INDUSTRIAL TRIBOLOGY

MODULE 4
Module 4
1.Discuss the different types of additives used in lubricants.
2.Summarize on any three desirable properties of a lubricant.

3. Summarize the impact of use of lubricating oils on environment and sustainability

4. Explain the significance of viscosity index. How it can be determined.

5. Classify lubricating oils based on viscosity standards. Explain.

6. State Newton’s law of viscosity. Illustrate the effect of temperature, pressure, and shear rate on viscosity.

7. Elaborate on classification of lubricating oils based on carbon distribution

8. Enumerate on different properties of a lubricant.

9. Explain the classification of engine oils.

10. Explain various types of metal working lubricants.
11. Discuss the selection of lubricant oils in industries.
Lubrication
 The basic function of a lubricant is to minimize friction and wear by avoiding direct
contact of material surfaces.
 Lubrication is done in order to avoid chemical reactivity between materials.
 Lubrication : Monolayer/ Boundary layer lubrication, Multimolecular layer/ Mixed
lubrication
 Lubricants can be broadly classified into three groups: Oil lubricants, greases, and solid
lubricants.
Oil lubricants:
 Any liquid having some amount of viscosity can be regarded as lubricant.
 It should be as mobile as possible to remove heat and to avoid power loss due to
viscous drag.
 It should be stable under thermal and oxidation stresses, have low volatility, good
mechanical stability etc.
• Natural organics:
 These include animal fat, vegetable oils, mineral oils etc.
 Animal fats are naturally occurring esters formed by the combination of long chain
organic acids with alcohols.
 Castor oil, rapeseed oil etc. belong to vegetable oil category. These have low oxidation
and thermal stability than mineral oils.
 The refining of petroleum produces mineral oils. They can be obtained for a range of
viscosities.
 The chemical compounds making up mineral oils are mainly hydrocarbons of three types
(a) Paraffins – open chain hydrocarbons
(b) Napthenes – closed ring hydrocarbons
(c) Aromatics – hydrocarbons based on benzene ring
 Oil is termed as paraffinic or napthenic oil depending on the majority percentage of
paraffins or napthenes in it.
 The aromatics, though remain as a small percentage, play a vital role in boundary lubrication.
 Mineral oils can be used to a maximum temperature of 200°C and vegetable oils can be used
to a maximum temperature of 120°C.
• Synthetic organics:
 They are used at extreme temperatures, pressure, humidity, etc.
 These can be used up to a maximum temperature of 400°C.
 These include synthetic hydrocarbons, diesters, CFC, fatty acid esters, polyglycol ether,
fluoroester, phosphate ester, silicate ester, silicone, silane, polyphenyl ether, disiloxane,
perfluoroalkyl polyether, etc.
• Grease :
 Greases are oils that are thickened with solids (thickener) to form semi fluid products.
 The type of thickener determines the characteristics of the grease.
 Greases are preferred to liquid lubricants in cases where the application of continuous supply
of lubricant is not needed.
 They are very common in rolling element bearings.
 Thickeners compose 5 to 17 percent of a simple grease formulation and control the
characteristics of the product grease.
 The alkaline compounds are added and saponification occurs. The water produced from
chemical reaction is boiled off.
 The amount of soap (thickener) formation depends on the amount of fatty acid and
alkaline compound (generally metal hydroxide) used. The resulting thickening action is
known as consistency, which is a measure of the hardness or softness of the grease.
 Grease is capable to withstand temperature up to 300°C with Si additives.
VISCOSITY
 It is defined as the resistance to flow. This resistance is primarily due to internal friction.
 In fluid film lubrication, load carrying capacity depends on the viscosity of the lubricant.
 A lubricant with extremely low viscosity cannot form a layer of fluid film between two
sliding surfaces.
 If the viscosity of a lubricant increases, the frictional resistance and heat generation in the
bearing increases.
Effect of temperature, Pressure and Shear Rates on Viscosity
 The viscosity of liquids is mainly due to intermolecular forces.
 If the temperature increases, the liquids starts expanding, the intermolecular distance
increases and the intermolecular force decrease which results in a fall of viscosity.
 A mathematical expression for viscosity – temperature of a liquid may be given as

 At elevated temperatures, the velocity of gas molecules increases resulting in an increase

in momentum transfer and hence an increase in viscosity.
Viscosity Index

 The viscosity index (VI) is an arbitrary, unit-less measure of a fluid's change in viscosity
relative to temperature change.

 The lower the VI, the more the viscosity is affected by changes in temperature.


Viscosity index Classification
Under 35 Low
35 to 80 Medium
80 to 110 High
Above 110 Very high
Method of calculation of VI
 When the pressure of a liquid or gas is increased, the molecules come closer and
intermolecular forces increase. As a result viscosity changes.
 The viscosity of petroleum based mineral oils increase rapidly with an increase in pressure
and by several orders of magnitude.


 Roelands expression
 Viscosity of fluid varies as a function of shear rate and the branch of study dealing with
this is known as fluid rheology
VISCOSITY STANDARDS
 Commonly used viscosity grades have been standardized as
• ISO (International Standards Organisation)
• SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers)
• AGMA (American Gear Manufactures Association)
(i) ISO Grades
 18 viscosity grades in the range of 2 cst to 1500 cst (40°C)
 Viscosity grade indicate its mid-point kinematic viscosity in cst at 40°C.
 To be in a grade in this system, the viscosity of oil should be within 10% of the mid-point
viscosity.
 The graduation is based on the principle that the mid-point kinematic viscosity of each
grade is nearly 50% greater than the preceding one.
(ii) SAE Grades
 SAE viscosity grades are categorized into , (a) SAE engine oil, (b) SAE transmission
lubricants

 SAE Engine Oil

 SAE Transmission Lubricant

• Main features of SAE classification are

 The classification is based on viscosity value at 210°F (99°C).
 Suffix ‘W’ indicates winter grades, i.e. these grades have good cold start up
characteristics. These characteristics mean lubricant retaining fluidcity at low temperature
and are easily pumped
 The classification subsystem allows grading an oil meeting both ‘W’ and non- ‘W’ grade
characteristics.
 For ‘W’ grade oils the maximum viscosity at low temperature is the requirement and this
could be satisfied by more than one ‘W’ graded oil.
(iii) AGMA Grades
 It standardize gear oils based on additive used. These are rust and oxidation inhibited gear
oil, extreme pressure gear lubricant and compound oil
Additives in Lubricants
 In order to have improved characteristics, most modern lubricating oils contain chemical
compounds as additives.
 Viscosity index improvers are added to an oil to reduce the rate of change of viscosity with
temperature and these are usually high molecular weight polymers.
 Pour point depressants are used to delay the formation of rigid structure from waxy crystals
precipitated from cooled mineral oils. Complex polymers are generally used for this
purpose.
 Oxidation inhibitors reduce the rate of formation of oxidation products.
 Detergents or dispersants are used mainly in engine oils to keep the engine clear by holding
insoluble material in suspension and preventing the formation of sludge or deposits.
 Polymer compounds are mostly used as detergents for low – temperature conditions, while
for high temperature conditions, organometallic salts are the usual type of additives.
 Extreme pressure additives allow a mineral oil to operate satisfactorily under conditions of
extremely high pressures and temperatures. The most common extreme pressure additives
are compounds of sulphur, phosphorous and chlorine
 Alcohols, esters, organic acids, amines or soaps are used as corrosion inhibitors, which are
absorbed on or react with metal surfaces to form protective films.
 Silicon-based compounds are used as antifoam additives which minimize foaming.
 Metallic soaps and petroleum sulphonates are used as emulsifiers to stabilize oil-water
emulsions and are particularly used for metal cutting oils, fire resistant hydraulic fluids etc
Metal Working Lubricants
Selection of industrial lubricating oils

1. Function
2. Ingredients
3. Terminology
4. Ease of Use
5. Longevity
6. Cost