B A C K T O B A S I C S

Kyle Jeffers
Machinery Management Specialist
Bently Nevada Corporation
e-mail: [email protected]

Oil Is Oil – Isn’t It?

Have you ever really thought about the lubricant you put in your
machinery? In your car? Have you given much thought to the time
and resources expended to:

r Recover and refine crude oil

r Process lubricating oil basestocks

r Develop and produce additives

r Blend additives with base oils to produce a finished product

r Continually improve lubricant performance through

research and development into new and improved
processes and additive technologies

r Meet increasingly more stringent safety and environmental

requirements?

Perhaps you’ve heard someone say, “Oil is oil. As long as it’s slick, it’s
OK.” Is this the general attitude you take toward your lubrication
program? Do you take appropriate measures to make sure the
correct lubricant is used in each application? Do you take care to
make sure your lubricants are kept clean, dry, and cool? Is prompt
action taken when there are indications that your lubricant has been
contaminated or degraded in any way? Are different brands or types

“What are lubrication of lubricants mixed together based on what is most readily available
or on the lowest cost? Do you know that your lubricant can tell you
best practices? To put it
about the health of your machines?
simply, it means
selecting the correct These are all very important questions to address. The aim of this
lubricant, and then article is to give you some general background information to
keeping it clean , dry , consider when evaluating or developing your lubrication program. In
and cool ." the paragraphs that follow, we provide a general overview of the
types of oils, process methods, and additive technologies employed to
produce formulated lubricants. However, a detailed, chemical view of
these topics is beyond the scope of this article.

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Base Oils A variety of processes are used in the manufacture of mineral-
based lubricating base oils. These may be employed
Most lubricant base oils can be placed into three general individually or in combination, and there may be variations
categories: mineral, synthetic, or vegetable. Mineral and within each basic type according to the desired goal. The basic
synthetic base oils are most common to the hydrocarbon processes include:
processing and power generation industries. Vegetable base
oils are used in applications where food contact and r Vacuum distillation

environmental impact are a consideration and will not be r Deasphalting

discussed here.
r Extraction
Mineral base oils can be further classified as paraffinic or
r Dewaxing
napthenic. Each type has its relative advantages and
disadvantages. In general, paraffinic oils will have a more r Finishing
stable viscosity response to changing temperatures (high
r Hydrotreating
viscosity index, VI). Paraffinic oils also have excellent oxidation
stability and are relatively non-reactive. By contrast, napthenic r Hydrocracking
oils perform better at low temperatures (low pour point) and
have better solvency (low aniline point). Most mineral oils used
in industry are paraffinic. A formulated lubricant may be a "Additives can be used to maximize
blend of paraffinics and napthenics to achieve the desired the base oil’s good properties and
balance of properties in the final product. minimize its undesirable
properties."
Synthetic base oils comprise a
wide variety of fluids that have a
broad range of applications,
Additives
advantages, disadvantages, and
costs. Synthetic lubricants must be While lubricant base oils have inherently good properties, they
carefully selected and consist of the may need to be enhanced to sufficiently meet the challenges
following types: of the application. Additionally, the base oil may have
some undesirable properties that must be
r Polyalphaolefins (PAO) suppressed. Additives can be used to maximize
the base oil’s good properties and minimize its
r Dibasic Acid Esters (Diester)
undesirable properties.
r Polyol Esters (POE)
A multitude of chemical compounds are used as
r Polyalkylene Glycols (PAG)
additives and they can typically be classified as:
r Phosphate Esters
r Antioxidants (Oxidation inhibitors)
r Silicones t Promote long service and storage life

r Alkyl Benzenes r Antiwear Additives

t Reduce friction and excessive wear when a full-
r Polybutenes
fluid lubricating film is not present

Some of these lubricants may r Antifoam Additives (Defoamants)

be part of larger categories and t Break up large surface bubbles
others can be broken down into further subcategories. Those t Reduce the number of small air bubbles
listed are the most commonly encountered synthetics. entrained in the oil

6 ORBIT 4Q01
 applications will have higher additive content than those for
r Extreme Pressure (EP) Additives
industrial applications. These additives are expensive and can
t Prevent seizure of sliding metal surfaces under
contribute to much of the final cost of a lubricant. Additionally,
extreme pressure (and temperature) conditions
while additives are used to enhance the performance of a
r Pour Point Depressants lubricant, they can also impart undesirable side effects if used
t Allow lubricant to flow at colder temperatures in the wrong concentration or in conjunction with other
additives. It is important to note that additives will have
r Corrosion Inhibitors
varying miscibility in different base oils, and proper procedures
t Protect metal surfaces against chemical attack
must be used to insure that they can be completely dissolved
by water or other contaminants
into the base oil and not separate out.
r Rust Inhibitors
t Protect metal surfaces
specifically against rusting "Additives can comprise anywhere from less than 1%

r Viscosity Index (VI) Improvers

to over 25% of the composition of a formulated

t Reduce the lubricant’s lubricant. A typical turbine oil may have only 1%
tendency to change additive while automotive engine oil may have
viscosity with changing around 25% additive."
temperature

r Demulsifiers Lubricant and additive companies must look at all of these

t Promote separation of oil from issues when they formulate a lubricant for a particular
water application. So how do these companies figure out how to
accomplish this?
r Tackiness Agents
t Improve adhesive characteristics of the
R&D
lubricant in applications where lubricated
The answer is research and development. A review of
components may tend to lose oil from their
industry trade journals quickly provides a brief
surfaces due to their orientation and the
glimpse into the thousands of hours and millions
effects of gravity or due to rotating speed and
of dollars spent each year researching friction and
centrifugal effects
wear as well as base oils and additives to
r Detergents minimize wear and maximize machine and
t Control deposit formation lubricant life. Many articles also deal with the
issues of minimizing contaminant ingression
r Dispersants
and technologies used to reclaim lubricants,
t Create a colloidal suspension of particles to
while in use, to extend their useful life. There
prevent formation of sludge, varnish, and
is also much written about the development
deposits
of new techniques for lubrication analysis and
r Alkalinity Improvers enhancing the ability to determine machine,
t Neutralize acidic products of combustion lubricant, and contaminant condition
from the oil.
Additives can comprise anywhere from less than 1% to
over 25% of the composition of a formulated As an example, Lubrication
lubricant. A typical turbine oil may have only Engineering, a scientific
1% additive while automotive engine oil may journal devoted to the
have around 25% additive. In general, study of tribology and
lubricants for internal combustion lubrication, includes

4Q01 ORBIT 7
articles in each issue regarding some aspect of lubrication and an increase in viscosity could be an indication that a lubricant
wear. Some of the articles discuss basic research and may not is oxidizing. However, if there is no indication of an increasing
have plant application for years, while others may be oxidation trend either by acid number (AN) values or Fourier
immediately applicable to today’s plant personnel. Often, the Transform-Infrared (FT-IR) analysis, oxidation could be an
most interesting aspect of each issue may not be a specific incorrect conclusion. Investigation, in conjunction with on-site
article but an overall view of the attention devoted to this personnel, might reveal that a higher viscosity oil was
subject from universities, lubricant companies, and additive accidentally added to the system, thus resulting in the higher
companies worldwide. readings.

In terms of implementing a proactive

“Do you know that your lubricant can tell you about the lubrication program, these three

health of your machines?” conditions should be prioritized in

reverse order. Assuming that an
appropriate lubricant has been
Condition Monitoring Through Oil selected, utilizing lubrication best practices to prevent and

Analysis remove contaminants is the most important action to take for

maximizing machine and lubricant life. Managing contaminant
Oil analysis can be a very effective tool in a condition condition below alarm levels, before machine or lubricant
monitoring program. Numerous tests and instruments have degradation can begin, provides the best value for the
been developed (and continue to be developed) to help maintenance dollar. Even under the best of circumstances, a
monitor and diagnose machinery lubrication problems. lubricant will eventually degrade. By monitoring its condition,
However, the industry-accepted term oil analysis can actions can be implemented to refresh or replace the lubricant
sometimes be misleading. It can imply that the primary area of before serious machine damage begins. If damage is initiated
interest is the condition of the lubricant, when in reality the due to operating, contaminant, or lubricant problems, the
primary goal is to monitor the machine condition. The most machine condition can be monitored and the machine may be
immediate and urgent question that must be answered is: shut down immediately to minimize damage, or actions may
“Can this machine continue to be operated safely and be implemented to extend machine runtime to a suitable
effectively?” The specific focus would be to look for the shutdown opportunity, depending on the situation.
presence and trending of any wear
metals.
“The industry-accepted term oil analysis can sometimes
The second focus should be the be misleading. It can imply that the primary area of
lubricant condition. “Is the interest is the condition of the lubricant, when in reality
lubricant in good condition and can
the primary goal is to monitor the machine condition .”
it be expected to continue to
protect the machine in the
foreseeable future?” The focus would be to look at evidence
Consequences
of viscosity change, an increase in oxidation, and signs that
additives may be depleting. The third focus should be the What are the consequences of following, or not following,
contaminant condition. “Is the lubricant clean and dry?” lubrication best practices? Following lubrication best practices
Emphasis should be placed on particle counts, water content, will maximize machine availability, machine life, and lubricant
and contaminant metals. life. Machine downtime is minimized, as well as unit repair
costs and lubricant purchase and disposal costs. Implementing
In this discussion we have separated oil analysis into three such an approach enhances the value of the oil analysis by
condition monitoring classes. In reality, all three are improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the information captured
interrelated and must be considered as a whole. For example, in the oil. In some cases, such as oil sampling, failure to use

8 ORBIT 4Q01
best practices can result in missing critical information or To achieve best results, each component must be properly
getting a “false positive” that may not be indicative of actual specified. If not, the complete system will not perform as
machine condition. desired. No lubricant can compensate for a poorly designed
bearing, and no bearing can compensate for an improperly
On a larger scale, lubrication best practices can contribute to selected or poorly maintained lubricant.
preserving our natural resources, improving safety and health,
and minimizing environmental impact. Are you taking care of your lubricants? Do you pay as much
attention to your lubrication practices as you do to your other
What are lubrication best practices? To put it simply, it means maintenance practices? Are you listening to what your
selecting the correct lubricant, and then keeping it clean, lubricant is telling you about the condition of your machine? Is
dry, and cool. In reality, it involves numerous technologies your machine availability where you want it to be? Are your
and practices to ensure those ideals are met and will vary unit repair costs where you want them to be?
depending on the application and the specific issues involved.
If you can say yes to these questions, you
have an effective program. If not, you
“The second focus should be the lubricant condition .”
may want to look at your lubrication
program and determine

“The third focus should be the contaminant condition .” what improvements may be
necessary. If the internal
expertise is not available to
Conclusion perform this or other lubrication-related tasks, Bently Nevada’s
Lubrication Services organization stands ready to assist you.
So now we come back to the original question and the title of
this article: “Oil Is Oil – Isn’t It?” Just as there are many types We hope this article has provided a better understanding of
of machines and many types of bearings, so too are there how lubricants are designed and how the information that can
many types of lubricants. Each machine, each bearing, and be obtained from oil analysis will give you a better appreciation
each lubricant is specifically designed for its individual for all that your lubricants do for your machinery. If you take
application. Just as a natural gas engine shouldn’t be used care of your lubricants and listen to what they tell you, you can
where a gas turbine is called for, a natural gas engine oil expect long and healthy machine life. ORBIT

should not be used in a gas turbine.

4Q01 ORBIT 9