Definition - What does Lubricant mean?

A lubricant refers to any substance that is physically integrated for the purpose of reducing friction between two or more moving surfaces. Lubricants help prevent material degradation, erosion, corrosion and rust formation on metallic surfaces.

Corrosionpedia explains Lubricant

Lubricants are generally composed of 90% petroleum-based oil and a wide range of additives to impart desirable characteristics that are unique to a given application.

Base oils used to formulate lubricants include (but are not limited to): vegetable oils, hydrogenated polyolefins, silicones and many others. Additives are also used to reduce friction and wear, increase viscosity and resist corrosion and contamination.

Preferred lubricants in industrial applications typically possess the following characteristics:

  • High boiling point and low freezing point
  • High viscosity index
  • Hydraulic stability
  • Corrosion prevention
  • High resistance to oxidation

Care should be taken when using lubricants because they can cause considerable damage to the environment when they find their way into natural water sources.

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