{"id":374,"date":"2011-10-20T10:30:11","date_gmt":"2011-10-20T10:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oil-analysis.testoil.com\/?p=374"},"modified":"2023-07-25T19:36:34","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T19:36:34","slug":"the-fundamentals-of-viscosity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testoil.com\/advanced-testing\/the-fundamentals-of-viscosity\/","title":{"rendered":"How Important is Oil Viscosity?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Fundamentals of Viscosity<\/h2>\n

The most important single property of a lubricant is its viscosity<\/a>.\u00a0 It is defined as a measure of a lubricant's resistance to flow.\u00a0 The viscosity of any fluid changes inversely with temperature.\u00a0 As temperature increases, viscosity decreases and as temperature decreases, viscosity increases.\u00a0 The most common way that viscosity is measured is Kinematic Viscosity, reported in centistokes (cSt).\u00a0 An oil\u2019s viscosity is then classified according to one of a number of different classifications.<\/p>\n

Monitoring and trending viscosity is perhaps one of the most important components of any oil analysis program. Even small changes in viscosity can be magnified at operating temperatures to the extent that an oil is no longer able to provide adequate lubrication. Typical industrial oil limits are set at \u00b15 percent for caution, and \u00b110 percent for critical, although severe-duty applications and extremely critical systems should have even tighter targets.<\/p>\n

A significant reduction in viscosity can result in:<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Loss of oil film causing excessive wear
\n\u2022\u00a0 Increased mechanical friction causing excessive energy consumption n Heat generation due to mechanical friction n Internal or external leakage
\n\u2022\u00a0 Increased sensitivity to particle contamination due to reduced oil film
\n\u2022\u00a0 Oil film failure at high temperatures, high loads, or during start-ups or coast-downs.<\/p>\n

Likewise, too high a viscosity can cause:<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Excessive heat generation resulting in oil oxidation, sludge, and varnish build-up
\n\u2022\u00a0 Gaseous cavitation due to inadequate oil flow to pumps and bearings
\n\u2022\u00a0 Lubrication starvation due to inadequate oil flow
\n\u2022\u00a0 Oil whip in journal bearings
\n\u2022\u00a0 Excess energy consumption to overcome fluid friction
\n\u2022\u00a0 Poor air detrainment or demulsibility
\n\u2022\u00a0 Poor cold-start pumpability<\/p>\n

Whenever a significant change in viscosity is observed, the root cause of the problem should always be investigated and corrected. Changes in viscosity can be the result of a change in the base oil chemistry (a change in the oil\u2019s molecular structure), or due to an ingressed contaminant.<\/p>\n

Viscosity changes may require additional tests, such as acid number<\/a> (AN) or Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy<\/a> (FTIR), to confirm incipient oxidation; contaminant testing to identify signs of water, soot or glycol ingress; or other less commonly used tests, such as the ultracentrifuge<\/a> test or gas chromatography<\/a> (GC), to identify a change in the base oil chemistry.<\/p>\n

Viscosity is an important physical property that must be monitored and controlled carefully because of its impact on the oil and the oil\u2019s impact on equipment life.\u00a0 Whether measuring viscosity onsite using one of many onsite oil analysis instruments capable of determining viscosity changes accurately, or whether sending samples routinely to an outside lab, it is important to learn how viscosity is determined, and how changes can impact equipment reliability. A proactive approach must be taken to determine the condition of the equipment\u2019s lifeblood - the oil!<\/p>\n

About TestOil\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b><\/p>\n

With more than 30 years of experience in the oil analysis industry, TestOil focuses exclusively on assisting industrial facilities with reducing maintenance costs and avoiding unexpected downtime through oil analysis program implementation. As industry experts in diagnosing oil-related issues in equipment such as turbines, hydraulics, gearboxes, pumps, compressors and diesel generators, TestOil provides customers with a guarantee of same-day turnaround on all routine testing. With in-house certified training professionals, TestOil offers lubrication and oil analysis training, private onsite training, certification training and exams, and educational webinars. For more information on partnering with TestOil on oil analysis programs or training opportunities visit www.testoil.com<\/a>. \u00a0\u00a0Contact us: 216-251-2510; sales@testoil.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Fundamentals of Viscosity The most important single property of a lubricant is its viscosity.\u00a0 It is defined as a measure of a lubricant's resistance to flow.\u00a0 The viscosity of any fluid changes inversely with temperature.\u00a0 As temperature increases, viscosity decreases and as temperature decreases, viscosity increases.\u00a0 The most common way that viscosity is measured is Kinematic Viscosity, reported in Continue Reading<\/a>","protected":false},"author":4012,"featured_media":3483,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[402],"tags":[70,338],"class_list":["post-374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advanced-testing","tag-viscosity","tag-advanced-testing","cat-402-id"],"yoast_head":"\nViscosity<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Monitoring and trending viscosity is perhaps one of the most important components of any oil analysis program. 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