GOST 23258-78 PDF

Full title and description

GOST 23258-78 — "Смазки пластичные. Наименование и обозначение" (English: Plastic greases. Name and designation). A national (USSR) standard that defines rules for assigning names and coded designations to plastic greases (lubricating greases), including the structure of designation indexes, consistency classes and related marking conventions.

Abstract

GOST 23258-78 establishes a uniform system for naming and designating plastic (lubricating) greases. The standard specifies that each grease must have a single-word name and a structured designation composed of indexed elements that convey the grease type, temperature range, dispersion medium, solid additives and consistency class. It aligns grease consistency classes with internationally recognized penetration/consistency groupings and references test methods for penetration and viscosity.

General information

• Status: In force / active (limitation of validity lifted by the interstate council protocol; standard remains effective with later amendments).
• Publication date: Introduced 1 July 1979 (approved by Gosstandart of the USSR on 23 August 1978).
• Publisher: Gosstandart of the USSR (State Committee for Standards); national standard of the USSR (subsequently retained in national/regulatory collections).
• ICS / categories: 75.100 — Lubricants, industrial oils and related products (Petroleum and related technologies).
• Edition / version: Original GOST 23258-78 (1978/1979) with published amendments (amendments recorded in the late 1980s / early 1990s — commonly referenced as changes approved 1988–1990 and related textual corrections).
• Number of pages: 6 pages (concise specification document).

Scope

This standard applies to plastic (lubricating) greases. It determines rules for assigning commercial/technical names and for forming standard coded designations that convey essential characteristics needed for selection, ordering and regulatory identification. The scope covers name formation, permitted modifiers for variants, the structure and meaning of designation indexes, and conventions for indicating consistency class and temperature range.

Key topics and requirements

• Single-word naming: each grease receives one-word name; modifications may use additional letter or numeric indices where allowed.
• Designation structure: a systematic code with typically five indexes indicating grease family/type, thickener (soap) or base, temperature range, dispersion medium/oil type and presence/type of solid additives, plus the consistency class index.
• Temperature-range index: numeric or fractional index indicating recommended operating temperature limits (e.g., "2/7" to show cold and hot limits).
• Dispersion medium and oil indices: lower‑case letter codes denote the type of oil or synthetic medium used; composite indices allowed for oil mixtures with order determined by concentration.
• Solid additives coding: additives (e.g., graphite, molybdenum disulfide) are shown as letter codes appended after a dash following temperature or dispersion indexes.
• Consistency classes: consistency (penetration at 25 °C) is expressed by an Arabic numeral corresponding to NLGI/penetration classes; intermediate penetrations are assigned to the nearest class.
• Prohibition on confusing names: the standard forbids giving series names that differ only by a numeric/letter index to formulations of different composition or application.
• Reference test methods: links to penetration measurement (penetrometer) and viscosity methods (as referenced in the standard — e.g., GOST 5346 and GOST 7163 for related test procedures).

Typical use and users

Used by grease manufacturers, formulators and chemical engineers for product naming and marking; by quality and regulatory departments to ensure consistent designation on specifications and certificates; by procurement and logistics teams to avoid ordering errors; and by testing laboratories and standards bodies for cross-referencing test methods and classification of grease families.

Related standards

Standards commonly referenced together with or citing GOST 23258-78 include: GOST 5346 (methods for determination of penetration), GOST 7163 (viscosity measurement methods), national specifications for particular greases (technical specifications / TUs and product GOSTs), and broader classification standards for lubricants (ICS 75.100 series and later GOST family standards addressing grease specifications and test methods).

Keywords

GOST 23258-78; plastic greases; lubricating greases; name and designation; grease designation code; consistency class; NLGI; penetration; temperature range; dispersion medium; thickener; additives; lubricant classification.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: GOST 23258-78 is a USSR national standard that defines how plastic (lubricating) greases should be named and how their coded designations are formed to convey key properties (type, thickener, temperature range, dispersion medium, additives and consistency class).

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers rules for assigning one-word names to greases, the structure and meaning of multi-index coded designations, conventions for indicating operating temperature ranges and consistency classes, and how to record dispersion media and solid additives in the designation.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Manufacturers, product developers, standards and quality departments, test laboratories, procurement specialists and regulatory authorities involved with selection, specification, marking and ordering of lubricating greases.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The standard was introduced on 1 July 1979 (approved 23 August 1978) and has recorded amendments from the late 1980s/early 1990s. Its limitation-of-validity period was lifted by interstate protocol, and it is commonly treated as an active normative document in historical and regulatory collections; however, users should check national catalogues or current regulatory lists for any more recent national or interstate replacements or consolidated documents before citing it for regulatory compliance.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it belongs to the family of standards addressing lubricants and petroleum products (ICS 75.100). It is used alongside test-method standards (e.g., penetration and viscosity methods) and product-specific GOSTs or technical specifications for particular grease formulations.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Plastic greases; lubricating greases; designation; naming; consistency class; penetration; temperature range; dispersion medium; additives; GOST 23258-78.