OIL & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY

The concept of lubrication starts with the fact that providing a fluid to moving parts of machinery reduces that wear and tear on those parts. Fluids are used to cushion loads, reducing friction between moving parts that are in contact to cool them down from the heat that is generated. Petroleum oil is the source of today's lubricants and by refining, blending and introducing additives the harsh conditions of friction are minimized.

Where does this all start?

This of a simple machine--a cart with an axle and two wheels. The cart was designed to move heavy loads easier than if they were drug across the ground. This cart has a wooden axle with its ends shaped cylindrically so that the bore in the wooden wheels will fit, allowing the wheels to turn. With the cart loaded it can be pulled along by the wheels turning on the ground.
It isn't long however, before the wheels start to squeal--getting hot and start to wear rapidly. Let's apply a fluid. What is a fluid and it's very accessible, so let's apply that. The squealing stops, the wheels and axles and the chafing stops so the wear is decreased. What did this fluid do?

a.) It provided a liquid film between the axle and the wheel bores-- (a hydrodynamic film) separating the axle from the inside of the bores.
b.) It stopped the chafing by reducing the friction, slowing down the rate of wear.
c.) It cooled the axel bearings.

This is impressive for something as simple as water.

Now, consider the fact that today machines are very complicated, involving metallurgy, physics, chemistry, different forms of friction, with considerable outside forces applied to do work. Water will no longer suffice. With early machines it was learned that animal fats and oils could be used to better lubricate but, there was still rapid wear, noise and serious downtime due to constant repairs. Later, petroleum oil was discovered and crude refining to produce fuel. This led to the production of several viscosities of stock. These are called base stocks--pure oils with various viscosities that can be blended to produce a variety of base oils. Early engineers added fatty animal acids to better lubricate hot parts like steam-driven machinery.

The arrival of internal combustion engines however provided different challenges. Burning lighter fuel created greater heat and pistons and cylinders were subject to higher pressures as well causing increased friction in the engine. Engineers knew the fatty acids worked for steam, but failed with gas or diesel engines. The chemistry of additives was born. Lubricating oils today are scientifically developed with a wide variety of chemical additives to achieve a diverse range of solutions to all the technical challenges of engines, hydraulics, gear reducers, bearings, automotive gear boxes, axles, transfer cases, etc. This development required stringent testing and a number of standards were established. Oil technology has not produced products, however complex, that will not wear down or become contaminated, rendering them less beneficial to the machines, oil and the respective filters on a regular basis. One of the best ways to determine the effectiveness of this is oil analysis.

Oil analysis scientifically measures a range of conditions in used oil that not only provides information about the condition of the oil, but a great deal about the condition of the machine of engine. Decisions about the condition of the machine are obviously not solely based on this oil analysis, but it can be a vital maintenance tool.

Because oil quality depletes over regular use, additives go below the required minimums, viscosity changes with contamination and oil oxidation. Oil analysis picks this up in detail and regular samples should be taken and submitted to a professional laboratory. Some machines wear at a specific rate according to internal clearances, various loads, speeds and operating conditions.

CealDoctor™ self-healing engine treatment helps to prolong the life of this oil by healing many of the imperfections that occur through daily use of machinery.