OIL VISCOSITY IS AN IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC FOR APPLYING INDUSTRIAL LUBRICANTS

Viscosity in industrial lubricants is defined as resistance of an oil to flow or shear. It is one of the most important characteristics of an oil base industrial lubricant to perform its lubricating tasks. Typically high viscosity (called heavy) oils are used on parts where movement is slow and under high pressure. Low viscosity (light) oils are used on higher speed with lower pressures.

Other characteristics include:

• Viscosity Index – Indicates the rate of viscosity change with a change in
temperature.

• Pour Point- The lowest temperature a given oil will pour or flow under the
prescribe conditions.

• Oxidation Resistance – This is the ability to resist combining oxygen and
hydrocarbons which are called oxidation and could affect the performance of the
oil.

• Flash Point _ The temperature at which a momentary ignition occurs on the surface
of the oil when a flame is passed over it, but the oil does not continue to burn.

• Fire Point – The temperature at which the surface of the oil ignites as a flame is
passed over it and the oil continues to burn.

• Demulsibility – This is the ability of an oil to separate foreign water if it is
mixed into the oil.

• Neutralization Number- The value is an indicator of high acidity which could have
an undesirable chemical change in the industrial lubricant.

Harrigan Solutions understands these characteristics and can provide the engineering and management skills aid in selecting the proper industrial lubricants. They sell or rent equipment to remove tramp oils from a coolant reservoir when industrial lubricants enter the waterbase coolant. Harrigan Solutions also offers service agreements for companies who want to outsource some of their indirect maintenance needs to cover coolant and industrial lubricants filtration systems.
For more information contact Bill Harrigan at 1-888-685-9603. Email him at bharrigan@harrigansolutions.com. The website is www.harrigansolutions.com/index.htm