Lubricants are indispensible for reducing the friction produced for moving one object against another and it allows the machines to perform same amount of work by input of same energy. Lubricants are useful for lowering the temperature produced from the objects in contact and moreover, it ensures the lifespan of the moving machines.
You may find different kinds of lubricants available in the market. However, as the liquid type of lubricants, the lubricating oil contains different properties that are helpful to determine how to function under different environment and conditions.
Some of the important properties of lubricating oils are as followed-
- Lubricity
Lubricity means oiliness present in the lubricant oil as it comes from its chemical composition. Lubricity helps to reduce friction and wear even under extreme condition.
- Viscosity
Viscosity helps to measure the thickness of the fluid as well as its resistance capacity to flow. If the viscosity of lubricating oil remains higher, it will be thicker and it will take much more energy to move any object. As per the suggestion of The Society of Automotive Engineers, or SAE, the viscosity of lubricating oil can be scaled by the numerical grading.
- Viscosity Index
With the change of temperature when the viscosity of lubricant oil is changed, it can be measured through the viscosity index or VI. When the temperature rises, the viscosity index decreases and vice versa.
- Cloud Point
Usually the petroleum-based lubricant oils include dissolved wax. This wax is separated from the lubricant oil at low temperature that is known as cloud point in order to form wax crystals. Such crystals are helpful for clogging filters and different undersized openings, depositing on surfaces as heat exchanges and overall increasing the viscosity of oil.
- Pour Point
The pour point refers to the lowest temperature of a lubricant when the oil flows from the container. Since the viscosity of lubricating oil remains higher at lower temperature, it resists the lubricating oil to flow.
- Oxidation and Corrosion
If the lubricant oils are exposed to oxygen and these contain compounds and metals at temperatures more than 160 degree Fahrenheit, chances are there for oxidation. Such oxidation for the lubricant oil causes different unwanted consequences like formation of corrosive acids, enlarged oil viscosity and building up of sludge. So while purchasing lubricant oils, the buyers need to choose those lubricants that are highly oxidation resistant and corrosion hindrance.
- Flash, Fire, and Auto-ignition Points
For lubricating oil, the properties such as flash points, fire point and auto-ignition points are important in order to know the temperature of vaporized oil, ignition temperature of oil vapor without any external ignition and so on.
If you are going to invest your money for purchasing lubricating oil, these properties of lubricating oil should be considered for making a wise investment.
