WHAT WE DO

Glossary of Terms

Obliteration: a synergistic phenomenon of both particle silting and polar adhesion. When water and silt particles co-exist in a fluid containing long-chain molecules, the tendency for valves to undergo obliteration increases.

Oil: a greasy, unctuous liquid of vegetable, animal, mineral or synthetic origin.

Oil Analysis: The routine activity of analyzing lubricant properties and suspended contaminants for the purpose of monitoring and reporting timely, meaningful and accurate information on lubricant and machine condition.

Oil Consumption Ratio: Annual oil purchases divided by machine charge volume. For example, if you purchased 10,000 gallons of oil in one year and the total amount of oil that all of your machine holds is 4,200 gallons, your consumption ratio is 2.4.

Oil ring: a loose ring, the inner surface of which rides a shaft or journal and dips into a reservoir of lubricant from which it carries the lubricant to the top of a bearing by its rotation with the shaft.

Oiler : A device for once-through lubrication. Three common types of oilers are: drop-feed, wick-feed, and bottle-feed; all depend on gravity to induce a metered flow of oil to the bearing. The drop-feed oiler delivers oil from the bottom of a reservoir to a bearing one drop at a time; flow rate is controlled by a needle valve at the top of the reservoir. In a wick-feed oiler, the oil flows through a wick and drops from the end of the wick into the bearing; feed is regulated by chaining the number of strands, by raising or lowering the oil level, or by applying pressure to the wick. In a bottle-feed oiler, a vacuum at the top of the jar keeps the fluid from running out; as tiny bubbles of air enter, the vacuum is reduced and a small amount of oil enters the bearing or is added to a reservoir from wick the bearing is lubricated.

Oiliness: that property of a lubricant that produces low friction under conditions of boundary lubrication. The lower the friction, the greater the oiliness.

Oiliness Agent: An additive, usually polar in nature, used to improve the lubricity of a mineral oil. Now usually called a boundary lubrication additive.

Open bubble point (boil point): the differential gas pressure at which gas bubbles are profusely emitted from the entire surface of a wetted filter element under specified test conditions.

Open gear: A gear that is exposed to the environment, rather than being housed in a protective gear box. Open gears are generally large, heavily loaded, and slow moving. They are found in such applications as mining and construction machinery, punch presses, plastic and rubber mills, tube mills, and rotary kilns. Open gears require viscous, adhesive lubricants that bond to the metal surfaces and resist run-off. Such lubricants are often called gear shields. Top-quality lubricants for such applications are specially formulated to protect the gears against the effects of water and other contaminants.

Outside-mounted seal: A mechanical seal with its seal head mounted outside the seal chamber that holds the fluid to be sealed. Outside seals have the pumped fluid’s pressure at their I.D.

Oxidation: occurs when oxygen attacks petroleum fluids. The process is accelerated by heat, light, metal catalysts and the presence of water, acids, or solid contaminants. It leads to increased viscosity and deposit formation.

Oxidation inhibitor: substance added in small quantities to a petroleum product to increase its oxidation resistance, thereby lengthening its service or storage life; also called anti-oxidant. An oxidation inhibitor may work in one of these ways: (1) by combining with and modifying peroxides (initial oxidation products) to render them harmless, (2) by decomposing the peroxides, or (3) by rendering an oxidation catalyst inert.

Oxidation stability: ability of a lubricant to resist natural degradation upon contact with oxygen.