TERM PAPER

FLUID MECHANICS

What are essential properties of

lubricants and types used in
industries.

SUMITTED BY : RAUSHAN
SUDHANSHU
SECTION : K4901
ROLL NO : RK4901B42
REGD : 10901326
SUMITTED TO: HIMANSHU
KAUSHAL
 AKNOWLELDGEMENT

As usual large number of people deserves my thanks for the help they provided
me for the preparation for this term paper.

First of all i would like to thanks my teacher Mr. Himanshu Kaushal for his
support during the preparation of this topic. I am very thankful for his guidance.

I would also like to thanks my friends for the encouragement and information
about the topic they provided to me during to me during my effort to prepare
this topic.

Raushan Sudhanshu

RK4901B42
 THE TABLE OF CONTENTS

1-INTRODUCTION

2 – TYPES

3 –PURPOSES

4 – PROPERTIES

5 – USES IN INDUSTRIES

6 -REFERENCES
 INTRODUCTION
A lubricant (sometimes referred to as "lube") is a substance (often a liquid) introduced
between two moving surfaces to reduce the friction between them, improving efficiency and
reducing wear. It may also have the function of dissolving or transporting foreign particles
and of distributing heat. A lubricant's ability to lubricate moving parts and reduce friction is
the property known as lubricity.

One of the single largest applications for lubricants, in the form of motor oil, is protecting
the internal combustion engines in motor vehicles and powered equipment.

Typically lubricants contain 90% base oil (most often petroleum fractions, called mineral
oils) and less than 10% additives. Vegetable oils or synthetic liquids such as
hydrogenated polyolefins, esters,silicones, fluorocarbons and many others are sometimes
used as base oils. Additives deliver reduced friction and wear, increased viscosity, improved
viscosity index, resistance to corrosion andoxidation, aging or contamination, etc.

Lubricants such as 2-cycle oil are added to fuels like gasoline which has low
lubricity. Sulfur impurities in fuels also provide some lubrication properties, which has to be
taken in account when switching to a low-sulfur diesel; biodiesel is a popular diesel fuel
additive providing additional lubricity.

Non-liquid lubricants include grease, powders (dry graphite, PTFE, Molybdenum

disulfide, tungsten disulfide, etc.), teflon tape used in plumbing, air cushion and others. Dry
lubricants such as graphite, molybdenum disulfide and tungsten disulfide also offer
lubrication at temperatures (up to 350 °C) higher than liquid and oil-based lubricants are able
to operate. Limited interest has been shown in low friction properties of compacted oxide
glaze layers formed at several hundred degrees Celsius in metallic sliding systems, however,
practical use is still many years away due to their physically unstable nature.

Another approach to reducing friction and wear is to use bearings such as ball bearings, roller
bearings or air bearings, which in turn require internal lubrication themselves, or to use
sound, in the case of acoustic lubrication.

In addition to industrial applications, lubricants are used for many other purposes. Other uses
include cooking (oils and fats in use in frying pans, in baking to prevent food sticking), bio-
medicalapplications on humans (e.g. lubricants for artificial joints), ultrasound examination,
internal examinations for males and females, and the use of personal lubricant for sexual
purposes.
 Types:-

There are basically two types of lubricants, petroleum-based and synthetic. Each of these
lubricants is suited for particular purposes and conditions. Each is also subject to varying
levels of oxidation and degradation and is compatible with only certain types of machinery
components, demands, and environments.

Everyone who owns an automobile knows that the engine oil has to be changed regularly to
provide longer engine life. The motor oil in an automobile’s engine is commonly a
petroleum-based lubricant. Though this type of lubricant contains the samehydrocarbon base
as the gasoline used to power the automobile, the formulations are quite different. The
hydrocarbon- or petroleum-based lubricating motor oil is designed to protect the various
moving parts of the engine, while gasoline, which is also a petroleum product, is formulated
to produce the explosive heat needed to power the engine.

Lubricants may be liquid, such as motor oil and hydraulic oil; they may be semi-solid or
solid, such as grease or Teflon® tape, or they may be dry, or powdered, such as dry graphite
or molybdenum disulfide. All lubricating materials for mechanized equipment are designed to
form some sort of protective coating between moving parts of machinery to protect these
parts from undue wear, contamination and oxidation.

Synthetic lubricants are precisely engineered chemical reactions on particular components.

These reactions are created by specifically applying varying amounts of heat and pressure to
the components. Synthetic motor oil is gaining popularity for automobile owners who use it
in place of petroleum-based motor oil. Synthetic lubricants are also used more extensively in
industry, because, though costlier to use originally, they are better suited to the demands of
modern engine and machine technology. Because synthetic motor and machinery oils don’t
have to be changed as frequently, consumers actually save in the long run.

There are also petroleum-based and synthetic hydraulic lubricants, also known as
hydraulic oils, which are formulated to be lighter and more free-flowing. They are used not
only for lubrication, but for the actual operation of hydraulic machinery. Hydraulic oils must
be able to flow freely through the pumps that compress the oil for the operation of the
machinery, and at the same time, must have the film-forming additives to lubricate the
moving parts of the pumping equipment.

In 1999, an estimated 37,300,000 tons of lubricants were consumed worldwide. The majority
was for automobiles, but other industrial, marine, and metal work applications are also big
consumers of lubricants. Although air and other gas-based lubricants are known, e.g. in fluid
bearings), liquid and solid lubricants dominate the market, especially the former. Although
generally lubricants are based on one type of base oil or another, it is quite possible to use
mixtures of the base oils to meet performance requirements.
Vegetable (natural) oils and other naturally derived lubricants
These are primarily triglyceride esters derived from plants and animals. For lubricant base oil
use the vegetable derived materials are preferred. Common ones include high oleic canola
oil, castor oil,palm oil, sunflower seed oil and rapeseed oil from vegetable, and Tall oil from
animal sources. Many vegetable oils are often hydrolyzed to yield the acids which are
subsequently combined selectively to form specialist synthetic esters. Other naturally derived
lubricants include lanolin (wool grease, a natural water repellent).

Whale oil was an historically important lubricant, with some uses up to the latter part of the
20th century as a friction modifier additive for automatic transmission fluid.[3]
Synthetic oils:-

Polyalpha-olefin (PAO)

Synthetic esters

Polyalkylene glycols (PAG)

Phosphate esters

Alkylated naphthalenes (AN)

Silicate esters

Ionic fluids

Solid lubricants:-
Dry lubricant:-

Teflon or PTFE
Teflon(PTFE) is typically used as a coating layer on, for example, cooking utensils to provide
a non-stick surface. Its usable temperature range up to 350°C and chemical inertness make it
a useful additive in special greases. Under extreme pressures, teflon powder or solids is of
little value as it is soft and flows away from the area of contact. Ceramic or metal or alloy
lubricants must be used then.

Inorganic solids
Graphite, hexagonal boron nitride, molybdenum disulfide and tungsten disulfide are
examples of materials that can be used as solid lubricants, often to very high temperature.
The use of some such materials is sometimes restricted by their poor resistance to oxidation
(e.g., molybdenum disulfide can only be used up to 350°C in air, but 1100°C in reducing
environments).

Metal/alloy
Metal alloys, composites and pure metals can be used as grease additives or the sole
constituents of sliding surfaces and bearings. Cadmium and Gold are used for plating surfaces
which gives them good corrosion resistance and sliding properties, Lead, Tin, Zinc alloys and
various Bronze alloys are used as sliding bearings, or their powder can be used to lubricate
sliding surfaces alone, or as additives to greases.

Additives:-
Oil additive:-

A large number of additives are used to impart performance characteristics to the lubricants.
The main families of additives are:

Antioxidants

Detergents

Anti-wear

Metal deactivators

Corrosion inhibitors, Rust inhibitors

Friction modifiers

Extreme Pressure

Anti-foaming agents

Viscosity index improvers

Demulsifying/Emulsifying

Stickiness improver, provide adhesive property towards tool surface (in metalworking)

Complexing agent (in case of greases)

Many of the basic chemical compounds used as detergents (example: calcium
sulfonate) serve the purpose of the first seven items in the list as well. Usually it is not
economically or technically feasible to use a single do-it-all additive compound. Oils
for hypoid gear lubrication will contain high content of EP additives. Grease lubricants may
contain large amount of solid particle friction modifiers, such as graphite, molybdenum
sulfide, etc.

Application by fluid types:-

Automotive

Engine oils

Petrol (Gasoline) engine oils

Diesel engine oils

Automatic transmission fluid

Gearbox fluids

Brake fluids

Hydraulic fluids

Tractor (one lubricant for all systems)

Universal Tractor Transmission Oil – UTTO

Super Tractor Oil Universal – STOU – includes engine

Other motors

2-stroke engine oils

Industrial

Hydraulic oils

Air compressor oils

Gas Compressor oils

Gear oils

Bearing and circulating system oils

Refrigerator compressor oils

Steam and gas turbine oils

Aviation

Gas turbine engine oils

Piston engine oils

Marine

Crosshead cylinder oils

Crosshead Crankcase oils

Trunk piston engine oils

Stern tube lubricants

Other lubricants:-
Lanolin
A natural water repellent, lanolin is derived from sheep wool grease, and is an alternative to
the more common petro-chemical based lubricants. This lubricant is also a corrosion
inhibitor, protecting against rust, salts, and acids.

Water
Water can be used on its own, or as a major component in combination with one of the other
base oils. Commonly used in engineering processes, such as milling and lathe turning.

Marketing

The global lubricant market is generally competitive with numerous manufacturers and
marketers. Overall the western market may be considered mature with a flat to declining
overall volumes while there is strong growth in the emerging economies. The lubricant
marketers generally pursue one or more of the following strategies when pursuing business.
 Purposes:-

Lubricants perform the following key functions:-

 Keep moving parts apart

 Reduce friction
 Transfer heat
 Carry away contaminants & debris
 Transmit power
 Protect against wear
 Prevent corrosion
 Seal for gases
 Stop the risk of smoke and fire of objects

Keep moving parts apart

Lubricants are typically used to separate moving parts in a system. This has the benefit of
reducing friction and surface fatigue together with reduced heat generation, operating noise
and vibrations. Lubricants achieve this by several ways. The most common is by forming a
physical barrier i.e. a thin layer of lubricant separates the moving parts. This is termed
hydrodynamic lubrication. In cases of high surface pressures or temperatures the fluid film is
much thinner and some of the forces are transmitted between the surfaces through

Reduce friction
Typically the lubricant-to-surface friction is much less than surface-to-surface friction in a
system without any lubrication. Thus use of a lubricant reduces the overall system friction.
Reduced friction has the benefit of reducing heat generation and reduced formation of wear
particles as well as improved efficiency. Lubricants may contain additives known as friction
modifiers that chemically bind to metal surfaces to reduce surface friction even when there is
insufficient bulk lubricant present for hydrodynamic lubrication, e.g. protecting the valve
train in a car engine at startup.

Transfer heat
Both gas and liquid lubricants can transfer heat. However, liquid lubricants are much more
effective on account of their high specific heat capacity. Typically the liquid lubricant is
constantly circulated to and from a cooler part of the system, although lubricants may be used
to warm as well as to cool when a regulated temperature is required. This circulating flow
also determines the amount of heat that is carried away in any given unit of time. High flow
systems can carry away a lot of heat and have the additional benefit of reducing the thermal
stress on the lubricant. Thus lower cost liquid lubricants may be used. The primary drawback
is that high flows typically require larger sumps and bigger cooling units. A secondary
drawback is that a high flow system that relies on the flow rate to protect the lubricant from
thermal stress is susceptible to catastrophic failure during sudden system shut downs. An
automotive oil-cooled turbocharger is a typical example. Turbochargers get red hot during
operation and the oil that is cooling them only survives as its residence time in the system is
very short i.e. high flow rate. If the system is shut down suddenly (pulling into a service area
after a high speed drive and stopping the engine) the oil that is in the turbo charger
immediately oxidizes and will clog the oil ways with deposits. Over time these deposits can
completely block the oil ways, reducing the cooling with the result that the turbo charger
experiences total failure typically with seized bearings. Non-flowing lubricants such as
greases & pastes are not effective at heat transfer although they do contribute by reducing the
generation of heat in the first place.

Carry away contaminants and debris

Lubricant circulation systems have the benefit of carrying away internally generated debris
and external contaminants that get introduced into the system to a filter where they can be
removed. Lubricants for machines that regularly generate debris or contaminants such as
automotive engines typically contain detergent and dispersant additives to assist in debris and
contaminant transport to the filter and removal. Over time the filter will get clogged and
require cleaning or replacement, hence the recommendation to change a car's oil filter at the
same time as changing the oil. In closed systems such as gear boxes the filter may be
supplemented by a magnet to attract any iron fines that get created.

It is apparent that in a circulatory system the oil will only be as clean as the filter can make it,
thus it is unfortunate that there are no industry standards by which consumers can readily
assess the filtering ability of various automotive filters. Poor filtration significantly reduces
the life of the machine (engine) as well as making the system inefficient.

Transmit power
Lubricants known as hydraulic fluid are used as the working fluid in hydrostatic power
transmission. Hydraulic fluids comprise a large portion of all lubricants produced in the
world. The automatic transmission's torque converter is another important application for
power transmission with lubricants.

Protect against wear

Lubricants prevent wear by keeping the moving parts apart. Lubricants may also contain anti-
wear or extreme pressure additives to boost their performance against wear and fatigue.

Prevent corrosion
Good quality lubricants are typically formulated with additives that form chemical bonds
with surfaces to prevent corrosion and rust.

Seal for gases

Lubricants will occupy the clearance between moving parts through the capillary force, thus
sealing the clearance. This effect can be used to seal pistons and shafts.

4. Properties of lubricants:
1. Viscosity: Viscosity is the property of a fluid that determines its resistance to flow. It isvan
indicator of flow ability of a lubricating oil, the lower the viscosity, greater the flow ability. If
temperature increases viscosity of the lubricating oil decreases. And pressurevincreases,
viscosity of the lubricating oil increases.
2. Viscosity index: The rate at which the viscosity of oil changes with temperature is
measured by an empirical number, known as the viscosity-index. A relatively small change in
viscosity with temperature is indicated by high viscosity index. Whereas a low viscosity
index shows a relatively large change in viscosity with temperature.
3. Flash and fire point: The flash point of oil is the lowest temperature at which it gives off
vapors that will ignite for a moment when a small flame is brought near it. The fire point of
an oil is the lowest temperature at which the vapors of the oil burn continuously for at least 5
seconds when a small flame is brought near it. The flash and fire points are used to indicate
the fire hazards of petroleum products and evaporation losses under high temperature
operations. Knowledge of flash and fire points in lubricating oil helps to take preventive
measures against fire hazards.
4. Cloud and pour point: The cloud point of petroleum oil is the temperature at which
solidifiable compounds, like paraffin wax, present in the oil begin to crystallize or separate
from solution. The pour point of petroleum oil is the temperature at which the oil ceases to
flow or pour.
Cloud and pour points indicate the suitability of lubricants in cold conditions.
5.Aniline point: Aniline point is defined as “ the minimum equilibrium solution
temperature for equal volume of aniline and oil sample”. A lower aniline point of an oil
means a higher percentage of aromatic hydrocarbons in it. Aromatic hydrocarbons have a
tendency to –dissolve natural rubber and certain types of synthetic rubbers. Thus good
lubricating oil should have higher aniline point.
Aniline point gives an indication of the possible deterioration of oil in contact with
rubber sealing, packing, etc. Aromatic hydrocarbons have a tendency to dissolve natural
rubber and certain types of synthetic rubbers. Consequently, low aromatic content in the
lubricants is desirable. A higher aniline point means a higher percentage of paraffin
hydrocarbons and hence a lower percentage of aromatic hydrocarbons.
Aniline point is determined by mixing mechanically equal volumes of the oil sample and
aniline is a tube. The mixture is heated, till homogeneous solution is obtained. Then the
tube is allowed to cool at a controlled rate. The temperature at which the two phases (oil
and aniline) separate out is recorded at the aniline point.
General composition:-
Lubricants are generally composed of a majority of base oil and a minority of additives to
impart desirable characteristics.

REFERENCES:-
• www.wikipedia.org

• www.stle.org/assets/document/Lubricant_Selection

• www.leolubricants.com