Those in the car business, delivery business, farming, heavy equipment, automotive, aviation, or any other industry that relies on vehicles with engines understand the importance of lubricants. Fundamentally, lubricants serve an important purpose of reducing heat, friction, and wear and tear on engines and motors. But what are lubricants made from?
OilWorks is a wholesale lubricant supplier dedicated to offering our customers in the Columbus, Ohio area the best fuel delivery service, including delivering fuel additives, diesel oil, and lubricants. Our mission is to ensure your fleet stays in tip-top shape and that you have the engine oil and lubricants you need to perform your job optimally. Below, we’ll take a look at what lubricants are made from. Contact our oil distribution company today!
WHAT ARE LUBRICANTS MADE FROM?
Lubricants are simply made from oil and additives. While we say simply, there truly is nothing simple about creating a lubricant that can get the job done, especially as technology continually pushes the envelope. Almost all oil comes from petroleum, which is drilled and removed from the earth and then refined into the thousands of products we use every day. There are three types of oils: mineral, synthetic, and vegetable. In the lubricants you use for engines, you mainly use mineral oil (from petroleum) or synthetic (man-made fluids). Synthetic oil is popular because it’s more precise in terms of its properties; whereas, oil from minerals vary in its consistency due to its very nature.
Additives are those compounds added to the base oil in order to improve the performance of the lubricants so it can do its main job of cooling and reducing friction better. The main property you look for when considering additives is viscosity. Viscosity is the oil’s resistance to shear and flow. The higher the viscosity, the slower it flows and vice versa. This is important as you usually prefer one over the other for particular applications.
Next in importance in lubricant additives is the viscosity index. This basically relates how the viscosity of the lubricant is affected by temperature changes. As you know, an engine gets hot. Thus, the higher the viscosity index, the less the lubricant is affected by temperature, which is important in engine use. There are additives specifically made to improve this index.
Other important additives to note include:
- Rust inhibitors which protect against the formation of rust. They basically repel water by forming a protective film layer.
- Dispersants help flush away tiny particles, which protects the engine from abrasion.
- Antiwear and extreme pressure (EP) additives help to form a thin protective layer that allows the metal components to not touch each other.
- Detergents help to neutralize acids and clean surfaces of deposits.
- Defoamants do just that — defoam. They help to keep bubbles down so foam does not form.
Choosing the Right Lubricant for Your Use
As you can see, there are many different types of lubricants with different properties to help in your particular application. All however offer higher efficiency, longer lifespan, and better reliability than without them. You will also save money on maintenance and replacement costs as well.
CHOOSE OILWORKS IN COLUMBUS TODAY
OilWorks ensures you have your lubricants delivered in a timely fashion. We offer a variety of lubricants to suit your needs, from motor and gear oils to steering and hydraulic fluids. Our passion is helping you do your job better by taking the worry of having lubricants and fuel off your plate. We offer many brands, including Kendall, Red Line, Phillips 66, and more. We also install and maintain your fuel equipment, as well as monitor your tank levels for you. When you partner with our bulk fuel and lubricant delivery service, you can rest assured you’ll be taken care of. Call us today!