Open Gear Lubricant Classification & NATCO New Product Introduction

Open gear lubrication solutions used in domestic mining and heavy industry have gone through four generations of iteration. Each new generation was developed to solve the core pain points of its predecessor, adapting to more demanding and more economical operating conditions.

1. Open Gear Lubricant Evolution: Three Generations & Best-in-Class Solution

1.1 First Generation — Hot-Melt Asphalt Lubricant (Phased Out)

The earliest open gear lubricant product in the industry, with relatively good basic lubrication, adhesion, and anti-wear performance — but two fatal flaws led to its near-complete phase-out.

Why it was phased out:

Unsafe — contains benzo[a]pyrene, a carcinogen that harms operator health and fails environmental compliance.
Hard to use — cools into a hard, brittle solid; oil film frequently ruptures during gear operation.

1.2 Second Generation — Open Gear Grease (Early European Solution, Being Phased Out)

First introduced by European companies: base oil + thickener + functional additives. The thickener locks oil in place to prevent grease from falling off. Early on, it was promoted by Fuchs, Klüber, and other international majors.

The core problem: centrifugal force from high-speed gear rotation easily throws the grease out, preventing formation of a stable oil film.

Spray interval: only 2–5 minutes (per Metso guidelines)
Consequence: extremely high oil consumption, high operating costs, frequent manual maintenance
Status: being phased out by the industry

Many low-end products on the domestic market use 5000 cSt low-viscosity base oil with small amounts of thickener, graphite, and MoS₂. These have thin films, poor elasticity, fast base-oil loss, and rely only on solid particles — directly causing accelerated gear wear.

1.3 Third Generation — High-Viscosity Pure Oil Lubricant (Mainstream European Solution)

Developed by European manufacturers to solve grease's high-consumption problem. Mainly uses Group III hydrocracked base oils — better cost-effectiveness than high-end Group IV PAO synthetics. Common viscosity grades: 10,000–46,000 cSt.

Trade-off: higher viscosity → harder to pump at low temperatures. Most products need heating in 10–20°C environments. Some brands blend in low-viscosity mineral oil to improve cold flow — but this sacrifices some EP/anti-wear and film stability.

Supply interval: 5–15 minutes
Consumable usage: significantly reduced
Overall protection: limited

1.4 Best-in-Class Solution — Solvent-Based High-Viscosity Lubricant (Mainstream American Solution)

The optimal solution for large, heavy-duty open gears today. Combines ultra-high-viscosity base oil with non-toxic, non-chlorinated solvents to solve the pumpability challenge. Lowest pumpable temperature reaches -10°C, balancing cold workability with heavy-duty protection. Two sub-types exist.

Type A — Asphalt-Based Solvent Lubricant

A safety-upgraded version of hot-melt asphalt: hydro-refined asphalt treated to be non-toxic, TCLP-compliant, eliminating traditional asphalt's cancer risk (reference: Shen Jin'an, "Asphalt and Asphalt Mixture Road Performance"). Base viscosity exceeds 100,000 cSt.

Biggest advantage — extreme fault tolerance: when the lubrication system fails or oil supply is interrupted, the high-strength oil film remains adhered to the tooth surface for an extended period. A domestic Huaneng power plant once achieved 7 days of zero gear surface damage despite complete oil supply interruption.

Drawback: weak waste-oil fluidity, residual oil accumulation at gear root, slightly more cumbersome cleaning.

Type B — Non-Asphalt-Based Solvent Lubricant

Developed to solve asphalt-based products' residual-oil accumulation and cleaning issues. Uses synthetic polymer + high-viscosity mineral oil base, also providing 100,000+ cSt base viscosity and -10°C pumpability. Better fluidity and cleanliness, easier on-site maintenance. Oil film elasticity and ultimate adhesion are slightly lower than asphalt-based; EP/anti-wear is essentially on par.

2. NATCO Full Product Matrix (Including Two New Products)

To cover all operating conditions and cost requirements, NATCO built upon its proven solvent-based products and launched two new undiluted, fixed-viscosity pure oil products. Together they form a complete system spanning heavy-duty premium, mid-range stability, and economy tiers.

Specification	NAT-3011 Heavy	NAT-3066 Heavy	NAT-3055 (New)	NAT-3055S (New)
Product Type	Diluted · Asphalt	Diluted · Non-Asphalt	Undiluted · Semi-Synthetic	Undiluted · Full Synthetic
Base Oil Viscosity	40°C > 100,000 cSt 100°C = 1,100 cSt	40°C > 100,000 cSt 100°C > 1,000 cSt	40°C: 20,000–25,000 cSt 100°C: 299–347 cSt	40°C = 21,688 cSt 100°C = 849 cSt
Finished Viscosity @ 40°C	2,050 cSt	5,724–7,000 cSt	Pure oil, undiluted	Pure oil, undiluted
Four-Ball Weld Load	> 800 kg	800 kg	800 kg	800 kg
Four-Ball Wear Scar	< 0.45 mm	0.45 mm	0.62 mm	0.55 mm
Min. Pumpable Temp	-13°C	-12°C	-1°C	-3°C

3. NATCO Performance Ranking & Selection Guide

3.1 Core Dimension Ranking

Dimension	1st (Best)	2nd	3rd	4th
Gear Protection	NAT-3011 ≈ NAT-3066	—	NAT-3055S	NAT-3055
Low-Temp Pumpability	NAT-3011 ≈ NAT-3066	—	NAT-3055S	NAT-3055
Unit Price (high → low)	NAT-3011	NAT-3066	NAT-3055S	NAT-3055

3.2 Product Positioning & Application Scenarios

NAT-3011 Heavy — Asphalt-Based Solvent Top-Tier Heavy-Duty

Top protection across the entire line. Ultra-high-viscosity base oil delivers exceptional oil film elasticity, adhesion, and resistance to impact loads. Extremely high fault tolerance during oil interruption.

Best for: large, heavy-duty, continuously operating severe conditions.

Trade-off: black oil may slightly contaminate the site; residual oil viscosity is high; long thin return lines need regular cleaning.

NAT-3066 Heavy — Non-Asphalt-Based Solvent Premium Clean Heavy-Duty

Heavy-duty protection essentially on par with 3011. Optimizes residual oil fluidity, solves oil accumulation and pipeline blockage, higher on-site cleanliness.

Best for: complex pipelines, large heavy-duty applications where site management is a priority.

Trade-off: better cost-effectiveness than asphalt-based, but slightly lower oil film elasticity.

NAT-3055S — Full-Synthetic Pure Oil Mid-to-High-End Clean

Comparable to top-tier imported full-synthetic oils from Fuchs and Klüber. Solvent-free, non-volatile, non-polluting. Excellent high-temperature stability and durability.

Best for: medium-to-large conventional loads with high environmental requirements and long-term maintenance-free operation.

Trade-off: low-temperature pumpability and extreme heavy-duty protection are slightly weaker than solvent-based products.

NAT-3055 — Semi-Synthetic Pure Oil Economical Universal

A high cost-performance alternative to 3055S with stable performance, clean and non-polluting.

Best for: small-to-medium open gears, light-to-medium loads, projects with strict lubricant cost control.

Trade-off: lowest protection level among the four.

3.3 Quick Selection

🛠 Large heavy-duty · 24-hour continuous operation · Zero fault tolerance

⚠️ Note: If existing lubricants have already caused gear surface wear, this product is strongly recommended to quickly halt further damage and restore the worn tooth surface.

→ Choose NAT-3011 / NAT-3066

🏭 Medium-to-large equipment · High cleanliness/environmental · Long-term stability

→ Choose NAT-3055S

⚙️ Small-to-medium equipment · Conventional loads · Cost priority

→ Choose NAT-3055

💡 Small-to-medium equipment using NAT-3011 / NAT-3066 enables longer lubrication intervals and lower oil consumption.

Your Trusted Partner in Performance and Cost Efficiency