Lubrication and Lubricants: An Overview

The use of Lubricants is necessary for frictionless functioning of a machine. We don’t usually consider lubrication is a serious problem, but without proper lubrication the machine parts won’t take much longer before tearing themselves apart, under operation. 

Lubrication can be done by two most common methods, either by using lubricant oil or by using grease. The two of these lubrication methods used solemnly for lubricating the machinery, but they all possess different properties and they may be used differently depending upon the nature of job.

Lubrication using Lubricating Oils

The first method in our category is lubricating the machinery using lubricant oil. The usage of oil as a lubricants dates back to 19th century. Machineries used to be lubricated using water before that time. Water has been used as a lubricant for quite a long period of time. Water doesn’t only helps with lubrication, but has some harmful effects which often hinders with the state of the machinery and degrades its parts.

Water helps in oxidation of machine parts, especially iron parts. Water is the main root for the corrosion of metal parts, generally known as rust if iron parts are involved. Another reason for the downfall of water as a lubricant is that it has low viscosity. Viscosity is known as the property of a fluid to resist its flow. The lower viscosity of water causes it to lose its position between the working metal parts thus reducing the lubrication and increasing the friction. Water is still used in various industries both as a lubricant as well as a coolant. Cutting industries use water as a lubricant to reduce friction between the cutting metal parts and the object.

The basic idea of using lubricant oil is similar to the usage of water. The main difference is that lubricating oil is more viscous than water thus it stays within the desired location for an extended period of time. The huge usage of lubricants has set up a vast industry for the production of lubricating oil. There are a huge number of lubricant oil manufacturers in India, INZIN Automotive Pvt. Ltd. is one of the leading automotive lubricant manufacturers in Rajkot, Gujarat and serving across Pan India.

We manufacture lubricating oil, engine oil, and other automotive parts and provide automobile services all across India. We provide the best online lubricants prices with attractive offers. Oil is the most common method of lubrication in a number of different machinery. Oil is preferably used in places which often generate a lot of heat and there is a constant need for reducing the applied friction. Synthetic lubricating oil is made up by mixing mineral oils with a soap base or in general with water.

Grease as a Mode of Lubrication

The other method of lubricating machinery is by the usage of grease. Grease is semi-solid substance that has a greater viscosity then oils and is not in the general liquid form. Grease is specially manufactured for the condition where there are a lot of machine parts working under immense stress. Grease generally acts as a solid, although under pressure it changes its viscosity to match that of its base oil. This helps grease in lubricating machine parts without losing its physical state or property.

Grease is manufactured as a sticky semi-solid and it perfect to be used in places which are not maintained frequently. Due to its sticky nature, grease sticks in between the rotating gears of the machine and is resistant to water wash outs. Grease is better than lubricant oil due to its sticky nature and ability to resist its flow under normal conditions. Oil might lose its grip over the machine with time. Grease is usually promising for very long maintenance intervals.

Grease vs. Oil

The choice of using oil over grease or vice versa is the topic for debate. This is a conflict between the usage and application of the machine. Grease is better to be applied in machine or parts of machine which is not generally looked after, like bearings or gears. Whereas, oil is required for friction reduction and heat control, this it is suitable to be used within the engine parts of an automotive or as gear oil in machinery with lower stress potential.

Lubricant Oil Manufacturers constantly stress over choosing the right oil or grease for your vehicle as the wrong choice may affect the overall performance of the automobile. The choice is based on the company specifications and the usage and nature of the machine itself. You cannot use oil in place or grease or vice versa. The choice is quite an important decision and must remain static all the times.