Additives in oil - meaning and tasks
Additives are added to a product in order to impart certain properties to it or to weaken undesirable properties. They change the properties of lubricants through chemical and physical effects. Additives play an important role at ADDINOL. Already in the company name (abbreviation for "Additives in Oil") it is pointed out that additives are an elementary component of our lubricants. The base oils that we use for our production do not meet all the requirements placed on a lubricant in use. For example, wide temperature ranges and load peaks in engines for oils can only be handled if the appropriate additives are added. With some oils, additive proportions of up to 30% are achieved.
Additives in general have the following tasks:
- Additives maintain your engine, gearbox or industrial plant from the inside.
- Additives actively protect against wear and corrosion.
- Their effectiveness increases the performance and service life of the engine, gearbox or industrial plant.
We then compiled the most important additives required for engine oils, gear oils and industrial lubricants.
| Additives | Characteristics | Active ingredients |
| Anti-foam additives |
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| Demulsifiers |
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| Detergents/Dispersants |
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| Emulsifiers |
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| EP additives (extreme pressure) |
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| Tackifier |
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| Corrosion inhibitors |
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| Oxidation inhibitors (Antioxidants) |
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| Pourpoint depressant (PPD) |
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| Friction modifier |
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| Anti-wear additives |
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| VI improver |
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Additives are particularly important for engine oils. Depending on the manufacturer, engine concept and design, special additive mixtures are required that have to be specifically adapted. This results in many manufacturer specifications, which in turn entail a large number of special oils.
Should additives be added separately to the lubricant?
No, because additives can only work properly if they are added to the base oil in the correct proportion. The perfect combination is determined with lengthy tests in the laboratory. Therefore, do not mix any special additives into lubricants that have already been composed. Automotive manufacturers in particular advise against adding additives separately. It can happen that the lubricant then no longer works as desired and long-term damage occurs to the friction partners. The oils of ADDINOL meet numerous manufacturer specifications and can therefore be used in the original mixing ratio.
The only recommendation we give you with regard to additionally filled additives is to use an engine flush before an oil change in order to remove as many dirt particles as possible with the used oil.
Additives for other applications
Additives are not only used in lubricants. The addition of additives also makes sense in other products. In many products the admixture of additives is even prescribed. Fuels such as diesel or gasoline therefore meet the requirements of modern engines. This increases the knock resistance of petrol or makes diesel more resistant to cold temperatures.
Typical products to which additives are added:
- Fuels such as diesel, petrol or heating oil
- Coating materials such as lacquers
- Synthetic materials
- Food industry (changes in consistency, taste, colour, shelf life, etc.)
Additives occur in the everyday life of every human being, to a certain extent, even though not everyone is aware of it.
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