Various Types and Applications of Industrial Lubricants
♫ Wednesday, October 6th, 2010Industrial lubricants are basically defined as compounds like fluids, greases and oils. They are used in order to lessen wear and tear of materials while reducing binding and friction. In some extreme cases, they may also prevent or lessen electrical resistivity while it increases thermal conduction. Of course, they are also favored because they can prevent corrosion in both the inner and outer surfaces where they are applied.
There are various types of industrial lubricants including low and high viscosity oils, lubricant powders, waxes and high temperature silicates. With lubricating oils, other forms are also seen such as natural and synthetic oils. At times, they may also be combined with waxes or dispersions of solid lubricants. There are still other forms of lubricants used in several industries.
Dielectric greases and insulating fluids.
Just like the main objective of an industrial lubricant, dielectric greases and insulating fluids are capable of reducing friction, wear and binding of materials. They are often used in capacitors, electric discharge machining, transformers and other electrical devices. It is also applicable in lubricating, sealing and coating.
Among all the uses of dielectric greases and insulating fluids, they are commendable because they have the capacity to provide heat stability and they do not breakdown even at the highest temperature ranges. They are also utilized in dispersing heat from electrical components while they lubricate slide and relay contact switches.
Heat transfer fluids and thermal oils
These are forms of industrial lubricants utilized in order to carry thermal energy for various applications such as metal working, machine cooling and process heating. It includes other products to provide machine cooling such as chiller fluids, refrigerants and circulating coolants. For heating purposes, products such as hot or heater oils are found.
Hydraulic oil and transmission fluids
With the name alone, one will be able to say that these lubricants are made specifically for power transmission and hydraulic equipment. Power is transmitted from the fluid through the aid of hydraulic lines before they are transferred to a cylinder. Transmission fluids on the other hand are useful in applications like gearbox assemblies. Most hydraulic and transmission fluids include synthetic lubricants, oil-water emulsions and petroleum or mineral oils. They are specifically used in aerospace, automotive, military and marine applications.
