Robco Expert

  Thomas Cipriani – Product Specialist at Robco DEMYSTIFYING BIODEGRADABLE LUBRICANT TERMINOLOGY! What Does “Biodegradable Lubricant” Really Mean? The O rganization for E conomic C ooperation and D evelopment (OECD) developed a testing standard to determine the biodegradability of a product: OECD 301B. There are 2 classes; A) Readily Biodegradable > The product is able to biodegrade to its natural state after being subject to sunlight, water and/or microbial activity to a percentage of no less than 60% within 28 days. Readily Biodegradable lubricants are made with vegetable or canola base oils and are blended with synthetic esters. B) Inherently Biodegradable > The product is able to biodegrade to its natural state after being subject to sunlight, water and/or microbial activity to a percentage of as low as 20-60% within 28 days. They are most commonly used in sensitive areas requiring a “passing grade” on aquatic animal tests. They use additive chemistry contain...

  SELECTING AN OIL FOR A GEARBOX!   Thomas Cipriani – Product Specialist at Robco When selecting what oil to put into a gearbox we must consider 2 key items: Gear m etallurgy OEM spec ifications r equiring an oil with additives for : Extreme Pressure Rust & Oxidation W ith m etallurgy, t he main concern is with yellow metals (copper, bronze, etc..) Extreme Pressure o ils CANNOT be used as they will attack ing yellow metals. The gearbox OEM specs wi ll call for an oil with either Extreme Pressure additives (meant for heavily loaded bearings) or an oil with Rust & Oxidation additives (most commonly used in gear reducers). The wrong oil in the gearbox will cause premature failure of the gears, so please make sure to verify before switching or selecting your gearbox oils!

  3 Important Things to Know About Oil Oxidation François Le Breux - VP Technical Support Robco Of the factors (friction, corrosion, oxidation) that most affect the performance of a lubricant and, therefore, of oxidation equipment is the least known.  Oxidation is the process in which oil changes due to the polymerization of the organic molecules that compose it. As it oxidizes, the properties of the lubricant degrade rapidly and irreversibly. 1 - The following factors accelerate oxidation: Copper that comes from the wear off certain bearings Ferrous (or other) mixtures suspended in oil Water And the temperature (oil life halves every 18 ° F above 140 ° F with mineral-based oil) 2 - In addition, by oxidizing: The acidity of the oil increases Viscosity also increases The number of insoluble particles increases Sediment deposits form 3 - Which results in: Restriction of oil circulation in the system Blocking filters Increased friction Temperature increase Increased corros...