Lubricants Manufacturing Process

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Lubricants are petroleum and/or synthetic hydrocarbon products that are manufactured to reduce wear on bearing or other metal surfaces that experience friction during their operation. Lubricants are used to improve the performance and extend the operational life of internal combustion engines, gearboxes, compressors, motors, winches, and a wide variety of other machinery on ocean-going vessels. Lubricants are manufactured to meet particular qualities that include high boiling points, low freezing points, high viscosity indices, thermal stability, hydraulic stability, corrosion resistance, and resistance to oxidation, even at elevated temperatures. As recently as 2007, the worldwide breakdown of industrial lubricant sales was 37% (hydraulic oil), 7% (industrial gear oils), 16% (metalworking fluids), and 9% (greases) (Mang, 2007). All of these, arguably save metalworking fluids, are germane to shipboard operations.

Rolling and Drawing Process
Lubricants and coolants are used in the rolling process as well as the drawing process to prevent excessive wear on the rollers and to facilitate the drawing process. Normally, dilute solutions of soluble or emulsified oil, or sometimes water alone, are used. These solutions perform the functions of cooling and lubrication. They are normally sprayed on the rolls in the cases of the hot and cold rolling process, and they are sprayed on the rod or wire as it enters the die. Alternately, the die may be immersed in the oil/water mixture, which is cooled externally, in the drawing process. These solutions are often treated (by filtration, for instance) and reused, but there is always a blow-down (constant removal of a small portion of the flow) that requires management as a waste stream, as well as periodic dumps that are replaced by fresh mixtures.