Lubricants are often exposed to severe conditions while in use including extremes of temperature that necessitates that the Lubricant remains in a fluid state even at extreme temperatures. These conditions can cause degradation of the lubricant and damage to the metal surfaces by wear and corrosion.   

Lubricants and their quality play an important role for the cost management of machines and engines. Proper lubrication ensures extended life span of the equipment and minimized maintenance costs.   

To achieve these targets the lubricants must provide metal surface protection (wear inhibition and rust prevention) and cooling over a wide range of temperatures.   

Main purpose of lubricant additive

• Lubricant protection
  Inhibition of thermo-oxidative degradation: Antioxidants
  Inhibition of catalytic effects of the metal surfaces: Metal deactivators and Corrosion inhibitors
• Metal surface protection
  Wear inhibition: Extreme Pressure/ Antiwear additives (EP/AWs) and friction modifiers
  Rust prevention: Corrosion inhibitors
  Yellow metal attack prevention: Metal deactivators
• Flow protection
  To decrease the temperature at which non-synthetic lubricants start to solidify: Pour Point Depressants

The aforementioned additives when correctly formulated into lubricants enable them to ‘stay in grade’.  This term is widely used in relation to lubricant performance requirements. It addresses the need that the lubricant remains fit for purpose both freshly prepared and throughout its specified lifetime.