Lubricant Categories

Lubricating waxes are based on hydrocarbons of high molecular weight and are preferably used for boundary or partial lubrication at low speeds. Lubricating greases are based on a base oil and a thickener imparting to them their cohesive structure. They can be used for elasto-hydrodynamic, boundary or partial lubrication. Base oil stocks are manufactured from crude oil extracted from many different oil fields throughout the world and refined using numerous methods based on the type of crude and the type of finished product required. Solvent extraction is performed using a multistage distillation/solvent extraction process. In stage one the crude is put through an atmospheric distillation process to remove the lighter and more volatile hydrocarbon fuel fractions that include benzene, gasoline, kerosene, and diesel. Lubricating oils consist of a base oil and additives which determine their performance characteristics. The base oil is responsible for the typical properties of an oil.