High Temperatures

Above 100°C, the oxidation speed of a lubricant doubles with each additional 10°C, therefore the lubricant used must have adequate properties.

Generally speaking, the following phenomena often occur in these applications:

  • the most volatile fractions evaporate,
  • the heaviest components tend to "coke up" (carbonize),
  • the consistency and/or the viscosity of the lubricant change,
  • there is rapid oxidation.

Consequently, the protective lubricating film breaks down, resulting in higher friction between surfaces, and quicker equipment wear.

In many high-temperature applications, synthetic-based lubricants offer a satisfactory solution to these challenges. In particular:

  • they resist better at high temperatures,
  • they are safer (they have high flash and drop points),
  • they allow extended lubrication intervals,
  • they help preserve the air quality wherever the machinery is located (less vapour is released),
  • and above all, they keep the physical properties of the protective lubricating film.

Concerned sectors include the following types of industry : food (industrial bakeries and pastry manufacturers), steel, aluminium (casting, extrusion), glass, textile (drying stenters), automotive (paint shops), and more.