Glossary of Common Terms
Additive: Any material that is incorporated into a product to provide new properties or enhance existing properties.
Antifoam: Any additive used in lubricating oils to stop foaming caused by agitation and the
release of entrained or entrapped air.
API: AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE
ASTM: AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING MATERIALS
Corrosion: The chemical deterioration of solid materials as in the oxidation of metal.
Demulsibiiity: The ability of a lubricant to separate from water.
Dispersancy: The ability of oil to disperse and suspend potential deposit forming materials so they can be removed from the system when the oil is drained.
Drop Point: Temperature at which the first drop liquid separates when the grease is heated
under prescribed conditions.
EP Additive : Extreme Pressure additive .a chemical compound which gives an oil extreme
pressure characteristics with the objective of reducing wear by preventing metal to metal contact when the oil film breaks.
Film strength: The ability of a film of lubricant to resist rupture due to load speed and
temperature.
Flash point: The temperature at which vapors rising from oil will ignite momentarily upon
application of flame under specified conditions.
Load Carrying Capacity: The ability of a lubricant to resist film rupture and protect against wear and surface destruction under conditions of high speeds, high temperatures or combinations of these.
MIL: Prefix used to designate US Military Specifications
Miscible: Able to mix with or dissolve completely
NLGI: National Lubricating Grease Institute.
Oxidation Stability: Ability of a lubricant to resist oxidation and deterioration resulting from high temperatures and/or exposure to air.
Penetration: Consistency of greases, expressed as the distance a standard needle or cone
penetrates vertically into a sample of the material under prescribed conditions of loading time and temperature.
Pour Point: Lowest temperature at which the liquid petroleum product will flow when it is cooled under the conditions of the standard test method.
SAE: Society of Automotive Engineers
Tackiness Agent: Additive used to improve the adhesive properties of a lubricant.
Viscosity: Measure of the resistance to flow. or internal friction, of the fluid. Viscosity changes with temperature so the temperature at which the measurement was made must always be specified.
Viscosity Index: An Arbitrary scale used to show the magnitude of viscosity changes with
changes in temperature .The larger VI, the less the lubricant is affected by temperature.