Pimpri Chinchwad Education Trust’s

PIMPRI CHINCHWAD COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING &

RESEARCH

Department of
Mechanical Engineering

Report on,

LUBRICATING OILS: PROPERTIES, ADDITIVES,

SELECTION OF LUBRICATING OILS.

BY
Om Ajay Surve 56
Pradhyumna Badgujar 67
Uday Ahirrao 70
Vishnuvardhan Kadam 75
 INTRODUCTION:
Lubricants are not just oils for car engines; there are many different types including metalworking
fluids, transformer oils, gear and hydraulic oils. Fluid oils and greases, both solid and semi solid, are also
used for lubrication.
Mineral oils are lubricating oils refined from naturally occurring crude oil. Synthetic oils are
lubricating oils that are manufactured. Mineral lubricating oils are currently the most commonly used type
because of the low cost of extracting the oils from crude oil. Additionally, mineral oils can be manufactured
to have a varying viscosity, therefore making them useful in a wide range of applications.
Lubricating oils of different viscosities can be blended together, and it is this ability to blend them that
makes some oils so useful. For example, common motor oil - shown in Figure 1 - is generally a blend of low
viscosity oil to allow for easy starting at cool temperatures and a high viscosity oil for better performance at
normal running temperatures.
There are three groups of lubricant base oils. Mineral based oils originate from crude oil
and synthetic based oils are from synthesized components. The third group, semi-synthetic base oils,
provides many of the advantages of synthetic oils.
Additives are blended with base oils and the combination, quality and quantity of the additives and
base oils determine the quality and the properties of the finished lubricant.

Mineral Oil Synthetic oil

 Mineral oil is made by distilling and refining crude  The properties of synthetic oil are
oil. Its properties depend largely on the quality and determined entirely by its manufacturing
consistency of the crude oil from which it is refined process. Synthetic oils are free of impurities
and on the refining process itself. and generally have a higher viscosity and
 Mineral base oil is a blend of refined distillation better oxidation stability than mineral base
fractions that result from vacuum distillation. It oils, resulting in a better and longer lasting
consists of hydrocarbons and traces of sulphur, performance.
oxygen and nitrogen containing hydrocarbons. The
distillation fraction is further purified by extraction Semi-synthetic oil
and by separating the waxes. The purification process  Semi-synthetic oils are blended from a
can be completed with hydro-finishing, which combination of mineral and synthetic base
involves contact with hydrogen at a high pressure and oils, which provides some of the benefits of
temperature, in the presence of a catalyst. synthetic oil.
 PURPOSE & METHOD of LUBRICATION:
When it comes to machinery, friction and premature wear are major concerns that can lead to
costly breakdowns and decreased productivity. The application of good lubricants effectively
mitigates these risks. By reducing friction between moving parts, lubricants act as a protective
barrier, preventing direct metal-to-metal contact and minimizing wear. As a result, machinery
experiences less strain, operates smoothly, and enjoys an extended lifespan.
In addition to extending the life of your machinery, the use of proper lubricants improves energy
efficiency. Friction is a primary source of energy loss in mechanical systems. When machinery
experiences excessive friction, more energy is required to overcome it. Using high-quality lubricants
that effectively reduce friction, will significantly lower energy consumption. The result: reduced
energy costs and a positive environmental impact.

Functions of lubrication:

 To lubricate each part of the bearing, and to reduce friction and wear
 To carry away heat generated inside bearing due to friction and other causes
 To cover rolling contact surface with the proper oil film in order to prolong bearing fatigue life
 To prevent corrosion and contamination by dirt

PROPERTIES OF LUBRICATING OILS:

 Lubricants have a wide range of properties that impact their physical and chemical properties.
Knowing about these properties is important in determining which lubricant is best for which
situation. While there are many properties, the most important are:
1. Viscosity: A lubricant’s “internal resistance to flow.” Higher viscosity lubricants are thick
and don’t flow, while lower viscosity lubricants have a closer consistency to water and do
flow. The image below demonstrates the viscosity of four different oils. The ball sinks faster
in the thinner, low viscosity oil while it sinks slower in the higher viscosity blends.
2. Viscosity Index: The rate of change in viscosity with changes in temperature. In other
words, how much viscosity changes as temperature changes.
3. Oxidation Stability: Oxidation is a reaction that occurs when oxygen is combined with
lubricating oil. Variables such as high temperatures, water and acids will accelerate the rate
of oxidation. The life of a lubricant is reduced as temperatures increase, leading to varnish
and sludge.
4. Pour Point: The lowest temperature at which a lubricant will flow or pour like a liquid. This
can differ depending on test conditions.
5. Demulsibility: The ability of a lubricant to separate from water.
6. Flash Point: The temperature at which a lubricant will ignite when heated and mixed with
air, but a flame is not sustained.
 COMPARISON BETWEEN GREASE AND OIL LUBRICATION:

Item Grease Oil

Sealing device Easy Slightly complicated and special care required for
maintenance
Lubricating ability Good Excellent
Rotation speed Low/medium speed Applicable at high speed
Replacement of Slightly troublesome Easy
lubricant
Life of lubricant Relatively shorter Long
Cooling effect No cooling effect Good (circulation is necessary)
Filtration of dirt Difficult Easy

5 KEY FACTORS FOR SELECTING A SUITABLE LUBRICANT:

1. Functions of lubricant:
Lubricants serve a variety of purposes, including but not limited to-
 Friction- They minimize heat buildup and energy utilization.
 Corrosion- They protect surfaces against corrosive elements.
 Wear- They minimize corrosive and mechanical wear.
 Temperature regulation- They can soak and transfer excessive heat.
 Contamination- They transmit particulates and other impurities to separators and filters.
It implies that the lubricant you select will depend on the specific demands of your
application. So, select lubricants that have informative labels detailing their intended uses
and conditions.

2. Practicality and ease of operation:

 There is no one standard method for using lubricants. How you apply it will be determined by the
equipment. For instance, an aerosol lubricant might be all that’s needed for an easily accessible hinge. If
the gearbox is easily accessible, you can apply grease to it manually.
 A manual dispenser that needs to be restocked every month isn’t practical for places that are difficult to
access, while an automatic one does it just once every six months. A continuous dispenser could be the
ideal option for chains that need to be lubed frequently. Refer to an expert you plan to buy lubricants
from for advice on the best way to go about it.

3. Composition of lubricant:
 Even though the base oil in lubricants may seem simple, a wide variety of additives can be
incorporated into the lubricant. The intended function of the lubricant informs the selection of
these specific ingredients.
 It applies to oils and greases alike. Simply put, greases are oils to which thickeners have been
added.
 But the choice of thickener is crucial. Generally, the thickener comprises fibrous particles that
serve like sponges, trapping the oil and increasing its viscosity.
 Each thickener has unique benefits and drawbacks, particularly in heat resistance, ease of
pumping, shear stability, and water resistance.

4. Lifespan of Lubricant:
 Lubricants exhibit an ideal lifespan, but once that time’s up, you should replenish them with
new ones.
 If you don’t do it, you could end up with runout, metal-on-metal traction, ruined bearings, and
other problems resulting in outages and increased expenses in the form of repair, maintenance,
and replacement.
  The primary concern is that you can’t always figure out when the service life is about to end.
 Tracking the temperature at which your CNC machine operates is essential in keeping note of
the remaining life of a lubricant. Excessive heat buildup degrades them as the lubricant’s
service life will be lowered in half for every increase in temperature of 10 °C above 65 ℃.
 The most accurate method for tracking heat is to employ digital calibration instruments with
thermal imaging and vibrational analysis capabilities. It is also recommended that you keep
track of the intervals between lubrication.

5. Costing considerations:
 Most companies still only consider the upfront price of lubricants, even if there are other, more
indirect costs associated with using an inefficient product. They frequently make purchases
without thinking about how the product will affect the company in the long run, opting instead
to focus on the price tag.
 If you want to know how much lubricant costs, checking the price isn’t enough. The choice of
lubricant also influences the total cost of equipment maintenance.
 Proactive operators recognize that choosing the proper hydraulic fluid, as opposed to the
cheaper or the best recognized, is a worthy task that will bring quality to their operations,
despite the fluid’s relatively small cost compared to the machine itself.
 After factoring in the price of lubrication and the cost of maintaining the equipment, the most
significant expense is the money lost by the company due to unscheduled equipment downtime.
Due to its propensity to place a heavy load on operations without any or little warning, it should
also be considered when selecting a suitable lubricant.

ADDITIVES IN LUBRICATIVES:
 Additives are substances formulated for improvement of the anti-friction, chemical and physical
properties of base oils (mineral, synthetic, vegetable or animal), which results in enhancing the
lubricant performance and extending the equipment life.

 Combination of different additives and their quantities are determined by the lubricant type (Engine
oils, Gear oils, Hydraulic oils, cutting fluids, Way lubricants, compressor oils etc.) and the specific
operating conditions (temperature, loads, machine parts materials, environment).
Amount of additives may reach 30%.
 Additives Characteristics Active ingredients Diagrams/Images

Prevention of foam
formation in oil and
acceleration of foam
decomposition Polysiloxanes
Anti-foam additives
Reducing the Polyalkylene glycol
tendency to foam ether
during strong
movement and air
entry

Improvement of the
water separating
Anion-active
capacity of a
compounds such as
Demulsifiers lubricant
alkali or alkaline
earth salts
Prevention of water-
oil emulsions

Dispersants: Keeps Detergents:sulfon

the smallest foreign ates, phenates,
matterin the oil in phosphates, calcium
Detergents/ suspension and and magnesium salts
Dispersants transports it to the
filter
 Reducing the Fatty acids
surface tension of
water Fatty soaps
Emulsifiers
Formation of a Ammonium salts
stable emulsion of
oil and water Polyglycols

Anti-fouling
additives with high Sulphur compounds
pressure resistance
Phosphorus
Keep lubricant film compounds
EP additives (extreme
pressure) stable even at high
pressure Chlorinated paraffins

Prevent seizure and Molybdenum

welding of the compounds
friction partners

Improvement of
adhesion_properties High molecular
tosurfaces.Especiall weight hydrocarbons
Tackifier
y important_for such as
lubricating greases polyisobutylene
and chain oils

Corrosion inhibitors Protection of Salts of carboxylic

metallic surfaces and dicarboxylic
against moisture acids
through the
formation of a Sulfonates
water-repellent
Waxes
barrier

Avoidance of rust
 by neutralization of
acids

Slow down the

reaction of
lubricating oils with
Amines
oxygen

Phenols
Oxidation inhibitors Slow down oil
(Antioxidants) aging
Phosphites

Delay oil
Sulphites
thickening,
acidification, sludge
formation etc.

Improvement of the
flowability of a
lubricant at low
Paraffin-alkylated
temperatures
naphthalenes and
Pourpoint depressant
(PPD) phenols
Thickening of the
oil due to the
Polymethacrylates
paraffin crystals
growing together is
prevented

Setting the
appropriate friction Fatty acids
coefficient
characteristic for Amines
Friction modifier lubricants
Amine phosphates
In most cases, the
reduction of friction Mild EP additives
is the goal
 Phosphorus and
Adhesion to metal sulphur compounds
surfaces due to
polarity Zinc
dithiophosphates
AW additives
prevent contact Olefins
Anti-wear additives
between the friction
partners in the Fatty acid esters
mixed friction area
Molybdenum
Prevent seizure and disulphide
wear
Graphite

Optimise viscosity-
temperature
behaviour of
lubricants

Lubricant remains
Olefin copolymers
flowable at low
temperatures and
Polymethacrylates
VI improver does not thicken too
much
Styrene-butadiene
copolymers
When heated, the
lubricant does not
become too thin so
that the lubricating
film does not break
off

APPLICATION METHODS:
 After the selection of a suitable lubricant, its application method i.e. its delivery to the
mechanical components such as gears, bearings, cams, tappets, chains, guideways and
couplings of a machine or engine in correct quantity is considered. Liquid lubricants are
applied to the machine elements by two methods.

 First type is called 'all loss method' while second type is called 'reuse method' In all loss
method a small quantity of lubricant is applied periodically and the lubricant after use,
gradually leaks away to waste. In reuse method, elaborate lubricating systems are designed to
feed the required quantity of lubricant to various machine elements of the system. The lubricant
after leaving the machine components is collected, cooled then filtered and recirculated to
lubricate the machine components again. Most open gears, ropes, guideways, chains and rolling
element bearings (except sealed for life rolling element bearings) are lubricated by all loss
 method. Nearly all grease lubricated elements also are lubricated by this method. Some devices
used for all loss lubrication method include hand-held

 oiling device, grease gun, drop feed cups, wick feed cups, wick oilers, pad oilers, mechanical
force feed lubricators, airline oilers and automatic or semiautomatic spray units. Reuse method
of lubricant application has the oil circulating through a network of pipes that is pressurized by
a pump or aided by gravity. However, closed oil sump systems employ splash oiling, bath
oiling or ring oiling methods. Centralized lubricant application systems can reduce the quantity
of lubricant usage as well as labour costs. Automobiles use an oil mist lubrication system to
lubricate various machine elements of the engine and drive train. Considerations with regards
to the lubricant characteristics and composition are required while designing a compatible
system. Oil condition monitoring and routine checks are vital for the longevity of the machine
elements lubricated by any method.
 Solid lubricants on the other hand are applied as powder dispersed in a liquid lubricant or in a
solid phase matrix. They can be also applied as a thin film coating. The coatings are made by
various methods such as dip coating, thermal spraying, and cold. More robust ways of coating
include chemical vapor deposition or physical vapor deposition methods. Electrochemical
processes are used for producing coatings of polymer-based solid lubricants and
their composites

APPLICATION:
1. It Prevents The Metal Surface Corrosion-
 Lubricating oil prevents the metal surface from any type of corrosion and roughness. It adds life
to the machines and increases performance. It is extremely important to keep the machines,
engines, tools or other types of metal surfaces properly lubricated for better efficiency and life.
 We often don’t realize how critical it is for the health of the engines or machines. If the lubricant
oil is not used at regular intervals then the performance would drop and eventually due to friction
and corrosion the engine and tools may falter.

2. It Helps In Controlling The Friction Between Load-Bearing Surfaces-

 It also helps control and mitigates the friction between load bearing surfaces. This is primarily for
heavy machines and tools used in a number of industries. Industrial lubricants and lube oil take
care of the friction and thus the overall performance is improved also it reduces ware by forming
a lubrication film between surfaces in contact with each other.
 This is also an important process to follow if you have heavy machines or engines.
 At times we just don’t realize the importance of adding lubricants which should be carefully kept
in mind because industrial lubricants not only enhance the performance and efficiency but also
add to the longevity of the high-cost machineries, tools and engines.

3. Helps In Reducing the Temperature By Carrying Away Heat From Friction And Combustion
Of Fuel-
 We all know how important it is to control the temperature for any machine, tools or engines. It
is the lubricating oil that ensures the temperature is at good level at all times to keep the
operations of the machines and tools ongoing or else it would cease to perform to its optimal
strength and limits.
  Lube oil not only helps cool the engines but also increase performance and overall productivity
of the businesses and industries.

CASE STUDY:

Title: The Role of Lubricating Oil in Engine Performance

Introduction:
Lubricating oil plays a crucial role in the performance and longevity of engines. It reduces friction
between moving parts, dissipates heat, and prevents wear and corrosion. In this case study, we will
examine the importance of lubricating oil in engine operation and the factors that influence its
effectiveness.

Background:
Lubricating oil is a complex mixture of base oils and additives that work together to provide the
necessary lubrication properties for engines. The viscosity, thermal stability, and additive package of the
oil are critical factors that determine its performance.

Case Study:
A manufacturing plant that produces heavy machinery experienced frequent breakdowns in their
equipment due to engine failures. After conducting a thorough analysis, it was discovered that the
lubricating oil being used was of poor quality and did not meet the specifications required for the
machinery.

The plant decided to switch to a high-quality synthetic lubricating oil that was specifically formulated
for heavy-duty applications. The new oil had superior thermal stability, viscosity index, and anti-wear
properties compared to the previous oil.

After the switch, the plant observed a significant improvement in engine performance. The machinery
operated more smoothly, with reduced friction and wear on critical components. The frequency of
breakdowns decreased, leading to increased productivity and cost savings for the plant.

Conclusion:
This case study highlights the importance of using high-quality lubricating oil in engine applications.
The right oil can significantly impact engine performance, reliability, and longevity. Regular monitoring
of oil quality and adherence to manufacturer specifications are essential to ensure optimal
engine operation.

CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, the significance of lubricating oil in machinery and engine performance cannot be
overstated. Through meticulous analysis and evaluation, this report has underscored the pivotal role
lubricating oil plays in reducing friction, dissipating heat, and preventing wear and tear, thus ensuring
the longevity and efficiency of mechanical systems. Furthermore, our exploration of various types of
lubricating oils, their properties, and optimal application techniques has provided valuable insights into
optimizing maintenance practices and enhancing operational reliability. As industries continue to evolve
and demand greater performance from their machinery, the knowledge and strategies outlined in this
report serve as a foundation for informed decision-making and proactive maintenance, ultimately
contributing to safer, more reliable, and more sustainable operations.