Animal/Vegetable

Courtesy of the Greeks, Olive oil was the mainstay of the industrial revolution. In today s industry, animal/vegetable oils are seldom used for industrial bearing applications, due to lack of chemical inertness that results in rapid acid formation after short periods of use, highly detrimental to bearing surface performance. Today, some animal products such as sperm oil and lard oil are used as additives to petroleum products to enhance lubricating properties, but generally, animal/vegetable oils are reserved for cooking purposes.

Mineral Oils

The majority of today s bearing surface lubricating oil is derived from refined crude petroleum. Petroleum products have inertness that allows them to stand up to the rigors of industry without deteriorating. Petroleum products are the result of millions of years of heat and pressure working on decayed vegetation trapped in the earth. This crude liquid is drilled and refined into lighter oils for industrial and consumer consumption.

The refining method is either a solvent refining process or a hydrocracking treatment process. Both methods consist of a series of processes designed to remove undesirable components such as aromatic hydrocarbons, acids, sulfur compounds, and wax that help improve desirable properties such as viscosity index, pour point, and stability.

Solvent Refining Process

The first stage of the solvent refining process is Atmospheric distillation in which the light oils such as petroleum and diesel are separated from the crude oil stock. The remaining material is then placed in...