Composition and method of manufacturing calcium sulfonate and calcium magnesium sulfonate greases using a delay after addition of facilitating acid

A method of making an overbased calcium sulfonate grease or an overbased calcium-magnesium sulfonate grease comprising:

• adding and mixing an amount of overbased calcium sulfonate containing amorphous calcium carbonate dispersed therein, an optional base oil, and an amount of facilitating acid to form an initial mixture;
• adding and mixing one or more converting agents to the initial mixture to form a pre-conversion mixture;
• converting the pre-conversion mixture to a converted mixture by heating until conversion of the amorphous calcium carbonate to crystalline calcium carbonate has occurred;
• optionally adding and mixing an amount of overbased magnesium sulfonate with the initial mixture, pre-conversion mixture, the converted mixture, or a combination thereof;
• and
• wherein there is one or more facilitating acid delay periods between the addition of the facilitating acid and at least a portion of any subsequently added ingredient;
• and
• wherein the one or more facilitating acid delay periods comprise:
• a facilitating acid holding delay period where the initial mixture is held at a temperature or range of temperatures for a period of time of 20 minutes or more between adding the facilitating acid and the subsequent addition of at least a portion of another ingredient, or
• a facilitating acid temperature adjustment delay period where the initial mixture is heated or cooled to a temperature or range of temperatures after adding the facilitating acid and prior to the subsequent addition of at least a portion of another ingredient, or
• a combination thereof.