Oil Compatibility
Prevent equipment damage caused by incompatible oils.
Whether you are topping off storage tanks or completely changing lubricants, you must ensure that your oils are compatible. On paper, lubricants may seem identical in performance. However, base oil differences and additive formulations may prevent different oils from blending properly. Additionally, in-service oils may be degraded or contaminated to such an extent that they may be incompatible with new oils of the same type.
Importance of Oil Compatibility
When additives or base oils do not mix, they can form deposits which enter system filters and other oil passageways. Mixing incompatible oils can also lead to the degradation of performance parameters such as demulsibility, oxidation stability, rust ability and antiwear protection ability and eventually cause catastrophic equipment failure.
What We Offer
SGS provides oil compatibility testing to ensure that the crucial physical, chemical and performance properties of lubricants are not compromised when mixed at any ratio. We use ASTDM D7155 as the guideline for turbine lubricant compatibility evaluation, and offer tiered assessments to help minimize costs:
- Tier 1 – Visual appearance
- Tier 2 – Interfacial properties
- Tier 3 – Physical and chemical properties
- Tier 4 – Speciļ¬c performance properties
We can modify testing to evaluate mixing scenarios between engine and gear oils and can evaluate hydraulic compatibility as per ASTM D7752.
We will evaluate potential impact when test results show marginal incompatibility, to help you determine whether you should consider a replacement oil or a relubrication plan.