How To Efficiently Produce Excellent Lubricants?

The quality of lubricants determines the service life and performance of mechanical equipment, and in the entire production process, the mixing process is the key link that affects the quality of lubricants. The uniform fusion of base oil and additives can ensure that the oil has excellent wear resistance, stability and viscosity characteristics. If the mixing is not sufficient, it may cause oil stratification and additive precipitation, thus affecting the lubrication effect. Therefore, how to efficiently and accurately complete the mixing has become a core issue of concern to lubricant manufacturers.

1. The core process of lubricant mixing

In industrial production, the mixing of lubricants involves multiple key factors, including temperature, shear force, mixing time, vacuum degassing and stirring methods. Different mixing methods will directly affect the quality of the final product.

Room temperature mixing is suitable for low-viscosity lubricants, such as hydraulic oil and transformer oil. This type of oil does not require high temperature. During the production process, only the base oil needs to be added to the stainless steel mixing tank, and additives with different functions are added in sequence, and they are ensured to be evenly blended by low-speed stirring. After sufficient mixing, the product will be left to stand for a certain period of time to enhance stability.

Heating mixing is mainly used for high-viscosity lubricants, such as gear oils and engine oils. Since it is difficult to evenly disperse additives in high-viscosity base oils at room temperature, a stainless steel mixing tank with a heating jacket is required to heat the oil to 50-80°C, reduce the viscosity, and then gradually add various additives. Maintain a medium speed during stirring to prevent precipitation, and continue heating for 20-40 minutes to ensure that all ingredients are completely integrated. Subsequently, the product needs to be cooled to maintain the stability of the oil.

For lubricants with higher requirements, such as aviation lubricants, racing lubricants, or high-end synthetic lubricants, a high-shear homogenization mixing process is required. This process uses a high-shear emulsifier to fully disperse the base oil and additives, refine their particles, mix them evenly, and improve stability. In order to further improve the purity of the product, vacuum degassing technology is usually used in the production process to remove microbubbles generated during mixing and prevent oxidation and foaming.

2. Common problems and solutions in the lubricant mixing process

In the production process of lubricants, although the mixing process seems simple, some problems are often encountered in actual operation. If these problems are not solved in time, they will directly affect the quality and performance of the product. The following are several common problems and their solutions:

Oil stratification: Oil stratification usually occurs when the base oil and additives are not fully blended. In order to prevent stratification, first ensure that the mixing time is long enough and the temperature reaches the appropriate range to avoid low temperature affecting the fluidity of the oil. For high-viscosity oils, a stainless steel mixing tank with a heating jacket should be used to ensure that the viscosity of the oil after heating is appropriate and promote the uniform fusion of the base oil and additives.

Additive precipitation: Additive precipitation is usually caused by uneven mixing or too low temperature, especially in high-viscosity oils. An effective way to solve this problem is to adjust the mixing speed and temperature, and use a high shear emulsifier to ensure thorough mixing of the base oil and additives. In the selection of additives, their solubility and compatibility with the base oil should also be considered to avoid unnecessary precipitation.

Bubbles and oxidation: During the mixing process, the entry of air may cause bubbles to form, which in turn affects the stability of the oil and even causes oxidation. To solve this problem, vacuum degassing technology can be introduced to prevent oxidation reactions by removing microbubbles generated during the mixing process. Using a vacuum mixing tank can further remove air to ensure the purity and long-term stability of the oil.

Inconsistent viscosity: Sometimes the viscosity of the lubricant fluctuates, resulting in unstable performance. Inconsistent viscosity is usually related to insufficient temperature control, mixing time and shear force. To solve this problem, in addition to strictly controlling temperature and time, equipment with an intelligent temperature control system is selected to ensure temperature stability during heating and reduce viscosity fluctuations.

By correctly identifying and effectively solving these common problems, lubricant manufacturers can improve the quality control of the mixing process, ensure that each batch of lubricants can meet the expected performance standards, and enhance market competitiveness.

3. Choose the right lubricant mixing equipment to improve production efficiency

In the production process of lubricants, it is crucial to choose the right lubricant manufacturing machine. For low-viscosity oils, a low-speed stainless steel mixing tank is sufficient to meet the demand; for high-viscosity lubricants, a stainless steel lubricant mixing tank with a heating function is required to adjust the fluidity of the oil. If high-end lubricants are produced, a high-shear stainless steel vacuum emulsification mixing tank is required to ensure the stability and uniformity of the oil. In addition, the vacuum mixing tank can further remove air and improve the purity of the final product.

In addition to the selection of lubricant mixing equipment, the improvement of production efficiency also depends on advanced process optimization. For example, through precise formula calculation, raw material waste can be reduced and product stability can be improved; the automated mixing system can reduce human errors and improve production efficiency; the intelligent temperature control system can prevent high temperature from destroying the activity of additives during the heating and mixing process; and the circulating filtration system can filter impurities in real time to ensure the purity of the final oil.

4. Conclusion: Efficient mixing makes excellent lubricants

In the production process of lubricants, the mixing process is crucial. Whether it is room temperature stirring, heating mixing, or high shear homogenization process, the stirring method, temperature and time need to be strictly controlled to ensure that the base oil and additives can be fully integrated. By optimizing the mixing process and combining it with automated production equipment, your company can not only improve product quality, but also increase production efficiency, reduce unit costs, and gain a greater advantage in market competition.