How to Choose between Lubricating Oil Additive Packages and Single Additives?
In the vast system of mechanical equipment operation, lubricating oil is a crucial part, and its performance directly affects the operation efficiency, lifespan, and maintenance cost of the equipment. Lubricating oil additive packages and single additives, as the core elements determining the performance of lubricating oil, have significant differences in their characteristics, functions, and application scenarios. Understanding these differences and making scientific choices is the key to ensuring the best lubrication effect for the equipment.
I. Lubricating Oil Additive Packages: Comprehensive Lubrication Protection
(I) Definition and Composition
Lubricating oil additive packages are comprehensive additive products that are mixed and blended according to a rigorous scientific formula and advanced technology, using a variety of additives with different functions. These additives include antioxidants, anti-wear agents, detergents and dispersants, rust inhibitors, and viscosity index improvers, etc. Through careful compounding, they can endow lubricating oil with comprehensive and balanced performance improvement, enabling it to cope with various complex lubrication conditions.
(II) Mechanism of Action
1. Antioxidation Function: During the use of lubricating oil, high temperature, high pressure, and contact with air can easily trigger oxidation reactions, leading to the deterioration of the oil product, an increase in the acid value, and further affecting the lubrication effect. The antioxidants in the additive package can effectively capture the free radicals in the oil, interrupt the oxidation chain reaction, significantly delay the oxidation process of the oil, extend the service life of the lubricating oil, and ensure that the mechanical equipment maintains a stable lubrication state during long-term operation.
2. Anti-wear Function: When mechanical components rub against each other, direct contact between metal surfaces will exacerbate wear and shorten the service life of the equipment. The anti-wear agents in the additive package form a tough protective film on the friction surface. This film has a low shear strength, which can separate the metal surfaces, reduce the friction coefficient, thereby reducing the degree of wear, protecting key components such as engine crankshafts and gears, and reducing maintenance costs.
3. Detergency and Dispersancy: During the use of lubricating oil, impurities such as sludge, carbon deposits, and gums will be generated. If these impurities deposit on parts such as engine pistons, oil passages, and filters, it will seriously affect the normal operation of the equipment. The detergents and dispersants in the additive package can adsorb and disperse these impurities, making them suspend in the oil, and then they are filtered and removed by the filter with the oil circulation, keeping the inside of the equipment clean and maintaining good heat dissipation and lubrication effects.
4. Anti-rust and Anti-corrosion: In a humid or corrosive medium environment, the metal parts of mechanical equipment are prone to rust and corrosion. The rust inhibitors in the additive package form a dense protective layer on the metal surface, blocking the contact between corrosive media such as water and air and the metal, providing reliable anti-rust and anti-corrosion protection for the equipment, and ensuring its normal operation in harsh environments.
(III) Characteristics and Advantages
1. Multi-functional Integration: Lubricating oil additive packages integrate multiple functions for improving lubrication performance. By adding just one additive package, it can meet the performance requirements of lubricating oil in multiple aspects such as antioxidation, anti-wear, detergency and dispersancy, and anti-rust and anti-corrosion. There is no need to add multiple single additives separately, which greatly simplifies the lubricating oil blending process and improves production efficiency.
2. Synergistic Effect: The components in the additive package are carefully designed and matched, and they produce a synergistic effect, promoting and complementing each other. As a result, the overall performance of the additive package is much better than the simple superposition of single additives, achieving the effect of "1 + 1 > 2".
3. Stable Quality: An industrialized standard production process is adopted, and strict quality control is carried out in all aspects from raw material selection, formula ratio to the production process, ensuring that the quality of each batch of additive packages is uniform and the performance is stable and reliable, providing users with trustworthy products.
4. Strong Adaptability: According to different types of base oils, such as mineral oils and synthetic oils, as well as the specific needs of different equipment and working conditions, the formula can be flexibly adjusted to achieve wide adaptability to various base oils and application scenarios, providing users with personalized lubrication solutions.
(IV) Application Areas
1. Automotive Field: Lubricating oil additive packages are essential key components in modern automotive engine oils, transmission oils, brake fluids, etc. Whether the vehicle frequently stops and starts in urban congestion or runs at high speed for a long time on the highway, the additive package can provide efficient and reliable lubrication protection, improve power transmission efficiency, reduce exhaust emissions, and extend the service life of automotive engines and transmission systems.
2. Industrial Manufacturing: Widely used in various industrial equipment such as large machine tools, mining machinery, metallurgical equipment, and power generation equipment. These devices usually operate under high load and continuous operation for a long time, and have extremely high requirements for the performance of lubricating oil. The additive package can provide high-quality lubrication protection for the gears, bearings, hydraulic systems, etc. of industrial equipment, reduce the failure rate of the equipment, improve production continuity, and ensure the smooth progress of industrial production.
3. Marine Shipping: Used in marine engines, stern tube systems, hydraulic steering gears, etc., it can adapt to the marine environment with high humidity and high salt spray, ensure the reliable operation of the ship's power system, and guarantee navigation safety.
(V) Working Principle
When the lubricating oil additive package is added to the base oil, each component disperses rapidly. The antioxidants continuously capture the free radicals in the oil, interrupting the oxidation chain reaction and preventing the oil from oxidizing and deteriorating; when the mechanical components start and operate to generate friction, the anti-wear agents undergo physical or chemical reactions on the friction pair surface to form a protective film with a low shear strength, separating the metal surfaces and reducing wear; one end of the detergent and dispersant molecules adsorbs on the surface of impurities such as sludge and carbon deposits, and the other end dissolves in the oil, making the impurities stably suspended and then filtered and removed by the filter with the oil circulation; the rust inhibitors closely adsorb on the metal surface to form a hydrophobic and oxygen-isolating protective film, blocking the erosion of water and oxygen on the metal.
(VI) Selection Points
1. Equipment Type: Different equipment has very different requirements for the performance of lubricating oil. For example, automotive engines focus on high-temperature oxidation resistance and detergency and dispersancy performance, while wind turbine gearboxes pay more attention to extreme pressure anti-wear and anti-micropitting performance. It is necessary to select a suitable additive package according to the characteristics of the equipment.
2. Working Conditions: Consider the temperature range in which the equipment operates. In a high-temperature environment, a high-temperature-resistant additive package should be selected; according to the load size, a high extreme pressure type additive package should be selected for heavy-duty equipment; for the operating speed, high-speed rotating equipment needs to take into account anti-foaming properties and an appropriate viscosity index improvement.
3. Base Oil Adaptability: It is necessary to understand whether the base oil used is a mineral oil, semi-synthetic oil, or fully synthetic oil, and ensure good compatibility between the additive package and the base oil to avoid problems such as delamination, precipitation, and abnormal changes in viscosity.
II. Lubricating Oil Single Additives: Focus on Single Performance Enhancement
(I) Definition and Composition
Lubricating oil single additives are products that contain only one specific functional additive component, focusing on strengthening a single performance of the lubricating oil, such as an antioxidant that simply improves the antioxidant capacity, a pour point depressant that is specifically used to improve the low-temperature fluidity, and an extreme pressure anti-wear agent that provides anti-wear protection in response to extreme pressure.
(II) Mechanism of Action
1. Antioxidant Single Additive: It can efficiently capture the free radicals generated during the oxidation process of the lubricating oil, slow down the oxidation rate of the oil, significantly extend the service life of the lubricating oil in a high-temperature and aerobic environment, and ensure the long-term stability of the equipment's lubrication system.
2. Extreme Pressure Anti-wear Single Additive: When the mechanical components bear ultra-high pressure and impact loads, it undergoes a chemical reaction with the metal surface to generate a protective film such as sulfides and phosphides, preventing the metal surface from being scratched and bonded, and ensuring the normal operation of heavy-duty equipment.
3. Pour Point Depressant Single Additive: It changes the wax crystal morphology of the lubricating oil, reduces the pour point of the oil, enables it to still maintain good fluidity in a low-temperature environment, facilitates cold starting, and is suitable for equipment operating in cold regions or in winter.
(III) Characteristics and Advantages
1. Single Function Focus: It has a very strong pertinence, focusing on solving a specific performance shortcoming of the lubricating oil, and its effect in improving this performance is significantly better than that of a single component in the additive package.
2. Precise Control: Due to its single component, it is convenient to accurately control the addition amount. Researchers and lubricating oil formulators can finely adjust the performance of the lubricating oil according to the specific needs of the equipment.
3. In-depth Compatibility Research: When it is combined with different base oils and other single additives, its interaction mechanism is relatively clear, which is conducive to professional personnel to carry out personalized lubricating oil formula design.
(IV) Application Areas
1. Aerospace Field: Aircraft engines operate in an environment of high altitude, high speed, and extreme temperature changes, and have strict requirements for some single performances of lubricating oil. For example, special antioxidants are used to ensure the lubrication reliability of the fuel system, and high flash point and low volatility anti-wear agents are used to ensure the precision of mechanical components.
2. High-end Precision Machinery: For equipment such as electronic chip manufacturing equipment and high-precision optical processing machine tools, even a slight fluctuation in lubrication performance may affect product quality. High-purity and stable-performance single additives are often selected to accurately formulate lubricating oil as needed.
3. Extreme Working Condition Research: In scientific research test equipment simulating extreme environments such as the deep sea, polar regions, and nuclear radiation, in order to meet special research needs, single additives are selectively used to construct special lubricating oil formulas.
(V) Working Principle
Taking the antioxidant single additive as an example, its molecular structure contains active groups that are easy to react with free radicals. When free radicals are generated in the oil to trigger an oxidation reaction, the active groups of the antioxidant single additive quickly combine with them, converting the free radicals into stable molecules and terminating the oxidation chain reaction. Under high pressure, the active elements (such as sulfur and phosphorus) of the extreme pressure anti-wear single additive undergo a chemical reaction with the metal surface atoms to form a protective film with a high melting point and high strength. This film can withstand great pressure and prevent direct contact between metals, thus avoiding wear. The pour point depressant single additive adsorbs on the surface of wax crystals, preventing the wax crystals from aggregating and growing, keeping them in a fine and dispersed state, thereby reducing the solidification tendency of the oil and maintaining its low-temperature fluidity.
(VI) Selection Points
1. Solving Targeted Problems: If the lubricating oil has already shown or is expected to show a prominent problem, such as excessive oxidation, difficult cold starting, or severe heavy-duty wear, select the corresponding antioxidant, pour point depressant, extreme pressure anti-wear, etc. single additives.
2. Synergy with Existing Formulas: When optimizing on the basis of an existing lubricating oil formula, it is necessary to consider the compatibility between the newly added single additive and other components in the original formula to avoid chemical reactions that lead to a decrease in performance or the occurrence of adverse phenomena such as precipitation and delamination.
3. Experimental Verification: For key equipment or new application scenarios, on the basis of small-scale trials, through professional detection methods, such as simulation tests and actual working condition monitoring, verify the effect of the selected single additive on improving the performance of the lubricating oil to ensure that it meets the lubrication requirements of the equipment.
III. Core Differences between Additive Packages and Single Additives
1. Composition: The additive package is a mixture of multiple additives with different functions according to a specific formula, with a complex composition; the single additive contains only a single active component, with a pure composition.
2. Function Focus: The additive package emphasizes comprehensive performance improvement of multiple functions, covering aspects such as antioxidation, anti-wear, and detergency; the single additive focuses on optimizing a single key performance to solve specific lubrication problems.
3. Ease of Use: The additive package is relatively easy to use. Just adding it to the base oil according to the proportion can meet the lubrication needs of most conventional equipment; the single additive requires professional knowledge and precise combination according to the equipment working conditions, and has a higher usage threshold.
4. Application Scenarios: The additive package is suitable for general industrial and civil equipment, pursuing comprehensive cost-effectiveness and convenient maintenance; the single additive is mostly used in high-end, special, and extreme working condition equipment to meet refined and customized lubrication requirements.
IV. Selection Strategies for Additive Packages and Single Additives
1. Equipment Complexity and Maintenance Convenience: For equipment with relatively simple structures, conventional lubrication requirements, and limited professional knowledge of maintenance personnel, it is preferable to choose lubricating oil additive packages, which can meet the basic lubrication needs in one step and reduce the maintenance difficulty; for complex high-end equipment, such as the core pumps of large chemical plants and the traction motors of high-speed railways, if there is a professional lubrication technical team, it can be considered to select single additives for combination and formulation according to the fine lubrication needs of the equipment to achieve optimal lubrication performance optimization.
2.Specificity of Working Conditions: For daily mild working conditions, choosing an additive package is sufficient; if the equipment faces special working conditions such as extreme high temperature, extreme cold, ultra-high load, and strong corrosion, single additives can flexibly deal with special challenges, precisely strengthen key performances, and if necessary, match with a small amount of auxiliary single additives to construct a customized lubrication scheme.
3. Cost-benefit: The large-scale production cost of additive packages is relatively low, and they are convenient to purchase, which is suitable for the lubrication of a large number of general equipment. The price of single additives may be relatively high due to their single function and high research and development cost. However, precise investment in key equipment can reduce long-term operating costs and equipment failure downtime losses. It is necessary to comprehensively weigh the short-term procurement cost and long-term benefits.
V. Conclusion
When selecting lubricating oil, both single additives and additive packages have their unique advantages. Single additive lubricating oil is simple and straightforward. For equipment with simple working conditions, light loads, and stable operating environments, such as small household motors and simple transmission devices, single additives can effectively reduce friction and ensure the smooth operation of the equipment with their basic lubrication characteristics. Moreover, the procurement cost is usually relatively low, and it is easy to use without a complex adaptation process. However, additive package lubricating oil has obvious advantages in many complex and critical application scenarios. In the heavy industry field, such as large mining machinery, marine ship engines, and high-end CNC machine tools in precision manufacturing, these equipment face extreme working conditions such as high temperature, high pressure, and strong oxidation. The additive package integrates multiple high-performance additives, comprehensively strengthening the lubrication effect, providing a lasting and powerful protective barrier for the equipment, greatly extending the equipment maintenance cycle, and reducing the risk of sudden failures. Although its procurement price is relatively high, considering the high maintenance cost of the equipment, the loss of long-term downtime, and the need for long-term stable operation, additive package lubricating oil has an unparalleled advantage in ensuring the efficient and reliable operation of the equipment and can create higher benefits for enterprises.
The Price of Additive Packages
The price of Additive Packages varies depending on factors such as brand, specification, composition, and sales channels. If you are interested in Additive Packages, please feel free to contact us.
Supplier of Additive Packages
UNPChemicalsis a professional supplier of high-quality and effective Additive Packages. We offer several remarkable products, namely High zinc hydraulic oil additives UNP AH502A,Low Zinc Hydraulic Oil Additives UNP AH502B,Zinc-free Hydraulic Oil Additives UNP AH502C,etc.
High zinc hydraulic oil additives UNP AH502A are a type of chemical additive used in hydraulic oils that contain high levels of zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP). ZDDP is a well-known anti-wear agent that also provides antioxidant, anti-corrosion, and anti-foam properties. The zinc in these additives plays a crucial role in forming a protective film on metal surfaces within the hydraulic system, thereby reducing wear and extending the life of the system components.
Low Zinc Hydraulic Oil Additives UNP AH502B are a class of advanced lubricant additives designed to enhance the performance of hydraulic oils with reduced zinc content.These additives are formulated to provide a balance of anti-wear,extreme pressure,and antioxidant properties,making them suitable for modern hydraulic systems that demand high performance with lower environmental impact.
Zinc-free Hydraulic Oil Additives UNP AH502C are a new class of environmentally friendly lubricant additives designed for hydraulic systems.These additives are formulated to provide the same level of performance as traditional zinc-containing additives but without the heavy metal content,reducing the environmental impact of hydraulic fluids.
Professional Lubricant Additive Manufacturer
UNPChemicals,aka Luoyang Pacific United Petrochemical Co., Ltd., focuses on the application and development of special lubricating grease additives such as MODTC, MODTP, molybdenum amide, thiadiazole metal deactivators, and phosphate esters. With nearly 30 products in seven series, including extreme pressure anti-wear additives and special grease additives, it is a global manufacturer of special lubricating grease additives and a national high-tech enterprise with great influence and leading role in the industry. If you are looking for Lubricant Additive or technical information, feel free to contact UNPChemicals.