How is Lubricant made?
A lubricant is made in a blending plant. In a blending plant, the base oils (which may constitute up to 99% of the lubricant, by volume) are mixed with specially selected additives. Before blending, the base oils are mixed etc. Blending is normally done in Kettles, where the oil is heated up to 60o C and heavily agitated. Either mechanical or pneumatic agitation can be used. Additives are then added and the whole mixture homogenised by thorough mixing – technically called blending. This is not a process whereby the chemical characteristics change – there is molecular change. After blending, the product is filtered and then packed. In special cases – like Transformer Oil – the product is degassed and thoroughly filtered. The newer form of blending- especially used in large blending plants, is in-line blending, where the different components mix while flowing inside a pipeline.
