Evaluating the performance of industrial lubricants
Industrial equipment lubricating oils can be divided into general industrial lubricants, special oils, and dedicated oils. General industrial lubricants are used for machinery without special requirements, operating at moderate temperatures and loads, and under relatively mild working conditions, such as machine tool transmission machinery, textile machinery, construction-road, lifting, transportation, metallurgy, mining machinery, and equipment in other industrial sectors. General industrial lubricants typically do not contain additives, and apart from their lubricating function, there are no special requirements for them. The lubricating function primarily depends on viscosity and anti-aging performance.
Evaluating the performance of industrial lubricants involves several key steps:
Viscosity: Viscosity is crucial for lubricating oils as it affects their ability to maintain a film between moving parts. Measure viscosity at operating temperatures using appropriate techniques such as kinematic viscosity testing.
Wear Protection: Evaluates the ability of lubricants to prevent wear through scar testing, four-ball wear testing, or Timken OK load testing.
Reduce friction: Evaluate the ability of lubricants to reduce friction, which is crucial for improving efficiency and minimizing energy consumption. Friction tests, such as coefficient of friction measurements, can be conducted.
Oxidation stability: Assess the oil's resistance to oxidation and thermal degradation, which can lead to sludge formation and viscosity changes over time. Methods such as oxidation stability tests and differential scanning calorimetry can be employed.
Corrosion Protection: Evaluates the ability of lubricating oil to protect metal surfaces from corrosion in harsh operating environments. Corrosion tests such as ASTM D665 or ASTM D1748 can be conducted.
Water separation: Evaluates the ability of lubricating oil to separate from water in environments where water contamination is a concern.