Lubricant & Grease Blending
Lubricant blenders and grease makers build engine, hydraulic, gear and industrial oils on base oils chosen by viscosity and solvency. Base oil makes up most of a finished lubricant, so it sets much of how the product performs.
Application requirements
Light neutrals carry low-viscosity duties: 65N-HVI goes into shock absorber fluids, instrument oils and viscosity trimming, and 100N-HVI forms the light share of passenger car motor oils, hydraulic fluids and circulating oils. 150N-HVI sits at the centre of most blending programmes, in engine, turbine and industrial circulating oils. The heavy neutrals 400N-HVI and 500N-HVI hold viscosity under load in industrial gear oils, axle and transmission lubricants, heavy-duty diesel and marine engine oils and reciprocating compressor oils. Bright stock, a residual base oil of 35 to 42 cSt at 100 °C, thickens marine cylinder oils, open gear compounds, wire rope dressings and greases for hot, heavily loaded bearings. Medium-VI grades such as 100N-MVI and 650N-MVI trade some viscosity index for higher solvency, which suits heavily additised gear and cylinder oils, metalworking fluids and grease compounding in plant that runs at a steady temperature. Spindle oil serves textile spindles, machine-tool spindles and light precision mechanisms.
Specification checkpoints
Agree kinematic viscosity at 40 °C for light grades or at 100 °C for heavy grades (ASTM D445), viscosity index (ASTM D2270), pour point (ASTM D97), flash point (ASTM D92 or D93), ASTM colour (ASTM D1500), total acid number (ASTM D974), Conradson carbon residue (ASTM D189) and density at 15 °C. The number in a neutral's name, such as 150N, is a nominal Saybolt viscosity at 100 °F, so blend sheets should be built from measured centistokes, not from the name. If your formulation approvals refer to an API base-oil group, ask for saturates and sulphur results as well, because these decide the group together with viscosity index.
Grade selection
Hydraulic and circulating oils of ISO VG 32 and 46 are usually blended from 100N and 150N, with a heavier neutral added for higher viscosity grades. Passenger car and light diesel engine oils combine 100N or 150N with a heavier neutral, while heavy-duty monogrades lean on 500N. Industrial gear oils from ISO VG 150 upwards combine 400N, 500N or 650N with bright stock to reach the target viscosity. Lithium and calcium greases are commonly made on 500N, 650N-MVI or bright stock, depending on the operating temperature and speed of the bearing.
Handling and documentation
Highly refined base oils are normally not classified as carcinogenic where the DMSO extract measured by IP 346 is below 3%, so ask for that result together with the safety data sheet. Keep base oils dry and clean: free water causes haze and can drop additives out of a finished blend, and cross-contamination between grades shifts viscosity. Use dedicated or properly cleaned lines, flexitanks and drums, and keep drums stored on their sides or under cover. Heavy neutrals and bright stock thicken considerably in cold weather and may need heating before they can be pumped. Spilled oil makes floors slippery, so keep absorbents at transfer points. Request the specification, safety data sheet and a recent certificate of analysis before your first blend.
Products for Lubricant & Grease Blending
Base Oil 150N-HVI
The workhorse mid-weight neutral for turbine, circulating, hydraulic and engine oil blending. Base Oil 150N-HVI is specified at 28.5 – 32.0 cSt at 40 °C, viscosity index min 95, COC flash point min 180 °C and carbon residue max 0.10 wt %.
Base Oil 100N-HVI
Light high-VI paraffinic neutral that supplies the light fraction of passenger car engine oil blends. Base Oil 100N-HVI: 18.5 – 21.0 cSt at 40 °C, VI min 95, COC flash point min 177 °C; also used in hydraulic, circulating and machine tool oils.
Base Oil 500N-HVI
Top-weight high-VI distillate neutral that carries the viscosity in truck and bus diesel oils, air compressor oils for reciprocating machines and soap-thickened greases. Base Oil 500N-HVI: 10.5 – 11.5 cSt at 100 °C, VI min 95, COC flash point min 227 °C.
Base Oil 400N-HVI
Heavy high-VI neutral that builds base-oil viscosity into gear and transmission oils. Base Oil 400N-HVI runs 9.4 – 10.4 cSt at 100 °C with viscosity index min 95 and COC flash point min 227 °C, for industrial gear, axle, tractor and marine oils.
Bright Stock BS-MVI
The heaviest base oil in the range, Bright Stock BS-MVI gives body to marine cylinder oils, heavy gear oils, open gear compounds, wire rope dressings and hot-service greases. A deasphalted residual stock with viscosity index min 75, it runs 35.0 – 42.0 cSt at 100 °C and has a COC flash point of min 280 °C.
Base Oil 650N-MVI
Heavy medium-VI neutral for mills, mines and cement plants. Base Oil 650N-MVI (10.6 – 11.6 cSt at 100 °C, VI min 80) holds extreme-pressure and fatty additives in solution in enclosed gear oils, cylinder oils and greases.
Base Oil 100N-MVI
Base Oil 100N-MVI is a light neutral chosen for solvency rather than maximum VI. At 20.0 – 24.0 cSt at 40 °C and viscosity index min 80, it holds additives in soluble and neat cutting oils, process and carrier oils, and steady-temperature machine oils.
Base Oil 65N-HVI
A thin high-VI paraffinic neutral for damper fluids, instrument oils and blend trimming. Base Oil 65N-HVI is held to 10.0 – 12.0 cSt at 40 °C, with viscosity index min 95, pour point max -9 °C and PMCC flash point min 130 °C.
Spindle Oil
Low-drag lubricant for textile and machine-tool spindles running at high speed, for knitting and sewing machines and for small precision mechanisms. Spindle Oil is a pale paraffinic oil held to 9.0 – 12.0 cSt at 40 °C, with viscosity index min 95 and pour point max -9 °C.
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