Lubricant additives

Fig 1.
1

Lubricant additives
To function effectively, the lubricant needs chemical additives as

well as base oils. Depending on the application, various

combinations of additives are used to meet the required
performance level; the most important ones are listed as follows:
Detergents
Dispersants
Antiwear
Foam inhibitors

Antioxidants
Pour point depressants
Viscosity modifiers

1. Detergents
Detergents play an essential role in protecting various metallic

components of internal combustion engines by neutralizing acidic

compounds formed during combustion processes
Role: Adsorbed onto the residue and entice them away from the
surface its adhesion, keep them in a state of suspended in blocks
oil
All detergent additives contain :
- Polar head: Hydrophilic, acidic groups (e.g., sulfonate,
hydroxyl, mercapton, carboxylic, or carbonamide groups) that
react with metal oxides or hydroxides
- Hydrocarbon tail: Oleophilic aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, or
alkylaromatic hydrocarbon radicals that provide oil solubility
- One or several metal ions

1. Detergents
Detergent types:
Metallic Soaps: normally Na, Ca or

Mg
Soap Substrates:
- Sulfornates
- Phenates
- Salicylates
If the metal is present in excess,
the detergents are called basic,
overbased, or superbased
Fig 3. Idealized representations of
neutral and overbased detergents.

2. Antiwear additives
Function: Reduce wear of rubbing metal surfaces
Types:

Amine or Metal phosphites, Phosphates, or Thiophosphates (ZDP)

Boron compounds
Sulfurized olefins
Mechanism: Adhere to metal surfaces, forming a protective film
which shears preferentially under wear conditions
Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate [6] or zinc dithiophosphatesare
typically used.

2. Antiwear additives

Fig 4. Formation of a Zinc Dithiophosphate (ZDP) Antiwear Film

3. Viscosity index improvers

Viscosity index improvers: Are polymers (large molecules weight

and long chain) soluble oil works to reduce the change of oil
viscosity with temperature.
Mechanism:

3. Viscosity modifiers

4.Antifoam agent
Function:

- Prevent oil loss or Oil starvation

caused by foaming
Reduce Oil Aeration
Types: - Polydimethyl Siloxanes

- Polyacrylates
Mechanism: Reduce surface tension of Oil

causing bubbles to collapse