Given the various types of hydraulic oils that exist, can they all be consolidated into one hydraulic oil that can serve the purpose for all the applications? The short answer is no, the longer answer is that if there is overlap among OEM recommendations within the same viscosity, then there is a possibility of consolidation...

Hydraulics comprise of lots of different operations as such, they will be called upon to perform in various applications. Some of these can include being fire resistant, biodegradable or even being able to also act as an engine oil...

Hydraulic oils today need to provide longer oil drain intervals, better stick/slip characteristics, increased efficiency, improved conductivity and wear performance and an added level of sustainability...

The global industrial gear oil market is projected to reach USD 5.2 billion by 2027, with the Asia-Pacific region holding a dominant share of 56.2% in 2021. Synthetic gear oils, particularly helical gears, are on the rise, driven by advancements in gear production and the need for improved performance in compact applications...

Gear oils should be stored in a clean, dry environment to avoid contamination and degradation. Advances in additive technology reduce settling issues, but adherence to OEM expiry dates is crucial, with synthetic oils lasting 5-10 years and mineral oils 2-3 years. Proper storage prevents water contamination and ensures equipment longevity...

Gear oils often experience a decline in antiwear, extreme pressure, rust, and oxidation additives due to high wear and pressure. Monitoring changes in viscosity, particularly a ±10% shift, is crucial as it may indicate contamination or increased wear metals. Consistently elevated wear metals suggest internal component wear...

Industrial gear oils must adapt to various environmental conditions, characterized by factors such as viscosity-temperature, stability, and protection against corrosion and oxidation. Different regions use classification systems like ISO and AGMA. Notably, the DIN 51517 classification provides insights into the additives and protections offered by various gear oil types...

Gears are essential in various applications but experience friction and potential damage without proper lubrication. This article discusses gear lubricants, types of gears, their requirements based on operational conditions, and the impact of lubricant viscosity. It also highlights failure criteria in gear systems and provides guidance on selecting appropriate industrial gear oils...

(Future Market Insights, 2024) estimates the Viscosity Index Improver market will be USD 4.06B in 2024 and will increase to USD 5.39B by 2034. Additionally, in 2024, vehicle lubricants account for around 51.6% of the VII market. This is not just limited to the multigrade oils but includes transmission fluids, greases, and other oils. On the other hand, with the move towards more sustainable oils, Ethylene propylene Copolymer (OCP) is projected at a 30.4% industry share in 2024. Given the move towards more sustainable products, this is expected to increase...

Viscosity index improvers, therefore, enhance the overall efficiency of these systems by maintaining the lubricant’s viscosity throughout the changing temperatures. Subsequently, there is no need for additional heaters in the lube oil system, which would also require additional energy. This is another area where cost and energy savings can also be achieved...

Essentially, VIIs try to maintain the oil’s viscosity at varying temperatures. They try to ensure that the oil does not experience a loss of viscosity, which can occur due to high temperature or shear. VIIs can be considered polymers, which are tightly wound coils. When temperature or shear is applied to these coils, they unravel (lose their viscosity). Depending on the amount of shear, they may never recover their original shape (or viscosity)...

Viscosity Index Improvers (VIIs) are additives that help maintain the viscosity of lubricating oils across a wide temperature range, ensuring consistent performance. This article......

When determining the health of your diesel engine oil, the first thing to check is the oil’s viscosity, total base number (TBN), whether all the additives are at the correct levels, if there are any wear metals or contaminants present and finally the presence of water or fuel dilution as shown in Figure 3...

Several factors affect oil degradation in a diesel engine. According to The International Council on Combustion Engines (The International Council on Combustion Engines, 2004), these include specific lube oil consumption; specific lube oil capacity; system oil circulation speed; NOx content in the crankcase atmosphere; and influence on the lubricant, fuel contamination in trunk piston engines, deposition tendency on the cylinder liner wall, metals in lubricant systems, and oil top-up intervals. These can further be divided into systemic conditions (which cannot be easily altered) and environmental conditions (because of processes occurring within or to the system) as shown in Figure 2...

CK4 oils provide enhanced protection against oil oxidation and viscosity loss caused by shear and oil aeration, catalyst poisoning, particulate filter blocking, engine wear, piston deposits, degradation of low- and high-temperature properties, and soot-related viscosity increase compared to the CJ4 oils (API, 2024). It must be noted that FA4 oils are not backward compatible with the CJ4 oils nor are they intended for on- or off-highway applications which require CJ4 oils...

For the three additives we spoke about earlier, each of them is sacrificial in one way or another. Defoamants get used up when they......

Traditionally, detergents were given their name as it was assumed that they provided cleaning properties to the oil, similar to laundry detergents. However, these......

Quite often, detergents and dispersants are grouped together mainly because their functions can complement each other. As noted above, the significant difference is that......

Defoamants, also called antifoam additives, are found in many oils. Most oils need to keep foam levels to a minimum, and it is very......

Additives can enhance, suppress, or add new properties to oils. Defoamants, dispersants, and detergents are no exceptions. This trio of additives can be found......

Each additive works differently to produce its function on the base oil and the overall finished lubricant. This section will explore how each of......

There are many types of lubricant additives, and various formulations exist from different suppliers. In this section, we will cover the most common additives......

Lubricants keep the world turning. Once something moves, a lubricant should be present to reduce friction or wear between the surfaces. But what makes......

The terms antiwear additives and extreme pressure additives are often used interchangeably, suggesting that they provide the same functions in a lubricant. This is......

There are many types of antiwear additives, but they typically all fall under the category of polar materials such as fatty oils, acids, and......

As the name suggests, antiwear additives help to prevent wear in one way or another. However, what makes them unique compared to other additives......

The viscosity of oil is one of its most essential characteristics. Thus, it is important to understand how this is measured and quantified. There......

Similar to the molasses and water examples above, different factors can affect the viscosity of a liquid. For instance, water can assume other states......

Oil viscosity is the internal friction within an oil that resists its flow. It measures the oil’s resistance to flow and is one of the......