Lubricant oil production plant

There are two main raw materials for the production of lubricants:

• Lube base stock          

• Additives                                  

Lube base stock

This base oil needs to have certain chemicals called additives added to it to enhance its performance as a good lubricating agent. These additives together perform diverse functions but each additive has a specific use and together they give the lubricant its character. Depending on the engine the lubricants is to be used; the ratio of base oil to additives varies from 85:15 to 90:10.

Base oils: Base oil is highly refined crude oil or in some cases a synthetic composition and they account for roughly one percent of the total output of petroleum products from crude. It is essentially a by -product obtained during refining of crude and is obtained along with the heavier ends.

Different operating conditions like moisture, dust, exposure to air, high/low temperature, high pressure, corrosion, etc dictate which base oil and which additives should be used.

Types of Base oils

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

GTL

 

PROPERTIES

Lubricating oil should have the following properties: They should not change their viscosity as operating temperature changes should not easily oxidize and produce sludge’s and gums, should protect engine parts from corrosion, should also act as coolants that take away frictional heat, should have detergent properties that keep the machine surfaces clean by constantly removing and dispersing foreign matter etc.

The most important physical characteristics of lube oil are viscosity and flash point. The oil should be viscous enough to prevent metal contact besides reducing viscous drag. Flash point is the temperature at which oil forms an ignitable mixture with air when it is heated under specified conditions. It denotes the presence of volatile constituents in oil and is indicative of the temperature up to which it can safely be used.

CLASSIFICATION AND SPECIFICATION OF LUBRICANT

Lubricants for their applications can be broadly classified into:

Industrial lubricants

Automotive lubricants

Aviation & Marine grade lubricants