ABSTRACT
Almost all lubricating oils are a mixture of one or more base oils and, usually, several additives. A very few lubricating oils contain only base oil, with no additives, while a few lubricating fluids, notably some water-mix metalworking fluids, do not contain any base oil at all.
Lubricants are developed, marketed and sold on the basis of their properties and performance, that is, their ability to lubricate mechanical equipment. Lubricants are not developed, marketed or sold on the basis of their chemical composition, although their chemical composition will affect their properties and performance.
It is therefore important for managers, supervisors and operators in a blending plant to understand and be familiar with the physical and chemical properties of the components of each specific lubricant to be blended. This chapter focuses on the properties and characteristics of the mineral base oils used in lubricant formulations. Chapter 3 focuses on the properties and characteristics of the main types of synthetic base oils used in lubricant formulations. Chapter 4 focuses on the various type of additives.
