Up Front
Hidden Factors in Lube Selection
When trying to find a suitable replacement lubricant, be sure you know and understand all the applications where the lubricant is used and test the new lubricant in each application.

When I was comparing the properties of an EP-2 grease against the EP-2 grease currently used at our facility, our procurement department wanted to list the new grease under the same part number as an equivalent.

All of the properties of the new grease were similar to the current grease with the exception of the base oil's viscosity, which was slightly lower. I did not think that the difference in viscosity would be a problem in the application. However, I didn't know that the old grease's part number was listed under seven different applications and I inadvertently approved the new grease for all seven applications.

Fortunately, I identified this error before any damage was done.

Submitted by Mike Schultz, Vehicle Engineer, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Thanks Mike!

Book Bits
Avoid Mistakes with High Quality Lubricants
From "Lubrication Fundamentals":

The first steps in obtaining optimum performance from correctly selected, proper quality oils and greases are proper handling, storing, and dispensing. These are necessary for two primary reasons: First - to preserve the integrity of the products; and second - to preserve identification and any precautionary labeling. It is poor practice to buy high quality lubricants and then permit degradation of them through contamination of deterioration; or to run the risk of misapplication because the identification on the containers has become illegible through improper handling, or the products have been transferred to inadequately or improperly marked containers.

Q & A
Right Oil For the Right Temperature
Here's a great Q & A from our Message Boards.

"Is one viscosity better than another given the outside temperature? Is there a good oil that can be used year-round given extreme temperatures?" - Moose

Moose; Once you get your car warmed up, it pretty much doesn't care what the outside temperature is. Your thermostat is probably set somewhere between 180 - 210°F. It will get there sooner in August than it does in January, but unless you have coolant system problems, it should hold the same operating temperature year-round.

Likewise the internal engine parts - they can run as high as several hundred degrees F depending on how close they are to the combustion chamber. They are going to be that hot year-round.

The difference is start-up. A lower viscosity oil flows better at low temps. This makes the engine crank more easily and allows the oil to get where it needs to be to protect the engine sooner. Unfortunately, it will provide less film strength at normal operating temperatures.

The SAE grades are based on 1940's-era viscosity performance. Viscosity has two aspects - how easily does it flow at a certain temperature (viscosity) and how much does it thin out as the temperature goes up (viscosity index or VI). So the base SAE grades are 10, 20, 30, 40, etc.

Enter multigrades - in the 50's, they started adding things to decrease the rate that the oil thins out (increase the VI). So they expanded the grades - 10W-30 means it gives you the start-up flow of a 10 but the high temp film strength of a 30. Then along came synthetics, some of which have naturally high VI (Viscosity Index) without additives. Now we're starting to see hydrocracked base oils that also have naturally high VIs, not as high as the synthetics, but way above what they were making in the 40's.

If you look at the lube charts in most new car manuals they "recommend" that you use a 5W-30, but show that a 10W-30 is OK as long as the temperature is above 0°F. I live in Illinois, and I use a 10W-30 most of the year. In December sometime I'll go to a 5W-30 just for safety's sake and stay with that grade until mid-March. - Chris

- Our Message Boards are a great place to put in your two cents, read other people's comments, raise questions, and generally learn from one another. Visit them at: http://www.noria.com/message_boards/

Up Front
Streamlining Pump Lubrication
Consider draining your ANSI pump sumps and installing a pure mist lubrication system. These systems require little maintenance and help ensure the right amount of the correct lubricant is applied every time. You can install a sight drain bottle to inspect for contaminants and/or to collect a sample for oil analysis.

We have oil mist headers running about 800' in the Midwest without any problems. There are no oil changes to manage, no sumps to fill, less chance of using the wrong lubricant and it's an easy way to convert all of your pumps to a synthetic lubricant (use of a synthetic lubricant is recommended in cold climates to avoid plugging the reclassifiers with paraffin).

However, some operator surveillance is still needed to inspect and drain sight drain bottles - weekly is adequate.

Submitted by Daniel Sterrick, Sr. Mechanical Engineer, Kraton Polymers. Thanks Daniel!

Oil Safe Products Prevent Premature Equipment Failure
Up to 70% of equipment fails prematurely due to contamination in lubricants.

Lubricants are frequently topped off or replaced in harsh conditions, where the potential for contamination from dust, dirt, and water is the greatest. The Oil Safe product line provides contemporary designed hand dispensers to safely transport and dispense fluids and prevent contamination of rotating equipment.

• Minimizes potential spills or accidents
• Reduces the risk of skin contact
• Interchangeable lids and drums (2 to 10 liters)
• Wide range of spouts, hoses and nozzles available
  

Book Bits
Indoor Storage of Lubricants
From "Practical Lubrication for Industrial Facilities":

Storage temperatures should remain moderate at all times. The oilhouse should be located away from such possible sources of industrial contamination as coke dust, cement dust, textile mill fly, and similar forms of grit or soot. It should be kept clean at all times, with regular cleaning schedules being maintained. This applies above all to the dispensing equipment, which must never be allowed to become fouled, since this results in contamination and poor functioning.

Contamination and confusion of brands are two main things to be avoided in the handling of partially emptied containers and dispensing equipment. Thus orderliness is essential. Dispensing equipment should bear a label that matches the container from which it was filled. Labels on all equipment and containers should be kept legible at all times. Drying oils, such as linseed oil, should not be stored in the oilhouse. If they get into a lubrication system, the result, of course, is faulty lubrication and stoppage.

Today's Tip
Most large motors that have bearings with oil reservoirs are topped off through pipe plugs located on the top of the bearing housing. The problem is that as the top off oil is added to the reservoir it first passes over the threads for the pipe plug washing any dirt, metal or other contaminants into the reservoir. To cure this try screwing a short pipe nipple into the opening and capping it off with a pipe cap. When oil is added now, it no longer passes over the active threaded area helping to keep your top off oil contaminant free. (Tip submitted by Robert Walker, Oil Specialist, Reliant Energy. Thanks Robert!)

Q & A
Truth To Oil Life Extension Claims?
"I've heard that a lubricant's life is cut in half for every 10 degrees C (18 degrees F) increase in operating temperature. Is there any truth to this?"

Yes, this is generally true. The concept is based on the Arrhenius Rate Rule, named for 19th-century Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius. Heat increases both the collision rate of molecules and the activation energy of the reaction. The higher activation energy helps overcome the barrier (or natural resistance) molecules have to chemical reactions.

With oils, the chemical reaction that typically causes base oil degradation and additive depletion is oxidation. The activation energy required to induce oxidation in oil is high compared to other chemical reactions. The presence of contaminants such as water and certain metal particles in the oil can considerably speed up the process, i.e., increasing the activation rate. For most in-service mineral oils with typical contaminants, the activation energy for oxidation corresponds to a doubling for every 10 degrees C temperature increment.

Why does a refrigerator keep food from spoiling? Spoiling is a chemical reaction like oil oxidation but proceeds at a much higher rate constant. Compared to a refrigerator (4 degrees F), food will spoil at a rate 142 times faster at room temperature (77 degrees F). In otherwords, the speed of reaction in a freezer is much slower than at room temperature.

Jim Fitch, Noria Corporation

Up Front
Case Studies, Lessons Learned and Best Practices
We're all ears. In our recent survey, we asked you how we can improve Lube-Tips. You spoke up. Overwhelmingly you said that you want more case studies, lessons learned and to find out what best practices others have implemented with success. Great! We're all over it.

Actually, that's where we need your help. We want to publish your nuggets of wisdom, your brushes with disaster, your invaluable experiences and your cost-saving ideas. Share with us and we'll gladly share with you. $50 that is. We're happy to shell out the cash if your story makes it into Lube-Tips.

Haven't started hacking out an e-mail yet? Here are some ideas to get you past your writer's block:

Any recent "saves" on critical equipment? Perhaps you've successfully implemented something you learned in Lube-Tips or a training course. Maybe you've documented lubrication-related cost-savings or reliability improvements. Take some pictures of your lube storage room and tell us how you've improved it. You've got to be doing something right - share it with other Lube-Tips subscribers.

Spectacular or not, start writing. Just a paragraph or two will do. Feel like writing a novel? Go for it. I look forward to hearing from you.

Mike Ramsey
mramsey@noria.com

Book Bits
Maintaining Hydraulic Fluids
From "The Practical Handbook of Machinery Lubrication":

Keep hydraulic fluids cool. (The bulk oil temperature at the exterior of the reservoir should never exceed 60°C).

Keep hydraulic fluids clean. (There is general agreement among hydraulic experts that 75 - 80 percent of hydraulic failures are caused by fluid contaminated with dirt, wear particles and other foreign material. In today's high-pressure systems, clearances between wear surfaces are very small, making contamination control critical).

Keep hydraulic fluids dry. (Water and condensation content should never exceed a maximum of 1000 ppm, depending on the system design).

Immediately repair fluid leaks. If oil can escape, dirt and dust can re-enter the system. (A fluid leak of one drop per second is equal to 400 gallons in a 12-month period.)

Today's Tip
If electric motors are to be stored for a period of time, the vibrations created by the plant could cause false brinelling of the bearings. False brinelling occurs when the protective film of a lubricant is worn away by vibration and there is metal to metal contact between the edge of the rolling element and the bearing race. To prevent false brinelling, turn the shaft of the stored motor with your fingers a minimum of once a month. The same principle applies to idle machinery. The idle machine needs to be "bumped" to ensure that there is a film of the lubricant between the rolling element and the race. (Tip submitted by Rodger Shaffer, Manufacturing Engineer, Timken Latrobe Steel)

Q & A
H20 Lugging Synthetics
"The "Book Bits" in the April 24 Lube-Tips says 'The saturation level for a synthetic fluid is generally much higher than for a mineral base fluid.' This contradicts everything else I have read, and my experience. PAO synthetic oils have a higher aniline point and will not hold as much water, additive, or practically anything else as a mineral oil."

In general, you are correct - PAO base oils will dissolve very little water and have good water shedding characteristics. However, the issue has some additional considerations. First, other synthetics, such as phosphate ester, polyol ester and di-basic acid ester fluids will dissolve more water than mineral oils or PAOs. The ethylene oxide version of polyglycol synthetics are completely water soluble.

Also, due to the high aniline point of PAO base oils (and many hydrocracked Group III base oils too), the lubricant may be formulated with as much as 20 percent polyol and/or di-basic acid ester or even a mineral oil. In part, these co-basestocks help counteract seal shrinkage caused by the PAO, but it is also required to solubilize the additive package in the oil.

We hear about the great detergency properties of PAO, this is largely due to the presence of the ester component and additives. So, you are quite correct - a pure PAO base oil will shed water and has a very low saturation point. But esters that are commonly used as lubricants or as an additive in the PAO respond very differently.

Drew Troyer, Noria Corporation