What are additives?
Additives are chemicals used to improve performance characteristics of base oils. There are many types of additives depending on the oil application. In industrial oils, additives are typically less than 1% of the blend whereas engine oils typically contain 13% of the blend. Below are examples of common additives: • Anti-oxidant– Prolongs the lubricant life by preventing rapid breakdown due to extreme variations in temperatures, over usage, water contamination, and dirt contamination and oxidization. Oxidization can cause various problems such as varnish and sludge buildup leading to scarring of internal equipment components. • Anti-wear– Chemicals attach to the metal creating a slippery surface thus help in preventing wear. This is especially important during engine start up. • Anti-foam– Used to decrease surface tension of bubbles that weakens and pops. This is important in systems that are very turbulent. • VI improver– These are polymers that help increase the protection by allowin
