LUBRICANT

Introduction:
Any substances which reduces the friction when introduced between two moving or sliding
surfaces is called lubricant. The process of reducing frictional resistance between the moving and
sliding surfaces by the help of lubricant is called lubrication. The main purpose of using lubricant
is to keep the sliding or moving surfaces apart so that frictional resistance and resulting damage
of the material is minimized.
Functions of lubricant:
1. It reduces friction.
2. It acts as coolant to reduce heat in a machine.
3. It reduces wear, tear and surface deformation of machinery.
4. It keeps out dirts from machine parts.
5. It acts as a seal especially in IC engine preventing leakge of gases.
6. It prevents rusts and corrosion.
7. It transmits fluid power.
8. It improves the efficiency of machine by reducing the loss in the form of heat.
9. It avoids seizure of moving surfaces.
Classification
Lubricants can be classified broadly on the basis of physical state as follows:
1. Lubricating oils ( liquid lubricants)
2. Grease (semi solid lubricants)
3. Solid lubricants
Lubricating oils:
They reduce the friction and wear between two moving and sliding surfaces by providing a
continuous fluid film in between them.
They also act as cooling medium, sealing agents and corrosions preventors.
Good lubricating oil must possess:
1. Low pressure
2. Low freezing point
3. Heat stability
4. Adequate viscosity for particular service condition
5. High oxidation resistance
6. Non corrosive properties
7. Stability at operating temp.
There are three types of lubricating oils :

 Animal and vegetable oils

  Mineral and petroleum oils
 Blended oils
Animal and vegetable oils:

 Animal oils are obtained from crude ft by the process of rendering.

 Vegetable oils are obtained by crushing seeds.
 They possess good oiliness.
 Due to their costs, they are now less used, rather used as blending agent nowadays.
Mineral and petroleum oils:
They are obtained by distillation of petroleum. They have the following characteristics—Cheap,
abundant, stable under service conditions
Out the liquid lubricating acids, stearic acids etc.
Blended Oils
No single oil can be most satisfactory lubricant for many of the modern machineries. Blended
oils give desire lubricating properties required for the particular machinery.
Some additives can be used as follows:
1. Oiliness carriers e.g., coconut oil, fatty acids etc.
2. Extreme pressure additives e.g. fatty ester, sulfur containing organic materials etc.
3. Thickeners e.g. , polystyrene, polyesters etc.
4. Anti oxidants or inhibitors e.g., aromatic compounds
5. Corrosion preventers e.g., organic compounds of phosphorous or antimony. So on and so
forth.
Greases (or semi solid lubricants)
Grease is a semi solid substance containing a soap dispersed throughout the liquid lubricating
oils. It is obtained by combining lubricating oil with thickening agent. The thickening agent
consists primarily of special soaps of lithium, sodium, calcium, barium, aluminium etc.
The main function of soap is thickening agent so that, grease sticks firmly to the metal surface .
Grease are classified on the basis of soap used in the preparation as follows:
1. Calcium based greases or cup greases : suitable to use at low temperature.
2. Soda based greases ; suitable to use in ball bearing
3. Lithium based greases: suitable to use at low temperature (15o )
4. Axle greases: Very cheap resin grease, suitable for less declicate equipment workink
under high loads and at low speeds.

Solid Lubricants
They are used when lubricating oils and grease can’t be used in operating conditions because of
various reasons like high operating temp.
Graphite and molybdenum disulphide are two most commonly used solid lubricants
Graphite
It consists of a no. of flat plates made up of networks of hexagons in which each carbon is in sp2
hybridization. It is very soapy to touch, noninflammable and not oxidized in air below 375
degree centigrade.
∆ Used as powdered form or suspension form
When graphite is dispersed in oil, it is called oildag, and when it is in water it is called aquadag.
Uses: as lubricant in air compressors, lathes, general machine shop works, foodstuffs industries,
railway track joins, open gears, chains, IC engines etc.
Molybdenum disulphide:
It is sandwich like structure, in which a layer of molybdenum atoms lies between two layers of
sulphur. It possesses low coefficient of friction and stable in air at 400c.
A fine powder sprinkled on the surfaces, which fills spots in metal surfaces forms its film. It is
also used along with solvents in greases. Besides, other substances like soapstone, talc, mica are
solid lubricants.
Synthetic lubricants (oil)
It is a petroleum based lubricant based lubricant, which can also be used at very high temp. and
chemically reactive atmosphere by using specific additives.
For example: polymerized hydrocarbon, polyglycol and related compounds, organic amine,
imine and amides, silicones, fluorocarbons, etc
General character : non inflammable, high thermal stability, chemical stability, high flash points
etc.

Paints
Paint is a mixture of a pigament and a binding medium usually thinned with a solvent to form a
liquid vehicle, e.g. lacquer whitewash, varnish etc. It consists of the following:
i. Pigaments, which provide opacity and color and can affect the degree of gloss.
ii. Binders, which keep the powdery pigment together.
 iii. Solvents, ( and thinners and dispersing agents), which evaporate after application to
leave behind the film of bound pigment.
Requisites of a good paint
i. Enough fluidity for spreading on the protected surface
ii. Glossy, stable and adhesive
iii. Corrosive preventive
iv. Easily applicable
v. Not crackable on drying
vi. Able to form a quite tough, uniform and impervious film etc.

Types
i. Varnishes
ii. Enamels
iii. Lacquers
iv. Emulsions paints
v. Special paints
Varnishes:
Varnish is protective and decorative homogeneous colloidal solution of natural or synthetic
resin in oil or thinner or both. It is a transparent, hard, protective finish or film primarily used in
wood finishing but also for other materials.
Types:-
1. Oil varnish (oleoresinous varnish):- A homogeneous solution of natural or synthetic
resins in drying oil and volatile solvent, e.g. copal varnish, used for exterior as well as
interior works.
2. Sprit varnish:- Varnish consisting of natural, plant or insect derived substance dissolved
in a solvent, called sprit varnish or solvent varnish. The solvent may be alcohol,
turpentine, or peterolium-based, used for polishing modern furniture.
Characteristics:
1. Soft, tender, elastic and quickly drying.
2. Glossy and shining film which does not shrink or crack.
Uses:- Protecting and for improving the appearance and intessifying the ornamental grains of
surface of wood.
Enamel
An enamel paint is a paint that air dries to a hard, usually glossy, finish. In reality, most
commercially available enamel paints are significantly softer than either vitreous enamel or
stoved synthetic resins. Enamel consists of a) pigments(titanium oxide and calcium sulphate) b)
Vehicle(rosin and alkyd resins) c)driers(resonates oleates of Co, Mn, and Zn) d) thinner
(turpentine or acetone)
Uses/categories of enamel
◙ Floor enamel:- May be used for concrete, stairs, basements, porches, and patios.
◙ Fast dry enamel:- Can dry within 10-15 minutes of application. Ideal for refrigerators,
counters, and other industrial finishes.
◙ High temperature enamel:- May be used for engines, breakes, exhaust.
◙ Enamel is also used on wood to make it resistant to the elements via the waterproofing and
rotproofing properties of enamel. Generally, treated surfaces last much much longer and are
much more resistant to wear than untreated surfaces.
◙ Nail-enamel:- Used on finger and toe nails to color or make them shiny(aka ‘nail-polish’).
Lacquers:
It is a colloidal dispersion of solution of a cellulose derivative, resin and plasticizer in solvent
and diluents. In a general sense, lacquer is a clear or coloured varnish that dries by solvent
evaporation and often a curing process as well that produces a hard, durable finish, in any sheen
level from ultra matte to high gloss and that can be further polished as required. While lacquer
refers to other polymers dissolved in volatile organic compounds(VOCs), such as nitrocellulose,
and later acrylic compounds dissolved in lacquer thinner, a mixture of several solvents typically
containing butyl acetate and xylene or toluene.
Uses:-
1. For initial decoration like paintings of furniture
2. For finishing coat of automobiles
3. For coating cotton fabrics
Emulsion Paints
Emulsion paint is a dispersion of rubberlike resin in water. It is a water based paint used for
painting interior or exterior surface.
It consists of the following:
a. rubberlike resins ( polystyrene, polyvinyl acetate, butadiene copolymer)
b. oleoresinous materials ( alkyl resins, eater gurms)
c. pigments ( mica, titanium oxide)
d. extenders ( silica, magnesium silicate)
e. emulsifying agents ( tetrasodium phosphate)
f. stabilizers ( dextrin, starch)
g. preservatives ( thymol, chlorothymol)
h. antifoaming agents ( pine oil and kerosene)
i. driers (Co, Mn, Zn)
j. volatile material (ammonium hydroxide)
Use: Counting porous and wet surfaces.
Special paints:
Luminious paint or luminescent paint is paint that exhibits luminescence due to luminophor
pigments like ZnS or titania with small amount of color modifiers – Cu, Ag, Mn. In other words,
it gives off visible light through fluorescence, phosphorescence. There are two basic kinds of
fluorescent paint: visible and invisible. Visible fluorescent paint can appear any bright color
under white light, and glows brilliantly under black light. Invisible fluroscent paint appears white
or clear under white light, but glows a particular color – depending on the pigment used – under
black light. This type of paint has extensive applications in the enterainment industry, and it can
be used to create black light effect such as invisible images, dual images, day- night ransitions,
and 3-D effects or radioluminescence.