A lubricant’s primary functions are friction and wear reduction, but lubricants also play other important roles in an engine.
To better understand specifically how lubricants work, it’s important to understand why they’re used, what kinds of lubrication exist and what specific applications require lubrication.
The Seven Functions of Lubrication
A lubricant must satisfy seven functions.
Minimize Friction
The most common and essential
function of lubricants is to minimize friction and wear between
components. Lubricants form an oil film on the surface of metals to
reduce friction. Reduced friction prevents heating and abrasion on the
friction surface.
Clean
Lubricants
maintain internal cleanliness by suspending contaminants within the
fluid or by preventing the contaminants from adhering to components.
Base oils possess a varying degree of solvency that assists in
maintaining internal cleanliness. Solvency is the ability of a fluid to
dissolve a solid, liquid or gas. While the solvency of the oil is
important, detergents and dispersants play a key role. Detergents are
additives that prevent contaminants from adhering to components,
especially hot components such as pistons or piston rings. Dispersants
are additives that keep contaminants suspended in the fluid. Dispersants
act as a solvent, helping the oil maintain cleanliness and prevent
sludge formation.
Cool
Reducing friction minimizes heat in moving
parts, which lowers the overall operating temperature of the equipment.
Lubricants also absorb heat from contact surface areas and transport it
to a location to be safely dispersed, such as the oil sump. Heat
transferability tends to be a trait of the base oil’s viscosity –
lighter oils tend to transfer heat more readily.
Seal
Lubricants act as a dynamic seal in locations such as piston rings and cylinder contact areas to prevent contamination.
Dampen Shock
A lubricant can cushion the blow of
mechanical shock. A highly functional lubricant film can resist rupture
and absorb and disperse these energy spikes over a broad contact area.
As the mechanical shock to components is dampened, wear and damaging
forces are minimized, extending the component’s overall operating life.
Protect
A lubricant must have the ability to
prevent or minimize internal component corrosion. Lubricants accomplish
this either by chemically neutralizing corrosive products or by creating
a barrier between the components and the corrosive material.
Transfer Energy
Because lubricants are
incompressible, they can act as an energy-transfer medium, such as in
hydraulic equipment or valve lifters in an automotive engine.
AMSOIL synthetic lubricants are carefully crafted to deliver exceptional results in their intended applications. Their balanced formulations fulfill all critical lubricant functions while emphasizing what matters most: friction and wear reduction.
*All trademarked names and images are the property of their respective owners and may be registered marks in some countries. No affiliation or endorsement claim, express or implied, is made by their use. All products advertised here are developed by AMSOIL for use in the applications shown.
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