The selection of synthetic lubricating oil additives
Base oils for synthetic lubricating oils
In the category of synthetic lubricating oil base oils, the classification system is clear and diverse. According to the standards of the American Petroleum Institute (API), it mainly covers two major categories: Group IV and Group V. Among them, Group IV base oil is typically represented by polyalphaolefins (PAO). PAO is polymerized from alpha-olefins under the action of a catalyst. It has excellent viscosity-temperature performance, can maintain a stable viscosity at different temperatures, has good low-temperature fluidity and is suitable for cold environments, and has excellent high-temperature stability and is not prone to oxidation and deterioration. It is widely used in various high-end lubricating oil products.
Group V base oils include multiple types. Synthetic esters are produced through the esterification reaction between organic acids and alcohols. They have excellent lubricity and good biodegradability and are often used in lubrication scenarios with high environmental protection requirements. Polyethers are obtained by polymerizing monomers such as ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. They have unique water solubility and oil solubility, a wide range of viscosities, and play an important role in industrial lubrication and some special fields. Polyphenylene ether, as a high-performance material, has good insulation properties, heat resistance, and mechanical properties and is suitable for occasions with high requirements for electrical properties and high temperature resistance. Alkylnaphthalenes are the products formed by alkyl substitution on naphthalene molecules. They have good thermal stability and oxidation stability and are widely used in high-temperature lubricating oils. Alkylbenzenes are formed by the substitution of hydrogen atoms on the benzene ring with alkyl groups. They have good chemical stability and are commonly used as additive carriers in lubricating oil formulation. Methyl silicone oil, namely polydimethylsiloxane, has a low viscosity-temperature coefficient, good defoaming properties, and excellent electrical insulation properties and is mostly used for lubrication in fields such as cosmetics and electronics.
What is polyalphaolefin (PAO)?
Polyalphaolefin (PAO) is a synthetic lubricating oil base oil, which is polymerized from alpha-olefins under the action of a catalyst. PAO has many excellent properties, such as good viscosity-temperature performance, can maintain a relatively stable viscosity at different temperatures, has excellent low-temperature fluidity and can still maintain good lubrication effect in cold environments, has strong high-temperature stability and is not prone to oxidation and deterioration at high temperatures, has low evaporation loss and can reduce the consumption of lubricating oil, and also has good anti-wear performance and compatibility with additives. These characteristics make PAO widely used in automotive engine oils, gear oils, hydraulic oils, aviation lubricating oils and other fields.
What is synthetic ester (POE)?
Synthetic ester (POE) is an ester compound obtained by chemical synthesis methods, usually formed by the esterification reaction between organic acids and alcohols under the action of a catalyst. It has excellent lubricating properties and can form a firm lubricating film on the metal surface, effectively reducing friction and wear. POE has good high-temperature stability and oxidation stability and can be used for a long time in high-temperature environments without being easily deteriorated. In addition, it has good biodegradability and is relatively environmentally friendly. Synthetic ester (POE) is often used in high-performance lubricating oils, metalworking fluids, lubricating greases and other products, especially in some fields with high environmental protection requirements.
What is polyether (PAG)?
Polyether (PAG) is a polymer polymerized from monomers such as ethylene oxide and propylene oxide under the action of a catalyst. Polyether has unique properties. It has a wide range of viscosities and can be adjusted according to different needs. It has good water solubility and oil solubility and is compatible with various solvents and additives. It has good high-temperature stability and chemical stability and is not easily affected by chemical substances such as acids and alkalis. At the same time, it also has certain anti-foaming and anti-rust properties. Polyether is often used in industrial lubricating oils, automotive brake fluids, metalworking fluids, polyurethane foam plastics and other fields and plays an important role in some special lubrication and processing technologies.
What is polyphenylene ether?
Polyphenylene ether (Polyphenylene Oxide, abbreviated as PPO), also known as poly (p-phenylene oxide) or polyphenylene oxide, is a high-performance thermoplastic engineering plastic. It has outstanding insulation properties and remains stable over a wide range of temperatures and frequencies. It has high heat resistance and can be used for a long time at high temperatures. It has excellent mechanical properties, with high strength, rigidity and creep resistance. It has good chemical stability and is resistant to the corrosion of chemical substances such as acids, alkalis and salts. In addition, it has good flame retardancy and low water absorption. Polyphenylene ether is often used in fields such as electronics and electrical appliances, automobiles, aerospace, etc., such as manufacturing electronic components, automobile parts, circuit boards, etc.
What is alkylnaphthalene?
Alkylnaphthalene is a compound formed by the substitution of one or more hydrogen atoms in the naphthalene molecule with alkyl groups. It has high thermal stability and oxidation stability and is not easily decomposed and oxidized at high temperatures. Alkylnaphthalene has a relatively high viscosity index and good viscosity-temperature performance and can maintain an appropriate viscosity at different temperatures. In addition, it has good solubility and lubricity. Alkylnaphthalene is often used in high-temperature lubricating oils, heat transfer oils, insulating oils and other fields and can improve the high-temperature performance and service life of these oils.
What is alkylbenzene?
Alkylbenzene is the product formed by the substitution of hydrogen atoms on the benzene ring with alkyl groups. It has good chemical stability and thermal stability, is not prone to chemical reactions with other substances, and can maintain good performance at high temperatures. Alkylbenzene has good solubility and can be miscible with many organic solvents and lubricating oil base oils. In addition, it has certain lubricity and antioxidant properties. Alkylbenzene is widely used in fields such as detergents, lubricating oils, and surfactants and is an important raw material for producing these products.
What is methyl silicone oil?
Methyl silicone oil, also known as polydimethylsiloxane, is an organosilicon polymer. It is colorless, odorless, non-toxic, and not easily volatile, and has excellent chemical stability and good tolerance to acids, alkalis, and salts. Methyl silicone oil has a small viscosity-temperature coefficient, and its viscosity changes little at different temperatures. It has low surface tension and has good defoaming, demolding, and lubricating properties. It has excellent electrical insulation properties and can be used in the field of electrical insulation. Methyl silicone oil is often used in cosmetics, lubricating oils, release agents, defoaming agents, insulation protection of electronic components and other aspects.
How to choose synthetic lubricating oil base oils?
-Operating environment: If it is used in a high-temperature environment, such as in aviation engines and gas turbines, base oils with good high-temperature stability and antioxidant properties should be selected, such as polyalphaolefins (PAO), synthetic esters (POE), etc. If it is used in a low-temperature environment, such as in mechanical equipment in polar regions, base oils with good low-temperature fluidity should be selected, such as PAO and polyethers (PAG).
-Equipment requirements: Different equipment has different performance requirements for lubricating oils. For example, gear transmission equipment requires base oils with good anti-wear and extreme pressure properties. Hydraulic equipment requires base oils with good anti-foaming and air release properties. For some precision instruments, base oils with low volatility and good cleanliness are also required.
-Lubrication performance: According to the lubrication needs of the equipment, choose base oils with appropriate viscosity and lubrication performance. Viscosity is one of the important indicators of lubricating oils, which directly affects the fluidity and load-carrying capacity of lubricating oils. If better lubrication effect and anti-wear performance are required, base oils with good oiliness, such as synthetic esters (POE), can be selected.
-Environmental protection requirements: In some occasions with high environmental requirements, such as in food processing and medical equipment fields, base oils with good biodegradability should be selected, such as synthetic esters (POE). In some equipment with strict emission requirements, base oils with low volatility can also be considered to reduce environmental pollution.
-Cost factors: There are large price differences among different types of synthetic lubricating oil base oils. When choosing, it is necessary to comprehensively consider factors such as the importance of the equipment, the service cycle, and cost-effectiveness. If the equipment has high requirements for the performance of lubricating oils and has a long service cycle, it may be necessary to choose base oils with higher prices but better performance. For some ordinary equipment with relatively low performance requirements, base oils with relatively low prices can be selected.
What are lubricating oil additives?
Lubricating oil additives are one or several compounds added to lubricants to give the lubricants new characteristics or improve some existing characteristics of the lubricants. Lubricating oil additives can be classified according to their functions into detergents and dispersants, antioxidant and anti-corrosion agents, extreme pressure and anti-wear agents, oiliness agents and friction modifiers, antioxidants and metal deactivators, viscosity index improvers, rust inhibitors, pour point depressants, anti-foaming agents, etc.
The development of lubricating oil additives
Before the 1930s, additives were rarely used in lubricating oils.
With the development of machinery towards high power and the extension of oil change intervals, various oil companies began to research and develop additives to improve the performance of oil products. Since then, lubricating oils have entered the era of additives. In the 1930s, pour point depressants, alkylphenolates, sulfurized alkylphenolates, sulfonates, salicylates and other detergents appeared. In the 1940s, zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) antioxidant and anti-corrosion agents emerged. In the 1950s, due to the use of turbocharged diesel engines and sulfur-containing fuels, basic and highly basic metal detergents appeared. In the 1960s, the successful research and development of ashless dispersants solved the problem of low-temperature sludge, and viscosity index improvers improved the viscosity-temperature performance of oil products. After the 1970s, the extreme pressure and anti-wear agents widely used in gear oils tended to be finalized. With the requirement of energy conservation, friction modifiers have gradually received attention since the 1980s. At present, lubricating oil additives have become an inseparable core part of lubricating oils.
The selection of synthetic lubricating oil additives
In today's highly industrialized and mechanized era, the lubrication field has increasingly stringent requirements for the performance of oil products, and synthetic lubricating oils have attracted much attention. As the name implies, for synthetic lubricating oils, in addition to the base oil as the basic framework, the crucial auxiliary role of lubricating oil additives cannot be ignored. The base oil, as the foundation, endows the lubricating oil with the most basic physical properties, such as the initial viscosity range, ensuring that it can initially adhere between mechanical parts, play a certain role in isolation and buffering, and make it possible to reduce friction. However, relying solely on the base oil is far from being able to cope with complex and changeable actual working conditions.
From large machine tools in industrial production to automobiles and ships in transportation, and then to high-precision equipment in the aerospace field, they face very different environments. Some are in harsh environments with high temperature and high pressure all year round, such as the transmission devices in steel smelting plants. High temperature makes the base oil easy to volatilize and oxidize, and the lubrication performance drops sharply. Some need to start and operate stably under extremely cold conditions, such as polar scientific research vehicles. Low temperature makes the viscosity of the base oil increase greatly, and the fluidity is blocked, making it difficult for the lubricating oil to quickly reach the lubrication parts. This highlights the necessity of equipped with appropriate lubricating oil additives.
Among the numerous lubricating oil additives, lubricating oil compound additives are the preferred choice. Compared with single-function additives, lubricating oil compound additives are "versatile players" that combine multiple advantages. It is like a carefully organized professional team, in which each component performs its own duties and cooperates with each other. For example, the efficient antioxidants it contains, like loyal guards, take the initiative to fight against oxygen molecules that attempt to erode the lubricating oil in a high-temperature environment, preventing the lubricating oil from becoming rancid and forming sludge due to oxidation, ensuring that the oil remains clean and stable for a long time and maintains good lubrication effect.
The anti-wear additive components are even more remarkable. When mechanical parts are in close contact and operate at high speed, and the huge energy generated by friction may damage the surface of the parts at any time, these anti-wear components quickly gather on the friction surface, forming a tough and self-repairing protective film, transforming the direct friction between metals into the gentle contact between films, greatly reducing the wear rate, extending the equipment maintenance cycle, reducing downtime, and saving a lot of costs for enterprises.
Furthermore, in the face of the problem of low-temperature starting, the low-temperature fluidity improvers in the lubricating oil compound additives play a magical role. On a cold winter morning, the lubricating oil in the engine of a car should have become extremely viscous under low temperature, but with the low-temperature fluidity improvers, it can skillfully change the low-temperature rheological characteristics of the lubricating oil, enabling the oil to still have sufficient fluidity at low temperature, ensuring that the lubricating oil can quickly circulate among various parts as soon as the engine starts, realizing instant lubrication and avoiding irreversible damage to the parts caused by dry friction.
The Price of friction modifiers in lubricating oil additives
The price of friction modifiers in lubricating oil additives varies depending on factors such as brand, specification, composition, and sales channels. If you are interested in friction modifiers, please feel free to contact us.
Supplier of friction modifiers in lubricating oil additives
UNPChemicalsis a professional supplier of high-quality and effective friction modifiers in lubricating oil additives. We offer several remarkable products, namely Molybdenum dithiophosphate MSAIL 300L MoDTP, Molybdenum dithiocarbamate MSAIL 525A MoDTC,Organomolybdenum complex S/P free MSAIL 8550 and Nitrogen-containing boric acid esters FMET 2890.
Molybdenum Dithiophosphate (MoDTP) MSAIL 300L as a liquid organic molybdenum friction modifier containing sulfur and phosphorus, it can greatly reduce the friction coefficient of oil products, and has multiple functions such as extreme pressure, anti-wear and anti-oxidation. It is widely used in internal-combustion engine oil, various industrial lubricants, pure oil metalworking fluid, grease, etc.
Molybdenum Dithiocarbamate MSAIL 525A MoDTC is a phosphate-free liquid organic molybdenum friction modifier, which can greatly reduce the friction coefficient of oil products, and has a variety of functions such as anti-wear and anti-oxygen, and is widely used in internal combustion engine oil, various industrial lubricants, pure oil-type metal working fluids, greases, etc.
Organomolybdenum complex (S/P free) MSAIL 8550 is a highly versatile and environmentally friendly lubricant additive belonging to the Organomolybdenum complex class. Its exceptional friction reduction properties, superior performance when combined with sulfur additives, and antioxidation synergism make it an ideal choice for a wide range of applications. Mainly used for internal-combustion engine oil, various industrial lubricating oils, pure oil metalworking fluid and lubricating grease.
Nitrogen-containing boric acid esters FMET 2890 is an ashless friction modifier that does not contain sulfur or phosphorus. It has excellent friction reduction, wear resistance, and corrosion inhibition performance. It is widely used in internal-combustion engine oil, various industrial lubricants, pure oil metalworking fluid, grease, etc.
Conclusion
if synthetic lubricating oils want to exhibit excellent performance in different fields and under different working conditions, in addition to the base oil, accurately matching suitable lubricating oil compound additives is the best choice. The two complement each other and can continuously inject impetus into the smooth operation of various mechanical equipment and ensure the orderly progress of production and life.
UNPChemicals supplies various lubricating oil additives such as friction modifiers, metal deactivators, extreme pressure anti-wear agents and metal processing additives. If you're interested, please contact us.