Interesting article in my Lube-tips newsletter this morning ....
The question was "Why is shelf life 1 or 2 yrs when oil will last in service much longer than that??"
Ashley Mayer from Noria answered:
"Oils do have a fairly short shelf life compared to the length of time they can last in service, if properly maintained.
The issue here is additive solvency as it is commonly referred to. Chemically speaking, "additive solvency" is a bit of a misnomer, as many additives are mixed or suspended, rather than dissolved in the base oil. When the lubricant is stored for an extended time, the additives can settle out. This is particularly true of lubricants that have high additive treat rates, and leaving such oils sitting for extended periods can leave a thick sludge at the bottom of a drum. The problem is exacerbated by base stocks with a high nonpolar content, given that many additives are polar in nature.
Using the oil effectively keeps the additives well mixed. If you can limit particulate and moisture contamination to the minimum you will avoid particle scrubbing, water washing and other destructive depletion reactions. As a result, your oil will likely last for a substantially longer time than its shelf life.
Ashley Mayer, Noria Corporation"
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discuss amonst yourselves
The question was "Why is shelf life 1 or 2 yrs when oil will last in service much longer than that??"
Ashley Mayer from Noria answered:
"Oils do have a fairly short shelf life compared to the length of time they can last in service, if properly maintained.
The issue here is additive solvency as it is commonly referred to. Chemically speaking, "additive solvency" is a bit of a misnomer, as many additives are mixed or suspended, rather than dissolved in the base oil. When the lubricant is stored for an extended time, the additives can settle out. This is particularly true of lubricants that have high additive treat rates, and leaving such oils sitting for extended periods can leave a thick sludge at the bottom of a drum. The problem is exacerbated by base stocks with a high nonpolar content, given that many additives are polar in nature.
Using the oil effectively keeps the additives well mixed. If you can limit particulate and moisture contamination to the minimum you will avoid particle scrubbing, water washing and other destructive depletion reactions. As a result, your oil will likely last for a substantially longer time than its shelf life.
Ashley Mayer, Noria Corporation"
.
.
.
.
.
.
discuss amonst yourselves
