What Are the Different Types of Lubricants?
Lubricants support the superior operation and prolonged service life of countless industrial applications, heavy-duty machinery, and every vehicle on the road. This vital friction-reducing agent contributes to a system’s reliability, durability, and efficiency. Yet, each lubricant contains specific characteristics that predispose it to optimal use in distinct scenarios.
This article explores the most common types of lubricants — including oils, greases, and penetrating and dry lubricants — and offers guidance on how to select the best one for your needs. Quality is key in determining the appropriate lubricant, regardless of the application. Trust the experts at Cadence to provide you with the highest-quality lubricants available.
What Is a Lubricant?
Lubricants reduce the physical and thermal friction between moving components to maximize efficiency, extend maintenance intervals, and contribute to greater longevity.
Applied to parts large and small within a system or machine, lubricants reduce the risk of mechanical failure due to overheating. Lubricating a system or component also reduces unplanned downtime, bolstering productivity and profit margins.
Engine knocking occurs when a vehicle’s motor is starved of the lubricating fluids it needs for proper performance. Even electric vehicles (EVs) require lubricants to support their wheel and roller bearings, air conditioning components, transmissions, and anti-lock braking systems.
What Are the Different Types of Lubricants?
Automotive lubricants such as oil and grease are the most common types of lubricants you’ll typically encounter. However, you may recognize a form of penetrating lubricant on our list, especially if you consider yourself a handyman around the house. Let’s dive right into the four major types of lubricants.
Oil
Characterized as thin and viscous compared to other types of lubricants, oil is available in different weights. Oil weight — also called viscosity — describes its flow resistance, meaning higher-viscosity oils are heavier and thicker than low-viscosity oils. For example, heavy-duty engine oils have a higher viscosity than passenger car motor oils.
Most oils are comprised of 90% base oil and 10% additives, but the exact ratio varies and depends on the specific application.
Between synthetic blend vs. full synthetic vs. conventional oils, synthetic oils tend to have a higher count of additives than conventional. Additives perform several functions, from improving corrosion resistance to reducing wear and increasing the base oil’s viscosity index.
Oil is a useful lubricant for machines that cannot be disassembled — at least easily, affordably, or efficiently. The oil disperses to provide a protective coating without increasing friction or pressure within the equipment. Lubricants absorb heat to regulate temperature but can degrade due to contaminants like dust, rust, and dirt.
Grease
Thicker than oil, greases create a viscous, physical barrier between chains, bearings, gears, and linkages.
Applications that require a higher viscosity often call for grease due to its ability to repel dust, water, and other contaminants. Grease can be synthetic or petroleum-based and is manufactured by blending oil and various thickeners, including calcium, lithium, or sodium-based soap.
Due to grease’s high viscosity, it tends to last longer than oil. Therefore, grease is common on machinery that operates at higher temperatures, produces more torque, or is subject to greater shear stress.
Penetrating Lubricant
In contrast to long-term-use lubricants like oil and grease, penetrating lubricants are often reserved for specific circumstances. Distinguished by their ultra-low viscosity, they slip into the smallest of cracks to loosen stubborn components, dissolve rust, and reduce friction. Some industrial factories and oil refineries use specialized penetrating lubricants for selective applications.
Dry Lubricant
Dry lubricants are slick without leaving an oily residue. They typically require a solvent — such as alcohol or water — to deliver benefits such as bond strength, anti-friction properties, and chemical resistance.
Because dry lubricants undergo fewer molecular changes at higher temperatures, they’re often used in the oil and gas and aerospace industries, where extreme conditions are common.
Specialty Lubricants
Beyond the four most common lubricants listed above, several specialty lubricants are used in industrial applications. These custom-tailored lubricants include anti-seize, transmission fluid, and gear oils. Anti-seize lubricants like copper and nickel ensure that threaded components in environments with high temperatures, moisture, and friction remain pliable.
Transmission fluid — common in the automatic transmissions that drive the vast majority of cars on the road — contains friction modifiers to ensure your engine shifts gears smoothly and effectively.
In addition to lubricating the mechanical gears within the transmission, this fluid must maintain pressure while cooling the internal components and preventing rust from forming. Similar to engine oil, transmission fluid requires replacement on the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance intervals.
In contrast, gear oil is more common in manual transmissions and differentials. Because of its high viscosity and additives that enable it to handle extreme pressures, gear oil typically has greater longevity than motor oil. It also maintains thermal stability to safeguard gear teeth and reduce sludge buildup.
What To Consider When Selecting a Lubricant
Most industrial equipment and automotive manufacturers specify the required lubricants for their corresponding products.
In some cases, however, only certain parameters are defined. For instance, a vehicle’s owner’s manual may recommend 5W-30 motor oil, but it’s your call whether you choose Castrol, Pennzoil, or some other engine oil brand.
As you review the available lubricants for your customers’ needs, keep the following factors in mind to make a more informed decision:
- Application requirements
- Lubricant properties
- Overriding industry regulations and standards
- Performance requirements
- Compatibility
- Cost
- Availability
Although it’s wise to consider each of these factors, weigh them according to your perceived order of importance.
Rely on Cadence for High-Performing Lubrication Products
Global industries rely on several types of lubricants to ensure the performance and longevity of their heavy-duty machinery. Whether the application calls for oil, grease, penetrating, or dry lubricants, Cadence offers a vast selection of superior lubricating products. Call us at 336-629-2061 today to discover how Cadence delivers value at every turn.
Sources:
What Are Lubricants? – About Tribology | Tribonet
The Down and Dirty: Electric Vehicle Oil and Fluids | Pack Logix
Automotive Lubricants Reference Book | SAE International
PASSENGER CAR MOTOR OIL | The Petroleum Quality Institute of America