Lubricant Tests: Performance, Quality and Durability Analysis

Properties of Mineral Oils, Methods of Obtaining, Classification

Importance of Lubricant Testing

Lubricants perform essential functions such as reducing friction, protecting equipment components and enabling heat transfer. Poor quality or incorrectly formulated lubricants can lead to premature equipment wear, energy loss and increased operating costs.

• Equipment Protection: Proper lubricants protect equipment components against wear and corrosion, reducing the risk of failure.
• Energy Efficiency: Lubricants with a low coefficient of friction reduce energy consumption and increase efficiency.
• Long Life: Quality lubricants ensure operational continuity by reducing maintenance requirements of equipment.

Lubricants are obtained by processing crude oil in refineries. Lubricants are not obtained directly. They are obtained by mixing base oils of different viscosity and additives added according to product properties.

Which Parameters are Evaluated in Lubricant Tests?

Various physical and chemical properties are analyzed to measure the performance and quality of lubricants:

1. Viscosity and Viscosity Index: Determines the fluidity of the oil. Oils with a high viscosity index behave more stable against temperature changes.
2. Wear and Surface Protection Properties: Tribological tests evaluate the friction and wear behavior of the oil.
3. Oxidation Stability: Indicates the thermal stability of the oil and its suitability for long-term use.
4. Corrosion Tests: Corrosion protection performance on metal surfaces is measured.
5. Foaming Tendency and Air Evacuation: The potential of the oil to form foam during use is evaluated.
6. Water Separation Capability (Demulsification): It is tested how fast the oil mixed with water can separate water.
7. Elemental Analysis: Additives, contaminants and wear metals contained in the oil are determined.

What are the Properties of Lubricants?

Friction occurs when the asperities on the product surfaces, that is, the indentations and protrusions that can be seen under a microscope, come into contact with each other on the dry surface. The main task of lubricants is to reduce friction between surfaces. By forming a film layer between the surfaces in contact, it separates two solid objects and allows the parts to move easily.

The Process of Obtaining Lubricants

Crude oil is processed in refineries to obtain “Mineral Oils”. Mineral oils are subjected to different special processes to obtain base oils, which are the raw materials of mineral oils. Afterwards, base oils are classified according to their viscosity and base oils with suitable viscosity for the desired mineral oils are mixed with additives.

Reasons for the differences in lubricants available on the market:

• Chemical differences of the base oils used
• Differences in the additives used

Classification of Lubricants:

1. Aliphatics

• Paraffinic
• Naphthenic

2. Aromatics

3. Aliphatic and Aromatics

Nanolab Laboratories Group continues to provide services within the scope of Mineral Oil Tests. We also provide services in Engine Oil Testing.

Contact us for more information.

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