In previous articles, we’ve mentioned how dielectric grease is a useful material for spark plugs. Mainly, dielectric grease is hydrophobic and prevents water from attacking the metallic parts of the spark plug. The grease also prevents sparks from the ignition coil arcing around the boots to ground. Recall that dielectric grease is not conductive and therefore application must avoid where there is flowing current.
Battery terminals, especially in vehicles, are another ideal application for dielectric grease. Specifically, the lugs of the terminals are prone to corrode given their harsh climate exposure. The position of the battery leaves the lugs exposed to moisture and road salts. Protecting the lugs helps prolong the life of the battery itself, ensuring continued current flow.
Dielectric grease like our 8462 has a paste consistency making it easy to localize. With spark plugs, we showed it’s important to keep the grease to the interior of the boot or terminal. For battery terminals, local application is also vital. Here, we want to apply the grease over the top of the lug, avoiding any part where the clamps contact the battery.
Figure 1 below shows proper application of our 8462 on a car battery terminal.
Figure 1: Illustration of proper application of dielectric grease on the top of a battery terminal lug
The 8462 has a large operating temperature range up to 250C, expanding the scope of potential applications. The grease has a soft, buttery texture that makes it easy to spread over large surfaces. The 8462 passes the rust preventative bearing test per ASTM D1743 with compliant results after 48 hours at 52C.
Customers will sometimes contact us, inquiring how they can improve current flow where the clamps meet the lug. Here, we must emphasize the solution to this problem is electrically conductive grease like our 847. The 847 grease is a conductive gap filler that ensures no air gaps between the clamp and lug.
