ABSTRACT
Synthetic fluids and lubricants have been used in aerospace equipment for many years. However, as non-aerospace applications become more sophisticated and the synthetic fluids and lubricants become less exotic and more readily available at lower costs, synthetics will be more widely used. This chapter discusses the arrangement of the fluid classes based on the larger volume applications of the class of synthetics as a primary method of grouping. The two major areas of application of synthetic fluids and lubricants are liquid lubricants, primarily as gas turbine engine lubricants, and hydraulic fluids. As the costs of our aircraft and other aerospace systems continue to increase, it becomes even more important to minimize the possibility of losing these aircraft to hydraulic fluid fires. However, the silicones also possess two less desirable properties that make them less useful for the two major volume applications in aerospace, that is, gas turbine engine lubricants and hydraulic fluids.
