CONTENTS

I. FUNCTIONS OF LUBRICANTS II. HOW ADDITIVES IMPROVE LUBRICANT PERFORMANCE III. WHY MIGHT A LUBRICANT FAIL TO LUBRICATE?

IV. LUBRICANT SELECTION

V. LUBRICANT COMPATIBILITY

I. FUNCTIONS OF LUBRICANTS
A lubricant for modern machinery must do much more than just perform the basic requirements of reducing friction, heat and wear. It must: Lubricate by forming a fluid film between loaded moving parts Act as a coolant to remove heat (often very high) from both inside and outside the machine. Receive and carry away contaminants arising from both internal

and external sources

Act as a hydraulic medium in many applications

Contd. FUNCTIONS OF LUBRICANTS

The use of additives enables a lubricant to: Protect against wear of highly-loaded parts where the fluid film is very

thin (i.e. boundary lubrication)

Protects against rust and corrosion of precision parts made of various metals. Protect against the build-up of deposits (sludge and varnish) in the lubrication system. Resist aeration and foaming, which can cause malfunctions. Resist or aid emulsion formation in systems containing water.

II. HOW ADDITIVES IMPROVE LUBRICANT PERFORMANCE

Additives are used in most lubricants to improve their performance. These are required to meet the demands of todays machinery and to extend the life of both the equipment and the lubricant themselves. Without additivecompounded lubricants, it would not be possible to operate sophisticated machines, such as modern engines and automatic transmissions, in their present form.

Wear Protection
Antiwear additives are often required under highly-loaded or extreme pressure (EP) conditions of boundary lubrication-that is, applications which do not have a full fluid film. Under these conditions, excessive heat and wear can result from metal-to-metal contact when lubricants without antiwear additives are used.

Contd. II. HOW ADDITIVES IMPROVE LUBRICANT PERFORMANCE

However, when a lubricant containing antiwear additive is used, the high temperature at the surface contact points causes the additive to chemically combine with the mating surfaces. This film has low friction characteristics (that is, it is slippery) and therefore acts like a solid lubricant between surfaces, which considerably reduces friction by preventing metal-to-metal contact.

Contd. II. HOW ADDITIVES IMPROVE LUBRICANT PERFORMANCE

Rust and Corrosion Protection
Many lubrication systems can be contaminated with water from condensation or leaks from water jackets, etc. In such cases, it is necessary to use an oil containing an anti-rust additive to protect against rusting. Such oils are called rust inhibited oils. Rusting cannot proceed without the presence of both water and oxygen. The more common types of rust inhibitors prevent rust formation by attaching themselves to iron surfaces to provide a protective film, to prevent water and oxygen from reaching the surface.

Contd. II. HOW ADDITIVES IMPROVE LUBRICANT PERFORMANCE

Rusting is just one particular form of corrosion. A similar protective film is used to protect bearing metals from corrosive attack by the products of oil decomposition which, as we shall soon see, occurs in all oil systems exposed to air under high temperature conditions. Another form of corrosion involves attack on metals by reactive acids that form when fuel is burned in engines. These corrosive acids which form during engine operation can be rendered harmless (or neutralized) by additives in the oil which react with the acids. Chemically speaking, these additives are basic (or alkaline) in nature and they provide the oil with a high level of a chemical property called a base number (BN).

The higher the BN, the longer the oil can keep neutralizing acids before the oil has to be finally replaced (because all the additive has been consumed).

Contd. II. HOW ADDITIVES IMPROVE LUBRICANT PERFORMANCE

Base number is particularly significant for oils lubricating diesel engines burning higher sulfur fuel ( greater than 0.5 % mass sulfur), because the higher the sulfur content of the fuel, the higher will be the potential for acid build-up in the engine.

Oxidation Stability (Resistance to Oxidation)

Oxidation is the chemical decomposition of a lubricant as a result of oxygen in the air chemically combining with the oil to produce reaction products of acid and sludge. Oxidation affects lubricant life. The higher the oxidation stability of an oil, the longer its expected service life. The rate of oxidation is increased with: high temperature (reaction of oxygen faster) excessive agitation (which causes greater contact of the oil with air)

presence of rust, copper or water (which help to speed up the

chemical reaction.)

Contd. II. HOW ADDITIVES IMPROVE LUBRICANT PERFORMANCE

Slight oxidation is harmless, since the small amount of oxidized material can be carried in solution in the oil without adverse affect. However, oxidation can convert these initial materials into acids, which attack and corrode metals. Continued oxidation produces products which eventually become insoluble in the bulk oil, resulting in the build-up of harmful varnish and sludge deposits on machine parts. At the same time, viscosity and acid content of the oil increase and the oil darkens in colour. In extreme cases, the oil can thicken dramatically. Oil oxidized this badly would cause serious damage to the engine. To combat this effect and to ensure long service life, additives called oxidation inhibitors are added to lubricants used in engines, automatic transmissions, gear cases, hydraulic systems, turbines, compressors, etc. Although these reduce the rate of oil oxidation, they cannot prevent it altogether.

Contd. II. HOW ADDITIVES IMPROVE LUBRICANT PERFORMANCE

In heavy-duty, high temperature applications, it is essential to control deposits caused by oil contaminants and oxidation products. Detergent / dispersant additives are used for this purpose in products such as engine oils, power transmission fluids, heat transfer oils and paper mill circulating oils. Detergent/ dispersant additives function by forming envelopes around the contaminants and oxidized products to keep them suspended in the oil in a very fine state of dispersion. The particles are so small that they circulate harmlessly throughout the lubrication system and filters without settling out and depositing on machine parts.

Contd. II. HOW ADDITIVES IMPROVE LUBRICANT PERFORMANCE

Proof of the effectiveness of detergent/dispersant additives can be demonstrated by observing the appearance of engine oil after an oil change. An oil with good detergency/dispersancy properties will soon darken or even turn black as it take up contaminants such as carbon, soot, etc. It then holds the particles in a finely dispersed state until the next oil change, when all of the contaminants will be drained from the engine with the used oil. Old technology or low quality engine oils (that is, those oils with few or no additives) remain clear between oil changes because they do not hold contaminants in dispersion. Consequently, since the contaminants are not removed with the used oil, they stay in the engine to cause harmful sludge and varnish deposit build-up on engine parts.
There is a common misconception among customers that an oil is better if it looks cleaner when drained from the engine.

Contd. II. HOW ADDITIVES IMPROVE LUBRICANT PERFORMANCE

Resistance to Foaming
Excessive foaming of oils can cause problems in some applications, such as in hydraulic systems, where foam formation can cause oil starvation at hydraulic pump inlets and can lead to spongy and erratic system operation. It can also accelerate oil oxidation and, therefore, cause harmful deposit build-up in oil circulating systems. Additives which help to control the build-up of foam are called foam inhibitors and work by reducing the strength of the foam bubbles (i.e. they reduce the surface tension of the bubbles) so that the bubbles break more readily and allow the entrapped air to escape from the oil.

III. WHY MIGHT A LUBRICANT FAIL TO LUBRICATE?

During service, all lubricants will lose some of the lubricating properties provided by additives. This is because many of the additives used in lubricants are consumed or chemically changed while carrying out their functions. Therefore, depending on the type of service, additives must periodically either be replenished with make-up lubricant, replaced completely with a fresh charge of lubricant or, in very large systems, the oil can sometimes be spiked with a concentrated additive make-up, after first determining the correct quantity to use by testing a sample of the used oil in a laboratory. However, it is contamination from internal and external sources that is the biggest threat to a lubricant's usefulness. More often than not, the main cause of customer complaints on lubricant performance are due to contamination, rather than any deficiency in the quality of the product itself.

Contd. WHY MIGHT A LUBRICANT FAIL TO LUBRICATE?

Contamination can be either: Water contamination Or Solid contamination, such as wear metals, carbon and dirt.

Water contamination
Water contamination is a common reason why lubricants fail to lubricate. Sometimes the oil is contaminated even before it is added to equipment. As temperatures change, drums breathe and water is drawn inside. Therefore, it is a poor practice to store lubricant drums outdoors in an upright position. Water contamination weakens the lubricating film between moving surfaces and is responsible for producing one of the worst enemies of all machinesabrasive rust. Water can also interfere with the action of some additives and may, in some systems form unwanted emulsions which can complicate lubricant purification.

Contd. WHY MIGHT A LUBRICANT FAIL TO LUBRICATE?

Solid contamination
Solid contaminants include such things as carbon, wear metals and dust and may come from many sources. Metal particles in a lubrication system are the most worrisome because they may be due to internal wear. They are real danger signals that something is wrong with the machine or lubricant, and it is essential to locate the problem and correct it the first indication of abnormal wear.

Carbon contamination of engine crankcase oils is common and is one of the reasons why these oils are changed periodically. Carbon contamination is less common in industrial systems, but can occur if the oil is cooked due, for instance, to a shaft journal bearing overheating, or to the overheating of a heat transfer oil
As mentioned before, sludge and varnish deposits can build up as a result of oil oxidation. Although these non-metallic contaminants are not abrasive, they can gum up close-tolerance parts such as controllers,

WHY MIGHT A LUBRICANT FAIL TO LUBRICATE?

Solid contamination
Hydraulic valves, governors, and small oil passageways and, so, interfere with the effective operation of equipment. Dirt and dust particles are the most common form of contamination and are, unfortunately, abrasive to metal components. Even small amounts of dirt and dust can cause serious wear and ruin an engine, compressor, or hydraulic system in a matter of minutes. Lack of air filters or vents of storage tanks, or air filters in poor repair, can be an entry for airborne dust contamination. This problem is at its worst in dusty conditions, as are experienced with construction equipment, and in mining operations. Faulty seals are another point for dust and dirt. If an oil can leak out, dirt may be getting in. Exposed piston rods on hydraulic rams are a case in point. Eighty-five percent of failures in hydraulic systems are caused by oil contamination.

Contd. WHY MIGHT A LUBRICANT FAIL TO LUBRICATE?

Dirt and dust can also be sucked in by bearings which act like pumps. This, of course, wears the seats and makes further contamination with dirt even easier. Contamination During Storage and Handling One of the major causes of contamination is improper storage and handling of lubricants. Contamination can also occur when oil is pumped into a dirty container or into one previously used for some other purpose. Failure to clean around filter compartments when servicing equipment can also allow dirt to get into the oil.

IV. LUBRICANT SELECTION

The complexity of machines, coupled with the many lubricants available, often make it difficult for even the most experienced engineer to select the most practical lubricant. Wherever possible, it is good practice to follow the recommendations of the equipment manufacturer, which are often determined only after exhaustive testing of the lubricant in the manufacturers equipment. If a manufacturer s recommendations are not available, you should take the advice of your Marketing Technical Department. An engineer will take into consideration the following essential factors before making lubricant recommendations: Temperature of operation Speed Load Time the equipment is to operate between oil changes

Contd. LUBRICANT SELECTION

Method of lubrication application Size, type and materials of elements to be lubricated.

LUBRICANT COMPATIBILITY
Compatibility of lubricants is important where the products may be mixed together in service, either by topping-up a lubrication system or by incomplete draining or flushing when changing the used lubricant.

Any two lubricants exhibit incompatibility when a mixture of the products shows physical properties or service performance which is markedly inferior to those of either of the lubricants before mixing. Properties or
performance inferior to one oil but superior to the other may be due to simple mixing and would not necessarily indicate incompatibility. Experience has shown that, in general, no problems will be experienced between two high-quality brand name lubricants which are intended for the same type of service.

Problems may arise, however, where lubricants of different types designed for different applications are mixed together.

Contd. LUBRICANT COMPATIBILITY

These materials are formed by chemical reactions between different types of oil additives. It is interesting to note that these chemical reactions only begin with the entry of water into the system which, again, emphasizes the need for proper storage and handling of lubricants.

Incompatibility problems are unlikely to occur between two high quality products which are intended for the same basic service.