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NLGI, which stands for the National Lubricating Grease Institute, employs the NLGI grade as a means of measuring and rating the consistency or hardness of grease. The NLGI classification consists of 9 grades, with 000 being the most fluid and 6 being the hardest. NLGI 2 has an ASTM worked (60 stokes) penetration at 25 degrees centigrade of 265 to 295 tenths of a millimeter. NLGI Grade 2 is one of the most commonly used grades within the aerospace industry.
| NLGI Grade | Description | Similar Consistency to |
| 000 | Fluid | Cooking Oil |
| 00 | Semi Fluid | Apple Sauce |
| 0 | Very Soft | Mustard |
| 1 | Soft | Tomato Puree |
| 2 | Medium | Peanut Butter |
| 3 | Medium Hard | Margarine |
| 4 | Hard | Frozen Yoghurt |
| 5 | Very Hard | Smooth Pate |
| 6 | Block | Cheddar Cheese |
EP stands for extreme pressure. An EP grease is one that is designed to be used in high pressure conditions. An EP2 grease will be available to NLGI Grade 2. The 2 in EP2 refers to the NLGI grade (2).
NLGI Grade 1 is a very soft grease, similar to the consistency of tomato paste. NLGI Grade 2 is a soft grease with a consistency similar to peanut butter. The lower the NLGI grade, the softer the grease.
