Dielectric Grease: What it is & How to use it

What is Dielectric Grease?

Dielectric grease is a silicone-based grease that is used in an electric circuit to protect components from dirt, moisture, and corrosion. Dielectric grease is also known as silicone grease.

It is a non-conductive material used in the electrical circuit to transfer heat from the device. It is a waterproof grease and made by adding a silicone oil with a thickener.

What is Dielectric Grease Used For?

Dielectric grease is used to disturb the flow of electric current with the property of good lubricants. It is used in many applications including home electrical work, vehicle wiring, and automotive tune-up.

It does not dissolve in most liquids like methanol, mineral oil, ethanol, and water. Therefore, it is used in the marine application and outdoor application to make electrical components waterproof. But the dielectric grease can be dissolved in xylene, mineral spirits, and Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK).

Silicon grease base thermal grease is a good thermal conductive filler and it has good heat transferability. It is used in PCB to transfer heat from the device.

Is Dielectric Grease Conductive?

Dielectric grease is not a conductive material, it is an insulator. Hence, it prevents the flow of current.

To assures the insulator property of dielectric grease, we can perform a simple test with the help of a multimeter. Keep the multimeter on the diode symbol which used to find the conductivity. Inflate the dielectric grease on one probe of the multimeter. And make a normal connection of this probe with the second probe. You will not hear any sound. So, it is an insulator.

How to Use Dielectric Grease?

Dielectric grease helps to prevent arcing between the electrical components. But before using the dielectric grease, you must know that it is an insulator. So, use the dielectric properly with an electrical connection.

The thermal paste (thermal grease) is used to drain out the excess amount of heat from the electrical circuit components like transistors, LED, etc.

When you use the silicon grease, inflate the grease only on the outer surface or body of the component. And must assure that it must not touch where you are connecting the components or in the path of the electric current.

Where Should You Not Use Dielectric Grease?

Dielectric grease is an insulator. Hence, when you use the dielectric grease, keep the grease away from the path of electric current.

If you put the dielectric grease on the path of current (whether AC current or DC current), it will not allow you to make an electrical connection between two components and the device will not work properly.

Hence dielectric grease should only be used on surfaces components from where current is not passing.

What is Dielectric Grease Made of?

Silicon-based dielectric grease is composed of the silicon oil and thickener.

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is used as a silicon oil and amorphous fumed silica, stearates, and powdered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), any one of these is used as a thickener.

Can Vaseline be used as Dielectric Grease?

The dielectric grease is a translucent substance that mainly used to protect and seal electrical circuits and widely used motor industries, electrical circuits, and automobile applications. The Vaseline is also known as petroleum jelly that also used in the industries to avoid corrosion and finishing woods.

But the Vaseline is weaker and would not last compare to the dielectric grease. And it cannot sustain in extremely high-temperature applications.

Vaseline has a low melting point compared to the dielectric grease and it may burn if it exposed to heat or an electric current.

The cost of dielectric grease is very high compared to the Vaseline. And cannot use instead of the dielectric grease.

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