent that is an effective cleaning agent for PFPE greases and oils.

 

I’m using a competitor’s lubricant. Do you offer a similar product?

We should have a functional equivalent to the lubricant you are using. In many cases, a superior product may be available. When replacing lubricants that have been successful in your application, it is important to match the additives and type and viscosity of the base oil. When replacing grease, the grade and thickener should also be matched. Other lubricant properties may also be important for your application. Contact us for a discussion and recommendations.

 

What are the differences between using an oil and a grease in my application?

The application itself will dictate the type of lubricant required. Sealed applications like gearboxes tend to use oil or very soft grease, while applications that are exposed to the environment or are unable use an oil reservoir tend to use grease. The base oil provides the lubrication for your components, whether it is applied directly to the parts or gelled in a thickener, which is how grease is made. In addition to the base oil, extreme pressure and other surface modifying additives also serve to lubricate the components.

 

Is there a problem with using a combination of two types of oils/greases in the same component where they may come in contact with each other? I want to replace the grease in an existing system with different grease. I can’t clean out all the old grease. Will there be a compatibility issue between the new and old grease?

As long as the two lubricants have similar thickener systems and base fluids, there should not be any compatibility issues. If there is a difference between the base fluid viscosities of the two lubricants, a mixture of the two will result in a base fluid viscosity somewhere between the two. A different viscosity oil may not cause compatibility problems, but it may result in performance problems. It is important to thoroughly clean or purge the old grease from the part to insure that the new lubricant properties are not changed significantly as a result of being mixed with the old. If the component requires two lubricants with different types of base fluids and thickeners, then the design should prevent any contact between the two lubricants. Perfluoropolyethers, polyglycols and silicone base fluids should not be mixed with any other base fluids. Hydrocarbons (mineral and synthetic) and ester base fluids are somewhat compatible. Clay and polyurea thickeners systems should not be mixed with any other thickener types or a softening or a breakdown of the grease could occur.

 

What other types of packaging do you offer

Newgate Simms offer a wide range of packaging options for large volume requirements, which include containers for oils, dispersions, greases, antifriction coatings and packaging designed for automated dispensing systems. You can purchase Nye products in syringes (including EFD), large tubs/pail, drums etc. Antifriction Coatings can be bought in easy to use ‘pen’ applicators or 1kg containers. Contact Us if you require a quotation for a larger volume or different container type than that listed on this website.

 

What countries do you deliver to?

Countries that Newgate Simms shop will deliver goods to (shipping cost options shown during checkout process):

• UK & Ireland
• Albania
• Andorra
• Austria
• Australia
• Azerbaijan
• Bahrain
• Belgium
• Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Brunei Darussalam
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• China
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Dominican Republic
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• Iceland
• India
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macedonia
• Malaysia
• Malta
• Moldova
• Monaco
• Morocco
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Oman
• Poland
• Portugal
• Qatar
• Romania
• Saudi Arabia
• San Marino
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• South Africa
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Turkey
• UAE
• USA
• Ukraine
• Vatican City

My country is not on the list of areas that you deliver to, who can supply me with the type of products you sell?

We may be able to help or supply you with the contact details of a partner company in your region, please Contact Us with details of your desired delivery location and we will try to assist.