Despite demand pressure for lithium by electric vehicles batteries and other applications, lithium and lithium complex greases continued to be by far the most popular thickener types, at 38.3% and 18.6%, respectively. Together, they accounted for more production than all others combined. However, production of simple and complex lithium greases continued to decline globally, dropping by 0.8% and 3.8%, respectively, reflecting market shifts toward other thickeners, namely the calcium-based alternative, evolving technological preferences and the potential restriction on use by the European Union’s REACh regulations.
Calcium sulfonate greases saw strong global growth of 7.7%, particularly in North America, China and Europe, with all regions except India contributing to gains.
Anhydrous calcium greases experienced a sharp 14.2% global decline, largely due to a 57 million kg drop in China, though growth was seen in Europe.
Calcium hydrated grease production increased modestly, though historical trends remain inconsistent.
Polyurea greases, after sustained growth driven by China, declined slightly, primarily driven by reduced production in China, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Lithium calcium greases made up 2.3% of total production, though this may be underreported due to missing Chinese data.