With the development of electronic products towards miniaturization, high frequency, and high reliability, electronic manufacturing enterprises have increasingly high requirements for lubricating materials. However, in actual selection, many purchasers and engineers often fall into a common misunderstanding—confusing "conductive grease" and "electrical contact grease" and referring to both collectively as "conductive grease".
In fact, these two types of products have essential differences in functional positioning, application locations, and failure risks. If misused, they will not only fail to provide protection but may also accelerate the occurrence of faults.
The core function of conductive grease is not "lubrication", but conduction and electrostatic discharge. During the operation of some equipment, electrostatic accumulation is likely to occur in frictional or high-voltage environments. If not released in a timely manner, it may cause discharge risks or interfere with signals. Through its inherent conductive properties, conductive grease acts like a "ground wire", diverting static electricity or balancing potential. It is often used in parts that require continuous conduction, gap filling, and reduction of contact resistance.
Electrical contact grease is mainly applied to various switch contacts, connectors, and instantaneous conduction parts. Its focus is not on overall conductivity, but on contact protection and stable contact, mainly reflected in three aspects:
First, it isolates corrosive media such as air, moisture, and sulfides to prevent contact oxidation and rust;
Second, it inhibits arcing and sparking, reduces electrical erosion and wear, and avoids carbonization and blackening of the contact surface;
Third, it reduces mechanical friction and extends the service life of contacts, which is particularly significant for precious metal contacts such as gold-plated and silver-plated ones.
Essentially, conductive grease is more like a "conductive channel", while electrical contact grease is more like a "protective layer". The former emphasizes conduction and discharge, while the latter emphasizes stability, arc suppression, and protection. If high-conductivity grease is misused on switches with instantaneous contact, it may instead increase the risk of short circuits, arcing, or contamination, ultimately leading to poor contact or even equipment damage.
Therefore, in the design and maintenance of electronic equipment, it is particularly important to clarify the application scenarios and distinguish the functional positioning of these two types of grease.
