Guidelines should always be followed when selecting a lubricant for a particular application. OEMs will have specific criteria ranges for specialty applications that must be satisfied. Some general guidelines which should be considered can be summarized in the table below based on the listed mechanisms above.
Based on the three listed mechanisms above, one can identify that choosing a lubricant can impact the type of degradation which occurs during its lifetime. As such, when selecting lubricants, it is critical to note their applications and the conditions they will endure.
Having a history of lubricant failures for particular equipment can also assist in this regard by informing users of past failure trends. Therefore, when selecting a lubricant, operators can be more mindful of the properties which should not be compromised during the selection process.
The process of troubleshooting degradation in lubricants has been covered in detail in the book, “Lubrication Degradation – Getting Into the Root Causes” by Bob Latino and myself, published by CRC Press, Taylor and Francis.
Want to read the entire article? Find it here in Precision Lubrication Magazine!
