Lubricant Failure Modes

Temperature-Related Failure Modes

• Overloading
• Over-greasing
• Location (no air movement)
• High viscosity
• Wrong viscosity
• Poor lube circulation
• Improper cooling
• No lube cooling
• Multi-speed/load components (high-speed input, low-speed outlet)
• Thermal conditions
• Sunlight
• Ambient atmosphere
• Process heat

Moisture-Related Failure Modes 

• Ambient conditions/humidity/rain
• Washdown practices
• Hot operation, then shutdown
• Improper seals on equipment
• Additive depletion
• Lubrication storage methods
• Lube equipment storage methods
• Improper vent/breather device
• Lack of or depleted desiccant
• No vent/breather device
• Start/stop operations
• Leaking cooling system
• Dipsticks

Foreign Material/Particle-Related Failure Modes

• Ambient conditions
• Contaminated new oil
• Oil lube practices
• Component wear particles
• Greasing practices
• Improper filtration of lubes
• No filtration practices
• Combustion
• Improper external vent filtration
• No vent breather filter
• Particles in new grease
• Poor lube storage methods
• Poor lube equipment storage

Viscosity-Related Failure Modes

• Temperature
• Lube procedures
• Mixing, storage/receiving
• Oxidation
• Contamination
• Moisture/chemicals
• No/lack of additives

Contamination-Related Failure Modes

• Environmental condition
• Leaking coils
• Lube practices
• Lube storage area
• Lube vendor
• Lube equipment procedures

Consider lubrication training to avoid the consequences of lubricant failure. For more information on partnering with Eurofins TestOil on oil analysis programs or training opportunities, fill out the form below; visit https://testoil.com/company/contact-us/; call 216-251-2510; or email sales@testoil.com.

About Eurofins TestOil

With more than 30 years of experience in the oil analysis industry, Eurofins TestOil focuses exclusively on assisting industrial facilities with reducing maintenance costs and avoiding unexpected downtime through oil and fuel analysis program implementation. As industry experts in diagnosing oil-related issues in equipment such as turbines, hydraulics, gearboxes, pumps, compressors and diesel generators, Eurofins TestOil provides customers with same-day turnaround on routine oil analysis testing.  For more information on partnering with Eurofins TestOil on oil analysis programs or training opportunities visit https://testoil.com. Contact: Al Yates 216-251-2510; sales@testoil.com. 

 About Eurofins – the global leader in bio-analysis

Eurofins is Testing for Life. Eurofins is the global leader in food, environment, pharmaceutical and cosmetic product testing, and in discovery pharmacology, forensics, advanced material sciences and agroscience Contract Research services. Eurofins is also a market leader in certain testing and laboratory services for genomics, and in the support of clinical studies, as well as in BioPharma Contract Development and Manufacturing. The Group also has a rapidly developing presence in highly specialised and molecular clinical diagnostic testing and in-vitro diagnostic products.

With over 61,000 staff across a network of 940 laboratories in 59 countries, Eurofins’ companies offer a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods. Eurofins Shares are listed on Euronext Paris Stock Exchange.