Maintenance Engineering

Lubrication

Prof. Dr. Sobahan Mia

Dept of Mechanical Engineering
Khulna University of Engineering & Technology
 Lubrication
• Lubrication is the process, or technique employed to reduce
wear of one or both surfaces in close proximity, and moving
relative to each another, by interposing a substance called
lubricant between the surfaces to carry or to help carry the load
(pressure generated) between the opposing surfaces. The
interposed lubricant film can be a solid, (e.g. graphite, MoS2) a
solid/liquid dispersion, a liquid, a liquid-liquid dispersion gasses
exceptionally a gas.
• In the most common case the applied load is carried by pressure
generated within the fluid due to the frictional viscous resistance
to motion of the lubricating fluid between the surfaces.
• Adequate lubrication allows smooth continuous operation of
equipment, with only mild wear, and without excessive stresses
or seizures at bearings. When lubrication breaks down, metal or
other components can rub destructively over each other, causing
destructive damage, heat, and failure.

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 Lubricant
Lubricants are the substances (solid, liquid, mixtures or gases)
deliberately applied to produce low friction and reduce the
wear. The property of reducing friction is known as lubricity.

Lubricants are an essential part of modern machinery.

Everything from computer hard disk drives to the Airbus A380
requires lubrication of its moving parts. One of the single
largest applications for lubricants, in the form of motor oil, is
protecting the internal combustion engines in motor vehicles
and powered equipment.

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 Lubricant
A good lubricant possesses the following characteristics:
• High boiling point.
• Low freezing point.
• High viscosity index.
• Thermal stability.
• Corrosion prevention.
• High resistance to oxidation.

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 Lubricant
Purpose of Lubricant
Lubricants perform the following key functions.
• Keep moving parts apart
• Reduce friction
• Transfer heat
• Carry away contaminants & debris
• Transmit power
• Protect against wear
• Prevent corrosion

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 Lubricant
General composition
Lubricants are generally composed of a majority of base oil and a minority of
additives to impart desirable characteristics.
Types of lubricants
• Liquid including emulsions and suspensions
• Solid
• Greases
• Pastes
Liquid lubricants
• Liquid lubricants may be characterized in many different ways. One of the most
common ways is by the type of base oil used. Following are the most common
types.
• Water
• Mineral oils
• Vegetable (natural oil)
• Synthetic oils
• Others

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 Lubricant

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 Lubricant

Lubricant

Fig. Two surfaces separated by a boundary layer of Lubricant

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 Chemical Structure
CH
3
H
H C C (C ) n C C C CH
3 3
H H H H
2 2 2
CH
2

CH
3

Paraffinic mineral series

H2
C H H H
H2 H2 C C C C C C CH3
H H
C H C H C CH2 2 CH3 2
CH3 CH3 H2 C C H C H C
H2
C C C C C H CH2
H2 H H3 C H C H C
CH3 H2
CH3

Synthetic naphthenic series

Naphthenic mineral series

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 Chemical Structure

F F F F
C C O C O C
F F F F
n

Aromatic Ester
Perfluoropolyether (PFPE)

C8H17 O R and R´
denote any
( CH – CH2 ) n C alkyl or aryl
R OR´ group

Polyalphaolefin (PAO)
Ester

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 Properties of Lubricating Oil
Important Properties of Lubricating Oil

 Viscosity ASTM-Walther Equation: log log(  0.7)  A  B log T

 Pressure-viscosity coefficient   C1  C2 log 
 Density t = 15 – 0.00064(t-15)

 Bulk modulus
 Low temperature fluidity (pour point or viscoelastic solid transition
temperature)
 Specific heat
 Thermal conductivity
 Acidity or alkalinity
 Flash point
 Oxidation stability, etc.
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 Lubricant Property (Viscosity)

For per unit swept area (F/A) or shear stress () is proportional to
the velocity gradient (du/dh) or shear rate () in the film,
m2/s (SI)

F
     
du  Stokes (cgs)
 1 St=1 cm2/s=10-4m2/s
A dh  1 cSt=1mm2/s=10-6m2/s
 is the absolute viscosity,  is the kinematic viscosity and  is the density
Unit: Ns/m2 [Pa.s] (SI), Poise (P)- dyne.s/cm2 (cgs) {1 P= 0.1 Ns/m2, 1 cP= 10-3 Ns/m2}
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 Viscosity
Viscosity is the property of a fluid that causes it to resist flow, which
mechanically is the ratio of shear stress to shear rate. Viscosity may be visualized
as a result of physical interaction of molecules when subjected to flow. Lubricating
oils have long chain hydrocarbon structures, and viscosity increases with chain
length. Viscosity of an oil film, or a flowing column of oil, is dependent upon the
strong absorption of the first layer adjacent to the solid surfaces, and the shear of
adjacent layers.
• Effect of temperature on Viscosity
- Viscosity of most oils decreases with temperature and this is an important effect in
tribology. Viscosity Index (VI) is used to indicate the approximate effect of
temperature on kinematic viscosity.
- Gulf Coast oils: VI = 0 and Pennsylvanian oils: VI = 100

L U
- The specification of viscosity index =  100
LH

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 Viscosity Index

ASTM-Walther Equation: log log(  0.7)  A  B log T

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 Viscosity Index
• VI is a commonly used expression of an oil's change of viscosity with
temperature. VI is based on two hypothetical oils with arbitrarily assigned
VI's of 0 and 100. The higher the viscosity index the smaller the relative
change in viscosity with temperature. Most industrial mineral lubricating
oils have a VI between 55 and 100, but VI varies from 0 to "high VI" oils
with VI up to 175.

Industrial Oil Viscosity, cSt Viscosity, cSt Viscosity Visc-Temp

ISOVG 32 At 40C At 100C Index Coefficient

Machine Oil 30.4 4.8 58 0.842

Turbine Oil 32 5.4 102 0.831

Hydraulic Oil 30.4 6.1 154 0.799

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 Viscosity
• Effect of pressure on Viscosity
- As temperature rise, reduces the viscosity of mineral oil, so an increase in
pressure produces a rise in its viscosity. The effect of pressure represents
by the Barus’s equation.
- The oil which is a simple fluid (liquid) at atmospheric pressure, begins to
behave almost like a plastic solid at very high pressures. At high pressure
oil behaves in a non-Newtonian fashion when the shear stress are no
longer directly proportional to the shear strain rates.

 Liquid lubricant viscosity varies with pressure such that the local
pressure-viscosity coefficient is a function of pressure. According to

  0 exp p 
Barus

 The important parameter for the prevention of damage under the

EHL condition is  (: pressure-viscosity coefficient, : viscosity)
and for traction control is p (p: Average Hertzian pressure).
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 Viscosity Measurements
• Capillary viscometers
• Efflux viscometers (Falling
sphere viscometer)
• Rotational viscometers
• Disc machine viscometers

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 Pour Point
• The pour point of a liquid is the lowest temperature at which it becomes
semi solid and loses its flow characteristics. In crude oil a high pour point
is generally associated with a high paraffin content, typically found in
crude deriving from a larger proportion of plant material. That type of
crude oil is mainly derived from a kerogen Type II.
• Also, the pour point can be defined as the minimum temperature at which
a liquid, particularly a lubricant, will flow.
• The specimen is cooled inside a cooling bath to allow the formation of
paraffin wax crystals. At about 9 °C above the expected pour point, and for
every subsequent 3 °C, the test jar is removed and tilted to check for
surface movement. When the specimen does not flow when tilted, the jar is
held horizontally for 5 sec. If it does not flow, 3 °C is added to the
corresponding temperature and the result is the pour point temperature.

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 Additives
Most modern lubricant have chemical compounds added to
improve the basic characteristics of the base oils. These are
known as additives. Common additives are:
-Viscosity improver
-Pour point depressants
-Oxidation inhibitors
-Detergents or dispersants
-corrosion inhibitors
-Extreme pressure (EP) additives
-Anti foam additives
-Solid lubricants
-Emulsifiers

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 Synthetic Oils
Synthetic oil is oil consisting of chemical compounds which
were not originally present in crude oil (petroleum) but were
artificially made (synthesized) from other compounds.
Synthetic oil could be made to be a substitute for petroleum
or specially made to be a substitute for a lubricant oil such as
conventional (or mineral) motor oil refined from petroleum.
Different types of Synthetic oils
• Polyalpha-olefin (PAO)
• Synthetic esters
• Polyalkylene glycols (PAG)
• Phosphate esters
• Alkylated naphthalenes (AN)
• Silicate esters
• Ionic fluids

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 Synthetic Oils
Advantages Disadvantages
The benefits for synthetic motor oils The disadvantages of synthetic motor oils
include: include:
• Better low temperature viscosity • Initial cost
performance. • Potential oil seal problems - if the oil does
• Better high temperature viscosity not contain sufficient seal conditioners.
performance.
• Potential decomposition problems in
• Decreased evaporative loss certain chemical environments
• Reduced friction • Potential stress cracking of plastic
• Reduced engine wear componentry like POM
• Improved fuel efficiency (polyoxymethylene) in the presence of
PAO's.
• Chemical stability
• Initial cost may be mitigated by extended
• Resistance to oil sludge problems
change intervals, but those need to be
• Some synthetic motor oil confirmed by oil analysis for each
producers offer extended drain
intervals particular user.

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 Greases
• Grease is a lubricant (semi-solid lubricant) of higher initial
viscosity than oil, consisting originally of a calcium, sodium or
lithium soap jelly emulsified with mineral oil.
• Greases usually consists of a thickening agent mixed with a
standard mineral oil, often with other special additives. Metallic
soaps such as calcium, lithium and sodium soaps are commonly
used as thickeners.
• Grease are used where circulating liquid lubricant cannot be
contained because of space and cost and where cooling by the
oil is not required or the application of a liquid lubricant is not
feasible.

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 Greases

Grease Gelling Agents - Soap and soap complex

Lithium -- Most common, easy to manufacture, easy to store, good
pumpability, resists dust and coal, flowability permits dirt to flow out
Calcium -- Requires less regreasing, good water resistance, calcium soap
aids lubrication
Aluminum -- Highest resistance to water, chemicals, acids, (edible)
Barium -- High water resistance, somewhat toxic
Sodium -- Fibrous, water-soluble
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