Common Synthetic Base Oil

Polyalphaolefins have been identified as the most common synthetic base oils. They are used in nearly every type of equipment with the exception of compressors that have high discharge pressures, where they have been known to leave deposits. PAOs are miscible with mineral oils and have good demulsibility characteristics.


Polyalkylene glycol oils are used in some refrigeration compressor systems as well as brake fluids, worm gear oils and gas turbine oils. They are unique in that they don’t form deposits as the oil breaks down. PAGs also have a natural detergency and clean up varnish left behind by other fluids. If the base fluid is made by the polymerization of ethylene oxide, the resulting fluid is water soluble and is often used in water-emulsion hydraulic fluids.


Di-esters are frequently used in compressor applications and are often paired with PAOs to help with additive solubility. Di-esters also tend to be hygroscopic in nature, which means they absorb moisture readily. They have a high viscosity index as well as a low pour point, so these oils will remain fluid at low temperatures.




Silicone base oils have the highest viscosity indexes and some of the highest levels of thermal and oxidative stability. These bases are used primarily in high heat applications and some brake fluids. They are typically very costly. In addition, the oxidation by products are abrasive and can lead to added machine wear. Silicones are also chemically inert, which makes it difficult to blend additives into them and still have them remain in solution.


Overall, synthetic oils can be tremendous assets to any lubrication program, but they must be matched to the machinery’s needs to get the optimum benefit from them. When making the transition from mineral base fluids to a synthetic base, be sure to flush the system to minimize any residual compatibility issues that may remain. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the synthetic base you are using, you will be well on your way to achieving all of the advantages associated with these fluids.

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Base Oils and Its Group

Base Oil is the name given to lubrication grade oils initially produced from refining crude oil (mineral base oil) or through chemical synthesis (synthetic base oil). Base oil is typically defined as oil with a boiling point range between 550 and 1050 F, consisting of hydrocarbons with 18 to 40 carbon atoms. This oil can be either paraffinic or napthenic in nature depending on the chemical structure of the molecules.

In general, only 1% to 2% of a barrel of crude oil is suitable for refining into base oil. The majority of the barrel is used to produce gasoline and other hydrocarbons. (please see figure E-1 at left). Lubricating oil is produced by "Blenders and Compounders" who combine base oil with 1% to 20% application-specific chemical additives, which enhance the performance of the base oil. The "compounded" Lubricating oil is then packaged and sold to end users. (The table below lists some of the various types of additives used and their functions.)

The refiners, who manufacture and sell base oil, and the Blenders/Compounders, who manufacture and sell lubricating oil and are not always the same entities, although they can be. For example, Exxon is both a refiner and a Blender/Compounder since they manufacture both base oil lubricating oil. Most of the base oil they produce, they use. The amounts they don't use, they sell through large commodity markets to "Independent" Blenders and Compounders. These Blenders and Compounders are called "independent" because they do not produce their own base oil but rather buy it from a refiner.

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Manufacturing Process of Lubricant

Lubricant oil is extracted from crude oil, which undergoes a preliminary purification process (sedimentation) before it is pumped into fractionating towers. A typical high-efficiency fractionating tower, 25 to 35 feet (7.6 to 10.6 meters) in diameter and up to 400 feet (122 meters) tall, is constructed of high grade steels to resist the corrosive compounds present in crude oils; inside, it is fitted with an ascending series of condensate collecting trays.

Within a tower, the thousands of hydrocarbons in crude oil are separated from each other by a process called fractional distillation. As the vapors rise up through the tower, the various fractions cool, condense, and return to liquid form at different rates determined by their respective boiling points (the lower the boiling point of the fraction, the higher it rises before condensing). Natural gas reaches its boiling point first, followed by gasoline, kerosene, fuel oil, lubricants, and tars.

Sedimentation

• The crude oil is transported from the oil well to the refinery by pipeline or tanker ship. At the refinery, the oil undergoes sedimentation to remove any water and solid contaminants, such as sand and rock, that maybe suspended in it. During this process, the crude is pumped into large holding tanks, where the water and oil are allowed to separate and the contaminants settle out of the oil.

    

Fractionating

• Next, the crude oil is heated to about 700 degrees Fahrenheit (371 degrees Celsius). At this temperature it breaks down into a mixture of hot vapor and liquid that is then pumped into the bottom of the first of two fractionating towers. Here, the hot hydrocarbon vapors float upward. As they cool, they condense and are collected in different trays installed at different levels in the tower. In this tower, normal atmospheric pressure is maintained continuously, and about 80 percent of the crude oil vaporizes.
• The remaining 20 percent of the oil is then reheated and pumped into a second tower, wherein vacuum pressure lowers the residual oil's boiling point so that it can be made to vaporize at a lower temperature. The heavier compounds with higher boiling points, such as tar and the inorganic compounds, remain behind for further processing.

Filtering and solvent extraction

• After further processing to remove unwanted compounds, the lube oil that has been collected in the two fractionating towers is passed through several ultrafine filters, which remove remaining impurities. Aromatics, one such contaminant, contain six-carbon rings that would affect the lube oil's viscosity if they weren't removed in a process called solvent extraction. Solvent extraction is possible because aromatics are more soluble in the solvent than the lube oil fraction is. When the lube oil is treated with the solvent, the aromatics dissolve; later, after the solvent has been removed, the aromatics can be recovered from it.

Additives, inspection, and packaging

• Finally, the oil is mixed with additives to give it the desired physical properties (such as the ability to withstand low temperatures). At this point, the lube oil is subjected to a variety of quality control tests that assess its viscosity, specific gravity, color, flash, and fire points. Oil that meets quality standards is then packaged for sale and distribution. 

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What Makes A Lubricant?

Today, lubricating oil, or lube oil, is the most commonly used lubricant because of its wide range of possible applications. The two basic categories of lube oil are mineral and synthetic. Mineral oils are refined from naturally occurring petroleum, or crude oil. Synthetic oils are manufactured polyalphaolefins, which are hydrocarbon-based polyglycols or ester oils.

Although there are many types of lube oils to choose from, mineral oils are the most commonly used because the supply of crude oil has rendered them inexpensive; moreover, a large body of data on their properties and use already exists. Another advantage of mineral-based lube oils is that they can be produced in a wide range of viscosities—viscosity refers to the substance's resistance to flow—for diverse applications.

Lube oils are just one of many fractions, or components, that can be derived from raw petroleum, which emerges from an oil well as a yellow-to-black, flammable, liquid mixture of thousands of hydrocarbons (organic compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen atoms, these occur in all fossil fuels). Petroleum deposits were formed by the decomposition of tiny plants and animals that lived about 400 million years ago. Due to climatic and geographical changes occurring at that time in the Earth's history, the breakdown of these organisms varied from region to region.

Depending on the application, chemicals called additives may be mixed with the refined oil to give it desired physical properties. Common additives include metals such as lead or metal sulphide, which enhance lube oil's ability to prevent galling and scoring when metal surfaces come in contact under extremely high pressures. High-molecular weight polymerics are another common additive: they improve viscosity, counteracting the tendency of oils to thin at high temperatures. Nitrosomines are employed as antioxidants and corrosion inhibitors because they neutralize acids and form protective films on metal surfaces.
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7 Things a Lubricant Does for Your Auto Engine

The engine is a vital part of any automobile; without it, the car would not go anywhere – sort of like a human heart. If it clogs up and stops, so does the person or the car. Worn out auto lubricant oil will lead to a lack of efficiency and sludge build-up within the engine. Think of sludge as being almost like cholesterol inside your car.
Regular replacement of lubricant engine oil is essential for the long-term health and efficient functioning of your car, just like a healthy diet is optimal for humans.
Here are 7 ways that high-quality, regularly replaced lubricant oil will keep your car healthy:

1. It creates a slippery gap between moving metal parts in the engine and reduces friction, heat and wear.
2. It coats all of the surfaces within the engine, so even when the motor is not running, it is protected from corrosion.
3. It disperses the heat that is naturally created by the combustion process within an auto engine.
4. It absorbs and suspends particulate matter like carbon and transports it to the oil filter so it can be trapped and removed before it causes any major damage.
5. It neutralizes acids that would otherwise build up in the engine and cause scarring and pitting on smooth, polished surfaces
6. It prevents the accumulation of sludge. Cheap oils or oil that is way overdue for changing will not only fail to remove sludge and other contaminants, but will begin to break down and actually become sludge.
7. It stays thin enough to keep mobile in cold weather and thick enough to still coat surfaces in hot weather  - protecting the inside of your engine, no matter what conditions are like on the outside.

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Oil Change Scams: Hidden Camera Investigation on What Really Happens to Your Car

Evident SCAM at workshop (oversea). Might be happen in Malaysia. Please be aware Malaysian, take care of your personal car from this kind of scammer.







Posted by: GREENLube

Definition of Lubricant

Based on Wikipedia, LUBRICANT means:

A lubricant is a substance, usually organic, introduced to reduce friction between between surfaces in mutual contact, which ultimately reduces the heat generated when the surfaces move. It may also have the function of transmitting forces, transporting foreign particles, or heating or cooling the surfaces. The property of reducing friction is known as lubricity.

In addition to industrial applications, lubricants are used for many other purposes. Other uses include cooking (oils and fats in use in frying pans, in baking to prevent food sticking), bio-medical applications on humans (e.g. lubricants for artificial joints), ultrasound examination, medical examinations, and the use of personal lubricant for sexual purposes.

How to correctly pronounce  LUBRICANT:

lu·bri·cant

ˈlo͞obrəkənt/

 Brief history of LUBRICANT:

Lubicants have been in some use for thousands of years. Calcium soaps have been identified on the axles of chariots dated to 1400 BC. Building stones were slid on oil-impregrated lumber in the time of the pyramids. In the Roman era, lubricants were based on olive oil and rapeseed oil, and well as animal fats. The growth of lubrication accelerated in the Industrial Revolution with the accompanying use of metal-based machinery. Relying initially on natural oils, needs for such machinery shifted toward petroleum-based materials early in the 1900s. A breakthrough came with the development of vacuum distillation of petroleum, as described by the Vacuum Oil Company. This technology allowed the purification of very nonvolatile substances, which are common in many lubricants

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