Chevron Whitepaper Selecting Lubricants
Chevron Whitepaper Selecting Lubricants
Selecting the optimal lubricant for equipment has become highly specialized. Equipment manufacturers continue
to refine their designs to take advantage of new technologies, reduce sump size and increase throughput, as well
as to improve efficiency and long-term performance. Newer, more compact machinery tends to run at higher
speeds and under more severe pressure, with tighter clearances between moving parts than just a decade ago.
These engineering trends, combined with constantly evolving environmental, energy and safety regulations, have
led to a proliferation of lubricant formulations in the marketplace. This in turn makes the process of choosing the
optimal lubricant for any application more challenging, and requires maintenance managers to do their homework.
This paper is intended to help ease some of that pressure. Part I of this paper details the top 10 factors to
consider when trying to select the optimal lubricant for any application. While the equipment manufacturer’s
recommendation is still the number-one consideration in the selection of a lubricant, it is not the only one, and
may well be trumped by other considerations. Part II takes a deeper dive into one of the most important factors,
lubricant cleanliness – why it matters, and how to measure, monitor and maintain it.
Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be better prepared to discuss your options with your lubricant supplier to help
you arrive at an informed decision.
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Note that in general, OEMs will specify the criteria the oil should meet, but will stop short of recommending a
specific oil. Some OEMs have begun to engage in marketing relationships with lubricant suppliers. However,
under most circumstances, an OEM cannot require you to use a specific lubricant brand or product. Even if the
OEM manual calls out a specific lubricant by name, that doesn’t mean you don’t have other options. Work with
your supplier and ask for evidence that its product meets the OEM specifications for a particular application. This
can help consolidate the number of vendors with whom you need to work.
2. Viscosity
OEM recommendations aside, viscosity is the most important property that you have to get right. If the lubricant
viscosity is incorrect, you run a very high risk of premature equipment failure.
The viscosity grade is a measure of a lubricant’s resistance to flow and shear (such as the temporary “thinning”
of a lubricant due to heat). Here are three factors to consider with viscosity:
a) Relationship between friction and viscosity. Friction results from surface interactions between moving parts.
If a lubricant is too low in viscosity, there is not enough film thickness between parts to keep them separated.
This results in adhesion, abrasion wear and system damage. Conversely, if the viscosity is too thick, it
increases the system temperature and reduces efficiency, as the equipment has to work harder to move a
thicker oil.
b) Relationship between viscosity and temperature. Viscosity decreases with increasing temperature and
increases with lower temperatures.
c) Different viscosity or lubrication regimes: hydrodynamic (HD) for applications in which oil needs to create a
working clearance between sliding parts; elastohydrodynamic (EHD) for applications where a rolling motion
occurs between parts (as in rolling element bearings); and mixed or boundary lubrication, in which metal
surfaces come in contact and the correct viscosity is essential to prevent friction.
Note that viscosity can fluctuate depending on temperature, speed, load and contaminant level. That is why it is
important to consider factors other than the OEM recommendation in identifying the appropriate lubricant for a
given application.
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a lubricant. When the lubricant gets cold, it gets thicker in viscosity, meaning reduced flow. Conversely, when
the lubricant gets hot, it loses viscosity and thins, running a risk of increased wear or system damage. The
temperature range in which the equipment operates is therefore a very important factor in selecting the optimal
lubricant viscosity.
Consider also whether the equipment is operating indoors or outdoors. The environmental temperature could
inadvertently affect the lubricant’s performance – an unexpected cold snap, for instance, can make equipment
start-up more difficult. If you are running the same type of equipment indoors and outdoors, you may need
two lubricants of different viscosities for the different environments or to consider a synthetic lubricant that has
a wider temperature operating window to accommodate all environmental factors. Furthermore, overloading
equipment or running outside of system design parameters can drive up the operating temperature, which could
also have an impact on the required film thickness or recommended performance properties. Your lubricant
supplier can help map out the correct viscosity if this is an issue you’re facing.
A wide range of additives are used in finished lubricant formulations to achieve specific performance objectives.
Table 1 shows a sampling of additive types and the functions they perform.
Lubricant formulators select the optimal additive properties to enhance the base oil and protect machine parts
under various loads and pressures. Some formulations have also proven to improve operational efficiency and
help control operating costs.
More additives do not necessarily mean better lubricants. Although aftermarket additives are available,
equipment operators should never attempt to additize lubricants themselves without assistance from a
formulation expert. Achieving the right balance of chemistry and physical blending is an exacting science.
Incorrect quantities, temperatures or additive sequences can result in severe consequences. And if aftermarket
additives are added, you may void any product warranty.
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5. Lubricant Cleanliness
To maximize productivity and machine or component life, equipment manufacturers engineer parts to precise
machine clearance levels. Most manufacturers then set lubricant cleanliness specifications based on the
component’s sensitivity to contamination. A good rule of thumb is to ensure your lubricant meets a cleanliness
level that protects the tightest machine clearance in your equipment. OEMs may specify the cleanliness level
using the ISO 4406 standard or the SAE AS4059 (an update of the NAS 1638 system, which is still in use for
older equipment).
Table 2 presents a generic example of fluid cleanliness by component type using the ISO 4406 cleanliness code.
Table 2: General New Lubricant ISO 4406 Cleanliness Levels by Fluid Type
Fluid Type 14/12/10 16/14/11 18/16/13 20/18/15 22/20/17 23/22/19 24/24/21 25/26/23
Hydraulic Oils Very Clean Clean Dirty
Gear Oils Very Clean Clean Dirty
Engine Oils Very Clean Clean Dirty
Turbine Oils Very Clean Clean Dirty
* Source: Chevron Lubricants
Particulate contamination is the leading cause of lubricant-related machine failure. Although it may seem counter-
intuitive, don’t assume that just because a lubricant is new, it is clean enough to meet OEM specifications or
industry best practices. New lubricants are transferred several times before they reach their final destination in a
component. Each time a lubricant is transferred, it picks up contaminants. Starting at the correct, OEM-specified
lubricant cleanliness level is imperative to reduce lubrication defects, minimize the risk of premature component
failure, and control operating costs.
What Typical ISO Cleanliness Levels Look Like under the Microscope (Source: Noria)
System with Typical Hydraulic Filtration 20/18/16 New Oil from Barrel 22/20/18
System with ß3 >200 Filtration 14/13/11 New System with Built-in Contaminants 23/22/20
(See part II of this paper for a deeper discussion of the lubricant cleanliness factor.)
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6. Environmental Impact
Some lubricants on the market today are being marketed as “environmentally friendly” for operations in
especially sensitive environments, such as on or near bodies of water. In order to qualify for that label, a lubricant
must meet one of two definitions under the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s OECD
test guideline 301B. It must be:
• Inherently biodegradable, defined as the characteristic of a product to be between 20% and 60% consumed by
naturally occurring organisms in nature over an indefinite period of time. Most mineral oil-based lubricants meet
these criteria.
• Readily biodegradable, defined as biodegrading by more than 60% in 28 days, which excludes most mineral oils.
Lubricants in this category are known as Environmentally Approved Lubricants or EAL. They are largely used in
marine applications because they reduce the impact of spillage in water.
Trade-offs should be considered with environmentally friendly lubricants. The ones with the best performance
characteristics typically come with a higher cost to achieve optimal results. Others may have performance
shortcomings based on their formulation, such as reduced oxidation resistance or viscosity index (VI) instability,
meaning a shorter service life or less protection in certain operating temperatures.
7. Inventory Consolidation
It is expensive and impractical to keep a large number of lubricant products on hand at your site. Streamlining
your inventory can also reduce the risk of confusion or mixing incompatible lubricants.
Next, make sure to rotate stock on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis to reduce the risk of inventory of expiring. Your
lubricant supplier should be able to provide a shelf-life table so you can readily tell when a lubricant is exceeding
its lifespan. In general, most mineral base oil lubricants have a lifespan of around five years. Specialty base oils
and greases (polyalkyline glycol or PAGs to Diesters) typically have a lifespan of one to three years, and most
extended-life coolants last around eight years.
Before After
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8. Seal Compatibility
Rubber or plastic machine seals are chosen to meet specific operating conditions such as temperature, system
pressure, linear or rotational speed, surface finish and lubricant types. It is important to use a lubricant that is
compatible with the polymer material used in the seal. An incompatible fluid can cause a seal to crack or swell,
resulting in potential damage and downtime.
Table 3 from Noria, illustrates the relative compatibility between different elastomer and lubricant types.
Having a documented preventive maintenance schedule or predictive maintenance program makes it easier to
balance lubricant selection with these factors.
10. Budget
The Institute of Mechanical Engineers has stated that lubrication represents a 1:40 investment rate, meaning that
for each $1,000 spent on quality lubricants and lubrication practices, a yield of $40,000 of savings is possible*.
Put another way, lubrication is an investment that should pay you back in the form of higher performance and
efficiency, reduced downtime, and longer equipment life.
The overall optimal lubricant tends not to be the cheapest or the most expensive, but one that best fits your needs.
The lubricant should provide good overall wear protection and align with the site’s maintenance workmanship.
*www.imeche.org 6
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Part II: Lubricant Cleanliness – The Key to Long-Term Protection and Performance
Among the top 10 factors cited, lubricant cleanliness stands out as one that is both critical and in your control.
As noted earlier, particle contamination in oil is the leading cause of lubricant-related damage in equipment.
Contamination accelerates wear, impedes performance and efficiency, and in the worst cases leads to premature
equipment failure. So how do you know if your oil is clean, and how do you mitigate the impacts of microscopic
contaminants?
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) developed a cleanliness code to measure contamination
levels per millimeter of fluid at three particle sizes: 4µm (micron), 6µm and 14µm. Each number in the code
represents the contaminate level for the correlating particle size. It is written as a XX/YY/ZZ:
Table 4 illustrates how the particle count translates to the ISO code number.
Table 4
In this example, the particles measured at the given micron More than Up to & including
levels area ssigned a code based on where the value falls in ISO Code
(p/1 mL) (p/1 mL)
the table. For this example, the ISO code would be 20/17/13. 24 80,000 160,000
23 40,000 80,000
22 20,000 40,000
Particles/ml ISO Code 21 10,000 20,000
≥4 µ 9,721 20 20 5,000 10,000
≥6 µ 1,254 17 19 2,500 5,000
≥10 µ 326 18 1,300 2,500
≥14 µ 73 13 17 640 1,300
≥21 µ 12 16 320 640
≥38 µ 5 15 160 320
≥70 µ 0 14 80 160
≥100 µ 0 13 40 80
12 20 40
11 10 20
10 5 10
Some programs or equipment guides may report under the
9 2.5 5
old two-number system. In this case, simply drop the first
8 1.3 2.5
number: */17/13.
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Table 9: Life Extension Potential for Bearings from Reducing Moisture Content
50,000 2.3 1.6 3.3 1.9 4.6 2.3 7.8 2.9 11.2 3.5 16.2 4.3 26.2 5.5 37.8 6.7
25,000 1.6 1.3 2.3 1.6 3.3 1.9 5.4 2.4 7.8 2.9 11.2 3.5 18.2 4.6 26.2 5.5
Current Moisture Level (ppm)
10,000 1.4 1.2 2.0 1.5 3.3 1.9 4.8 2.3 6.9 2.8 11.2 3.5 16.2 4.3
5,000 1.4 1.2 2.3 1.6 3.3 1.9 4.8 2.3 7.8 2.9 11.2 3.5
2,500 1.6 1.3 2.3 1.6 3.3 1.9 5.4 2.4 7.8 2.9
1,000* 1.4 1.2 2.0* 1.5* 3.3 1.9 4.8 2.3
500 1.4 1.2 2.3 1.6 3.3 1.9
250 1.5 1.3 2.3 1.6
100 1.4 1.2
*Source–Noria Corporation. Fundamentals of Machinery Lubrication. Noria Skills Training
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To guard against the possibility of contamination once the oil is in service, it’s important to have a regularly
scheduled fluid analysis program. This powerful tool enables you to detect issues at early stages without taking
equipment off line. The objective of fluid analysis is to help minimize the high cost of oil changes and unplanned
shutdowns. This entails pulling samples of oil from your machinery and sending them to an accredited oil analysis
laboratory. Test results will indicate both machine health, based on indications of wear in the oil, and fluid health,
meaning whether the fluid is still suitable for continued use. The earlier issues are detected, the less they will
cost to eliminate--as well as mitigating potential safety issues.
Again, as with the oil selection process, your lubricant supplier should have the knowledge and resources to help
you implement an effective lubricant cleanliness regimen.
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Chevron Resources
Chevron offers a range of professional services to assist you in selecting the optimal lubricants for your operation
and optimizing lubricant performance.
Chevron LubeTek
The Chevron LubeTek team is available to provide you with technical answers to questions on a broad range of
product and related issues for all industries and applications. Call 1-800-582-3835, or email [email protected]
Site Assessment
Our lubrication professionals can visit your site and advise you on best lubricant handling and storage practices to
mitigate the risk of contamination and maximize lubricant cleanliness.
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