Lubricating Oil
Lubricating oil is a class of refined products used to reduce friction and wear between bearing metallic surfaces.
MEHAROO - LUBRICATING OIL
A lubricant is a substance introduced to reduce friction between moving surfaces. It may also have the function of transporting foreign particles. The property of reducing friction is known as lubricity. Typically lubricants contain 90% base oil (most often petroleum fractions, called mineral oils) and less than 10% additives. The use of lubricating oils in vehicles is vital to their operation. When an engine is properly lubricated, it needs to put less work into moving pistons as the pistons glide easily. In the long run, this means that the car is able to operate while using less fuel and run at a lower temperature. Overall, the proper use of lubricating oil in a car improves efficiency and reduces the amount of wear and tear on moving engine parts. Since lubricating oils are such a valuable resource, there have been many efforts to recycle used oils. Used lubricating oil is recycled at "re-refineries", where water is removed from the oil in a process of dehydration.
Types Of Lubricants
Automotive applications dominate, but other industrial, marine, and metal working applications are also big consumers of lubricants. Although air and other gas-based lubricants are known, e.g., in fluid bearings, liquid and solid lubricants dominate the market, especially the former. Lubricants are generally composed of a majority of base oil plus a variety of additives to impart desirable characteristics. Although generally lubricants are based on one type of base oil, mixtures of the base oils also are used to meet performance requirements. The lubricant base oil is generally classified into three categories depending on the prevailing compositions:
- Paraffinic
- Naphthenic
- Aromatic