Knowledge Base
Mineral Oil: The most basic form, derived from refining crude oil. Mineral oil is cost-effective and works well in older engines but tends to break down faster under high heat, making it suitable for standard driving conditions rather than high-performance engines.
Synthetic Oil: Engineered for superior performance, synthetic oil undergoes extensive chemical refinement, creating a uniform molecular structure. It provides better protection, performs well under extreme temperatures, and lasts longer than mineral oils. Synthetic oils are ideal for modern engines, high-performance vehicles, and conditions with extreme temperatures.
Semi-Synthetic (Blend) Oil: A mixture of mineral and synthetic oils, semi-synthetic oils offer a balance between affordability and performance. This type suits drivers seeking improved performance over mineral oil without the full cost of synthetic options.
High-Mileage Oil: Specifically formulated for vehicles with over 75,000 miles, high-mileage oils contain additives to protect seals, reduce oil consumption, and prevent leaks, extending the life of older engines.
Specifications
The specifications of automotive oils are developed through rigorous testing and are certified by major organisations to ensure that oils meet or exceed certain performance standards. Here’s an overview of how these specifications are determined:
Viscosity Ratings (SAE): Viscosity refers to the oil’s thickness and its ability to flow at various temperatures. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) assigns ratings, such as 5W-30 or 10W-40, indicating how the oil flows at cold (the “W” rating) and high temperatures. Lower numbers signify better flow in cold weather, while higher numbers indicate thicker oil at high temperatures, providing optimal protection.
API and ACEA Standards: The American Petroleum Institute (API) and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) create certification standards that oils must meet to be considered high quality. API ratings are denoted as “SN,” “SP,” etc., while ACEA standards, like “A3/B3,” represent performance measures specific to European engines.
OEM Requirements: Many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) set their own specifications to meet specific engine needs. These specifications ensure that oils are compatible with engines’ unique features, such as turbochargers, high compression, or direct injection systems.
Additives: Additives enhance oil performance and are blended to meet unique needs such as corrosion prevention, reducing sludge, or improving high-temperature stability. These additives contribute to oils being suitable for specific engine types and driving conditions.
Products
Each type of oil is best suited to particular engines, driving conditions, and performance goals. Here’s a breakdown of what each category is used for:
Mineral Oils: Ideal for older or low-mileage engines where high performance isn’t the primary need. Mineral oils are commonly used in standard passenger vehicles for typical driving conditions and are well-suited for vehicles that don’t experience extreme temperatures or heavy towing.
Synthetic Oils: Perfect for modern engines, high-performance vehicles, and cars that undergo extreme weather conditions. Synthetic oils maintain viscosity across a broad temperature range, making them ideal for sports cars, SUVs, and trucks that frequently tow or operate in challenging conditions. They also reduce engine deposits, optimise fuel economy, and protect engines under demanding driving environments.
Semi-Synthetic Oils: For drivers who want better protection than mineral oils offer without the full cost of synthetic, semi-synthetic oils provide a middle ground. These oils are commonly used in light-duty trucks, SUVs, and family cars that encounter occasional extreme conditions, offering good protection at a reasonable price.
High-Mileage Oils: Essential for older vehicles with over 75,000 miles, high-mileage oils contain seal conditioners and additives that help prevent leaks, reduce oil consumption, and minimise sludge build-up. This oil type is ideal for engines that show signs of age-related wear or have started to consume more oil due to worn seals.
Understanding Industrial Greases
Understanding Industrial Greases
Proper lubrication of equipment is essential for efficient and cost-effective industrial operations. Industrial grease is a semi-solid lubricant consisting of base fluid, thickener and additives. The base fluid and additives are often considered the most important parts of industrial grease formulations because they affect the grease’s lubricating characteristics. The thickener holds the base oil and additives in place in applications where fluid lubricant would run right out.
Functionality of Grease
Grease provides lubrication between moving, contacting surfaces without leaking or losing lubricity under the force of centrifugal action, gravity or pressure. It acts as a sealant to keep out contaminants and foreign substances, minimize lubricant leakage, and prevent corrosion. When there is a desire to include solid lubricants, such as very heavily loaded applications, the thickened grease keeps them in suspension whereas they could settle out of a fluid lubricant before reaching the lubricated contact. Grease’s rigidity allows for easier containment than oil, with simpler, less expensive retention devices.
Choosing the Right Grease
Industrial greases are often recommended for specific applications through an evaluation of various physical and chemical characteristics. Some of the important characteristics include:
Thickener: Soap-thickened greases are by far the most used. Different soaps can provide specific benefits in thickening efficiency, shear stability and compatibility with additives, base fluids and other greases they might be mixed with.
Base Fluid: Grease often contains one or several base fluids mixed in a ratio to adjust the base fluid to a desired viscosity.
Additives: Ingredients are added to grease to impart additional performance properties, such as extreme pressure, anti-wear, corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, and tackiness. LE developed proprietary additives for exclusive use in its lubricants.
All grease ingredients, properly dispersed, affect the following characteristics:
Pump ability: A measure of how easily it is pushed into a mechanical device.
Consistency: Ability to resist deformation due to an applied force.
Water resistance: Determines how susceptible its properties are to change when exposed to water.
Oxidation stability: Grease’s ability to resist reacting with oxygen. Oxidation typically causes sludge or lacquer-like deposits in equipment, which can slow operation and increase friction and wear.
Dropping point: Indicates a grease’s heat resistance.
Low-temperature effects: Typically, the base oil’s pour point provides a guideline for the low-temperature limit of most industrial greases.
High-temperature effects: Because grease is semi-solid, it cannot dissipate heat by convection like fluid lubricants. High temperatures can damage the thickener structure of the grease, allowing it to soften and possibly flow out of the application.
Lubrication Engineers works with companies all over the world to create customised lubrication reliability programs using top-of-the-line grease formulations. Offering a full line of high-performance industrial greases, LE provides proven lubrication solutions for many industries.
High-Temperature Grease Guide
The concept of “high-temperature operations” does not refer to one universal maximum temperature. For example, steel mill bearings must operate in continuous temperatures as high as 149° C (300° F), while drying ovens for curing surface coatings operate at approximately 204° C (400° F), and they both fall under the category of high-temperature applications.
High-temperature greases are made up of a balance of base fluids, thickeners and additives. Their price per pound typically goes up in correlation to a specific grease’s operational temperature range. It’s the lubricant’s composition that dictates the ideal operating temperature, viscosity, stability and related properties.
High-temperature operating environments and hot equipment will cause any grease, including high-temperature grease, to degrade over time due to thermal stress. Oxidative failure, another concern when grease is exposed to air, is exaggerated as temperature increases. Machinery requires lubrication periodically to ensure optimal performance.
While trying to select a high-temperature grease leaves much to consider, there are multiple selection criteria used to help identify the right base fluid to achieve the needed performance characteristics, as well as the necessary composition of thickener and additives to maintain stability and balance in a high-temp grease mixture.
Selecting a High-Temperature Grease
To effectively choose the right high-temperature grease, ask the following:
What is the ambient temperature of the environment where the equipment being lubricated is operating?
Is it possible to measure the temperature of the component being lubricated?
If the maximum operating temperature is known for the equipment, is it continuous or intermittent?
During the equipment’s operational and non-operational intervals, is it exposed to heating and cooling cycles?
Will the chosen grease be appropriate for the speed and load capacity of the equipment?
Are there atmospheric contaminants in the equipment’s operating environment that could be incompatible with certain grease types?
What base fluid type and viscosity are best for the equipment?
What thickener type would be best considering the temperatures and base fluid type selected?
What additives and additive characteristics are best to enable optimal grease performance?
What are the appropriate lubrication intervals for the machinery and does that fit with the processes it is performing?
High-Temperature Grease Compatibility
It’s vital to determine the compatibility of a high-temperature grease mixture before grease selection to ensure ideal performance and maintain the proper chemical balance. It is easier to evaluate compatibility before exposing the grease to high temperatures and only then discover the grease in service is incompatible with the one considered for replacement. Often, relubrication intervals can be used to address compatibility problems by flushing the original product until the incompatibility issue is resolved.
Additionally, grease compatibility can be determined by doing the following:
Review the compatibility chart. Each type of grease usually has an accompanying compatibility chart to help determine the proper thickener to use.
Run grease compatibility testing. Prepare mixtures of the current grease with the replacement at 10:90, 50:50, and 90:10 ratios. Raise the temperature of the grease mixtures to those thermal conditions expected in the operating application for a specific interval. Afterward, test for modifications to four-ball wear performance, penetration stability, and any other noticeable abnormalities.
Check the compatibility properties. Grease can be mixed to determine compatibility by evaluating whether it becomes a softer consistency, heat resistance is reduced and it melts more easily, and additive performance still provides good equipment protection.
High-Temperature Grease from Lubrication Engineers
High-temperature grease is critical for effectively lubricating equipment operating under high-temperature conditions. Choosing the best grease for the specific application will help optimize machinery performance and prevent failure of bearings, bushings, gears, slides, and more.
Since 1951, Lubrication Engineers, Inc. has formulated and manufactured an extensive, versatile product line of high-performance industrial greases, including high-temperature and extreme-pressure varieties designed to outperform standard options. To suit industries worldwide from automotive to food and beverage, LE offers industrial greases in various NLGI grades, with a variety of thickener types, and proprietary additives.
To learn more about our various product offerings and the best choice for your unique high-heat application, contact us today.
When it comes to comparing engine oils, benchmarking tests and parameters play a crucial role in evaluating their performance. These tests provide valuable insights into the viscosity and temperature performance, as well as the assessment of sludge formation. Understanding the results of these tests is essential for making informed decisions about the most suitable engine oil for specific applications.
Viscosity And Temperature Performance
Viscosity and temperature performance are critical factors in determining an engine oil’s ability to maintain optimal lubrication across varying operating conditions. The viscosity index (VI) is a measure of an oil’s resistance to thinning at higher temperatures and thickening at lower temperatures. A high VI indicates that the oil will maintain consistent viscosity across a wide temperature range, ensuring proper lubrication and protection for the engine components.
Sludge Formation Assessment
Assessing sludge formation is essential for understanding an oil’s ability to resist the build-up of harmful deposits that can impair engine performance. Through rigorous testing, the propensity of an oil to form sludge under high-temperature conditions is evaluated. Oils with low sludge formation tendencies exhibit superior cleanliness and maintain optimal engine operation over extended drain intervals, contributing to enhanced reliability and longevity.
When it comes to engine oil comparison tests, understanding the benchmarking parameters such as viscosity and temperature performance, as well as sludge formation assessment, is crucial for making informed decisions. By evaluating these key aspects, consumers and industry professionals can identify the most suitable engine oil for their specific needs.
Get insights from the Engine Oil Comparison Test Results on cold weather performance. The tests reveal variations in cold oil flow speed and anti-wear additives, highlighting the importance of choosing the right engine oil for optimal cold weather performance.
Freezing Point Analysis
Engine oil’s freezing point is a critical factor in cold weather performance. The ability of oil to remain fluid at low temperatures is essential for proper engine lubrication in chilly conditions. Testing the freezing point provides valuable insights into the oil’s ability to withstand extreme cold.
Cold Flow Dynamics
Cold flow dynamics refer to how well the oil flows at low temperatures. It’s crucial for engine oil to maintain its fluidity and flow smoothly during cold starts, as this impacts the overall performance and protection of the engine. Evaluating cold flow dynamics helps determine the oil’s effectiveness in cold weather conditions.
When it comes to engine oil performance, heat resistance and volatility are crucial factors to consider. Engine oils that can withstand high temperatures and exhibit low volatility are essential for maintaining optimal engine performance and longevity.
Noack Volatility Test Results
The NOACK volatility test is used to measure the evaporation loss of an engine oil when subjected to high temperatures. This test provides valuable information about the oil’s ability to resist evaporation, which can lead to oil thickening, deposits formation, and reduced lubrication efficiency.
In the NOACK test, the engine oil is heated to a specific temperature, and the weight loss due to evaporation is measured. The lower the weight loss, the lower the oil’s volatility, indicating better heat resistance.
Oil Stability At High Temperatures
Oil stability at high temperatures is crucial for preventing oil breakdown and degradation. Engine oils that maintain their viscosity and protective properties under extreme heat conditions ensure optimal lubrication and prevent engine wear and damage.
High-quality engine oils are formulated with additives that enhance their stability at high temperatures. These additives help to prevent oxidation, thermal breakdown, and the formation of harmful sludge and deposits.
When choosing an engine oil, it’s important to consider its performance in heat resistance and volatility. Engine oils with lower evaporation rates and excellent stability at high temperatures provide superior protection and ensure the longevity of your engine.
Referenced Sources
www.harley-performance.com
www.bestsynthetic.com
By William V. Belles
86 Houghton Dr, Houghton Estate, Johannesburg, 2198