Reasons to Use Industrial Lubricant
In industrial machinery, lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and help keep machines running smoothly. They also disperse heat and protect against contaminants.
Different types of lubricants are used depending on the equipment and operating conditions. These factors include temperature, pressure, load, and speed. Additives can also impact lubricant performance. They include anti-foaming agents, viscosity index improvers, and antioxidants.
Reduces Friction
The most crucial function of any lubricant is to reduce friction. Without a lubricant, metal surfaces touch each other with asperities (microscopic bumps). These asperities generate heat and create friction.
A lubricant forms a film that separates the asperities. This reduces friction and allows the metal surfaces to slide past each other smoothly.
Most lubricants contain base oils and additives that deliver specific performance properties. For example, anti-foam agents keep lubricant from foaming at high temperatures; viscosity index improvers slow the change in lubricant viscosity with temperature; and corrosion inhibitors protect against rust and oxidation.
Reduces Wear
Industrial lubricants reduce wear and tear on machinery by dissipating heat, minimizing friction, and protecting equipment from corrosion. Different lubricants are designed to work in specific environments and applications; some contain additives that enhance their performance.
The base oil of a lubricant separates opposing surfaces, and its additives provide various benefits. For example, anti-wear additives prevent abrasive wear by creating a protective layer on the surface (zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate), and extreme pressure additives protect components from seizure by creating a barrier against internal stresses (graphite or molybdenum disulfide).
Other important features of industrial lubricants include foam suppression, viscosity index improvers, and corrosion inhibitors.
Reduces Noise
Lubrication can reduce noise and vibration by acting as a cushion between mechanical parts. It can also prevent metal-to-metal contact and help dissipate heat from friction.
Lubricants also help keep debris and contaminants out of machinery. This can reduce the need for re-lubrication and protect components from corrosion and wear.
Lubricants come in various formulas and can meet specific requirements for different applications. Food-safe lubricants, for example, can be used in food production processes without posing a risk to consumers. Other types of lubricants can be used in high-pressure applications and have extended temperature resistance.
Reduces Corrosion
A lubricant’s corrosion inhibitors protect against humidity, water contamination, and high temperatures that can cause corrosion. They are sacrificial additives that oxidize faster than the lubricant to prevent it from degrading and losing its corrosion protection properties.
Many lubricants are formulated to meet various performance criteria, including viscosity, wear resistance, and oxidation stability. Choosing the correct industrial lubricant Richmond VA, for a specific application requires careful consideration of all these properties.
A lubricant’s corrosion inhibitor must be carefully selected to ensure that it is compatible with its other additive chemistry and does not compromise any other function. The corrosion inhibitor should also protect against the corrosive effects of different metals, operating conditions, and environments.
Reduces Oxidation
Industrial lubricants are specially formulated to answer the many challenges of industrial equipment and machinery. They can prevent damage, extend service intervals, increase equipment work rates, and boost performance.
When oil oxidizes, it can degrade the base oil, generating acids that cause corrosive metal component wear. It can also give off a foul odor like rotten eggs.
Lubricants can be enhanced with anti-oxidation additives to reduce oxidation. These can include anti-foaming agents, viscosity index improvers, and metal deactivators. In addition to preventing oxidation, they can help to reduce corrosion.
Reduces Rust
Industrial lubricants are fluids and greases that reduce friction, binding, and wear by coating surfaces that touch or slide against one another. They also help prevent corrosion and rust.
They may be formulated to protect metal surfaces from corrosion and rust by dissolving oxides, neutralizing acids, or reducing moisture. They can also include rust inhibitors that form a protective film on sliding surfaces or anti-corrosion additives that absorb oxygen and moisture.
Industrial lubricants come in liquid and solid forms. Liquid lubricants are made from mineral, synthetic, or vegetable oils combined with thickeners and additives to optimize their properties.
Reduces Sludge
Industrial lubricant is specially formulated to address several challenges machinery encounters, including harsh working environments and severe environmental conditions. These lubricants protect equipment from degradation, improve efficiency, and extend its active lifespan.
Over time, lubricant degrades into a watery substance and metal particles that form sludge and varnish. These contaminants are unstable in the oil, so they search for a place to settle and deposit themselves on machine surfaces.
Dispersants in lubricants help to suspend sludge, decreasing its detrimental effects on viscosity and engine performance. However, this approach has limits.
