Oil Lexicon
In the OilDoc Oil Lexicon, you can look up terms related to lubricants, tribology, maintenance, and condition monitoring.
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A
- A/cm
- Absorption per cm – Unit of measurement in Infrared spectroscopy. The thickness of the measurement cell affects the absorption. The longer the path of IR radiation through the test medium, the higher the absorption. For a better comparison, the value is normalized to one centimeter.
- AAR
- Association of American Railroads
- ACEA
- Association des Constructeurs Européens d’Automobiles Association of European Automobile Manufacturers. Issues the well-known ACEA specifications for motor oils.
- AES
- Atomic emission spectroscopy (OES = Optical Emission Spectroscopy). Method for determining the element content, e.g. in lubricating oils or greases.
- AGMA
- American Gear Manufacturer Association Publisher of the AGMA specifications.
- AN
- Acid Number („Acid Number“) – Content of free acids in an oil, given in mgKOH/g according to ASTM D 664. See also: NZ.
- ANSI
- American National Standard Institute. American Organization for Standardization. www.ansi.org
- AO
- Antioxidants – Active ingredients (additives) added to most oils to increase oxidation stability. Contributes significantly to increasing operating times.
- API
- American Petroleum Institute – Publisher of the API specifications for engine and vehicle transmission oils. www.api.org
- ASTM
- American Standard for Testing Material Standardized testing procedure, similar to DIN and ISO in Germany and Europe. Formerly limited to the USA, the ASTM now sees itself as a globally active standards body. www.astm.org
- ATF
- Automatic Transmission Fluid – lubricating oil and function fluid for automatic transmissions. Due to the specific requirements of automatic transmissions, the specifications of the transmission manufacturer must be observed.
- AW-Additives
- Anti Wear –Additives – Substances used to enhance wear protection properties
B
- BN
- Base Number (Base Number)- Measure of the oil’s ability to neutralize acidic impurities or oil aging products.
- BTU
- British Thermal Unit. Non-SI-compliant energy unit. 1 BTU corresponds to thermal energy
C
- CCMC
- Comité des Constructeurs d’Automobile du Marché Commun – Former Association of European Automobile Manufacturers
- CCR
- Conradson Carbon Residue – Short designation for the determination of coking tendency (carbon residue) according to the Conradson method (DIN 51551)
- CCS-Viscosity
- Cold Cranking Viscosity – Instrument for determining low-temperature viscosity
- CEC
- Coordinating European Council for the Development of Performance Tests for Lubricants and Engine Fluids. European Technical Committee for the Development of Test Methods for Engine Lubricants and Fuels. www.cectests.org
- CFPP
- Cold Filter Plugging Point – Standardized test for the cold filterability of fuels. DIN EN 116.
- CLP
- Short name for lubricants according to DIN 51502 or 51517/3. Refers to a circulating lubricating oil
- COC
- Cleveland Open Cup – Measurement method for determining the flash point in an open cup. DIN ISO 2592.
- cP
- Centi-Poise – Unit of measurement for dynamic viscosity. The SI unit is Pa·s or mPa·s. 1 cP = 1 mPa·s
- cSt
- Centi-Stokes – Unit of measurement for kinematic viscosity. The valid SI unit is mm²/s. 1 cSt = 1 mm²/s
D
- DGMK
- German Scientific Society for Oil, Gas, and Coal.
- DIN
- Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V. (German Institute for Standardization) – The most significant national standardization organization in the Federal Republic of Germany. The publisher of German DIN standards. See: www.din.de or www.beuth.de (Publisher for distribution of DIN standards.)
- DKIN
- Deutsches Komitee für Instandhaltung e.V. – Network for the promotion of maintenance that has since been dissolved.
- DOT
- United States Department of Transportation – Publisher of DOT specifications.
E
- E/cm
- Extinction per cm – Unit in FT-IR spectroscopy that describes the energy conversion caused by scattering and absorption of electromagnetic radiation as it passes through a medium. Corresponds to the layer thickness of the oil in the optical path in oil analysis (see also: A/cm).
- EHD
- Elastohydrodynamics – The elastohydrodynamic lubrication condition occurs whenever, due to very short contact times and very high pressures, the lubricant behaves like a solid body.
- ELGI
- European Lubricating Grease Institute – Independent European research institute focused on manufacturing.
- EN
- European Norm – A rule ratified by one of the three European standardization committees, such as CEN.
- EP-Additive
- Extreme Pressure Additive – High-pressure additives that only become effective under mixed or boundary friction conditions, countering material wear. In contrast to AW (Anti-Wear) additives, they require higher activation energy to unleash their effects.
F
- FAME
- Fatty Acid Methyl Ester – Formed by transesterification of fats or oils with methanol. One of the most well-known products is biodiesel.
- FDA
- US Food and Drug Administration
- FM
- Friction Modifier – Group of additives that alter the coefficient of friction.
- FT-IR
- Fourier-Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy – A technique used in the analysis of fuels and lubricants, employing infrared spectroscopy to determine the molecular composition of hydrocarbons and similar products.
- FVA
- Forschungsvereinigung Antriebstechnik e.V. – Non-profit association dedicated to cooperative research and education in the field of drive technology. The umbrella organization is the VDMA. www.fva-net.de
- FVI
- Forum Vision Instandhaltung e.V. – Network for maintenance in Germany. www.ipih.de
- FZG
- Research Center for Gears and Gear Design at the Technical University of Munich (TMU). www.fzg.mw.tum.de
G
- GC
- Gas Chromatography – Chromatographic method for separating components of a mixture into individual substances. Column Chromatography using inert gases as the mobile phase. For used lubricants, for example, for determining the fuel content.
- GC-MS
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry – Method for structural elucidation, involving the coupling of gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer.
- GfT
- Gesellschaft für Tribologie e.V. – Society for the promotion and dissemination of tribological knowledge. The publisher of GfT (Gesellschaft für Tribologie e.V.) worksheets.
H
- HC oil
- Hydrocrack oil – A short designation for base oil used in lubricants and hydraulic fluids produced through the hydrocracking process. Often, and misleadingly from a marketing perspective, also referred to as “semi-synthetic.”
- HD oil
- Heavy Duty Oil. Common abbreviation for engine oils or additives typical of engine oils (HD additives).
- HEES
- Standardized abbreviation for environmentally friendly hydraulic oils based on synthetic esters according to ISO 15380: “HEES” stands for “Hydraulic Environmental Ester Synthetic.” Following is the viscosity classification as ISO VG (e.g., HEES 32).
- HEPG
- Standardized abbreviation for environmentally friendly hydraulic oils based on polyglycols according to ISO 15380. Following is the viscosity classification as ISO VG (e.g., HEPG 32).
- HEPR
- Hydraulic Environmental Polyalphaolefins and Relatives – Standardized abbreviation for environmentally friendly hydraulic oils based on PAO (Polyalphaolefins) and related hydrocarbons according to ISO 15380. Following is the viscosity classification as ISO VG (e.g., HEPR 32).
- HETG
- Standardized abbreviation for environmentally friendly hydraulic oils based on natural (native) esters according to ISO 15380. Following is the viscosity classification as ISO VG (HETG 32).
- HFA
- Standardized abbreviation for water-based fire-resistant hydraulic fluids based on oil-in-water emulsions (HFAE) or solutions (HFAS) with a water content of more than 80%.
- HFB
- Standardized abbreviation for water-based fire-resistant hydraulic fluids based on water-in-oil emulsions with a water content of 40%. Not approved as fire-resistant hydraulic fluid in Germany.
- HFC
- Standardized abbreviation for water-based fire-resistant hydraulic fluids based on glycol-water solutions with a water content of more than 35% (HFC) or approximately 20% (HFC-E).
- HFD
- Standardized abbreviation for non-aqueous fire-resistant hydraulic fluids based on phosphoric acid esters (HFD-R) or fatty acid esters, or other synthetic fluids such as non-water-soluble glycols (HFD-U), or chlorinated hydrocarbons.
- HLP
- Standardized abbreviation for hydraulic oils with antioxidants, rust inhibitors, and EP additives.
- HLPD
- Standardized abbreviation for detergent HLP hydraulic oils.
- HTHS viscosity
- High-Temperature-High Shear Viscosity
- HVLP
- Standardized short designation for an HLP hydraulic oil with viscosity index-improving additives.
I
- ICP
- Inductively Coupled Plasma – Method for elemental analysis in lubricating oils and other liquids. DIN 51396/1
- ILSAC
- International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC) – Publisher of international engine oil specifications. These are predominantly common in Asia and are based on API classifications.
- IP
- Institute of Petroleum (GB)
- IR
- Infrared – Abbreviation for infrared spectroscopy
- ISO
- International Organization for Standardization. www.iso.org
- ISO VG
- Viscosity classification according to DIN ISO 3448
- ipH Value
- Initial pH (Initial pH value) – Characterizes the content of strong acids in a lubricating oil in a more practical manner than the SAN. Especially for the analysis of used engine oils from biogas engines.
J
- JASO
- Japanese Automotive Standards Organization – Publisher of oil specifications in the Asian region.
L
- LAV
- Air separation (German Luftabscheidevermögen) – test method
- LS
- Limited Slip (Limited Slip) – Abbreviation for vehicle axle gear oils with additives meeting the requirements for transmissions with wet brakes or mechanical limited-slip differentials.
M
- MEG
- Monoethylene glycol – Base material for the production of antifreeze coolants.
- MIL
- Abbreviation for Military Standards (MIL-STD).
- MON
- Motor Octane Number – Indicator of the knock resistance of gasoline (petrol).
- MTF
- Manual Transmission Fluid
- MWV
- Mineralöl-Wirtschafts-Verband e.V. (MWV) – Association of companies based in Germany in the mineral oil industry.
- MoS2
- Molybdenum Disulfide – Solid lubricant additive.
- m-Value
- Increase of the viscosity-temperature lines in the V-T diagram according to Walther. Characteristic for calculating the viscosity-temperature behavior of lubricating and hydraulic oils. See also: Viscosity Index (VI)
- mg/kg
- Unit of measurement for the concentration of ingredients
- mgKOH/g
- mg potassium hydroxide per gram of sample – Unit of measurement for AN or BN.
N
- NAS
- National Aerospace Standard
- NASA
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- NFPA
- National Fluid Power Association
- NLGI
- National Lubricating Grease Institute
- NSF
- National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) – Independent U.S. organization for the testing and certification of products regarding human health, etc. It is responsible, for example, for testing lubricants for use in the food industry.
- NZ
- Neutralization Number (German: Neutralisationszahl) – Indicates the quantity of acids present in a lubricating or hydraulic oil, measured in mgKOH/g. See also: AN or BN
O
- OEM
- Original Equipment Manufacturer – Globally recognized abbreviation for manufacturers of machinery.
- OES
- Optical Emission Spectroscopy – See AES
- OPEC
- Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The organization of petroleum-exporting countries. www.opec.org
P
- PAG
- Polyalkylene glycol – base fluid for the production of fully synthetic lubricants and functional fluids. Depending on the composition, predominantly water-miscible and thus not miscible with most other mineral oils!
- PAO
- Poly-alpha-olefin – base fluid for the production of fully synthetic lubricants and functional fluids. Most common base oil component for the production of fully synthetic engine oils and other lubricating fluids.
- PGLP
- Circulating or industrial gear oil based on a polyglycol base oil. Often not miscible with mineral oils and other types of oils.
- PIB
- Polyisobutylene. Fully synthetic component of lubricating oils (base oils) and additives (PIB succinimides).
- PM
- Pensky-Martens – Measurement method for determining the closed-cup flash point. DIN EN ISO 2719.
- PQ-Index
- Particle Quantifier Index – Parameter for determining ferromagnetic metal wear in lubricating oils and hydraulic fluids.
- PTFE
- Poly-Tetra-Fluor-Ethylen – commonly known as Teflon.
- ppm
- parts per million – „One millionth part“. 1 % = 10.000 ppm. For elemental analysis, 1 ppm equals 1 mg/kg.
- psi
- (pound per square inch)
R
- RAL
- Reichs-Ausschuss für Lieferbedingungen (formerly) – Deutsches Institut for Gütesicherung und Kennzeichnung e.V.
- REM-EDX
- Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) – A method used in failure analysis, employing scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to determine the surface structure and composition of metallic impurities, fracture surfaces, etc.
- RFA
- X-ray fluorescence analysis – Method for determining the elemental composition (elemental analysis).
- RME
- Rapeseed methyl ester – See FAME.
- RON
- Research Octane Number – Indicator of the knock resistance of gasoline (petrol).
- RPVOT
- Rotary Pressure Vessel Oxidation Test (formerly known as RBOT) – Testing procedure for evaluating the oxidation stability of lubricating oils.
S
- SAE
- Society of Automotive Engineers
- SAN
- Strong Acid Number – Subset of the AN (Acid Number)
- SBN
- Strong Base Number – Subset of the BN (Base Number)
- SRE
- Standard Reference Elastomer – Standardized elastomer for simplified testing of resistance to various types of lubricating oils or hydraulic fluids.
- SRV
- Schwingung (Oscillating), Reibung (Friction), Verschleiß (Wear) – Testing device for determining mechanically dynamic characteristics of model test specimens with varying geometries and variable stress profiles.
- STLE
- Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers – U.S. organization of tribologists and lubrication engineers.
- STOU
- Super Tractor Oil Universal – Universal lubricating and hydraulic oil for tractors and other agricultural equipment, with special consideration for the requirements of oil-immersed brakes (“wet brakes”). It is also suitable for use in engines compared to UTTO oils.
- SUS (or SSU)
- Saybolt Seconds Universal – Obsolete unit of measurement for kinematic viscosity.
T
- TAN
- Total Acid Number – Obsolete unit of measurement for the acid number in oil. See AN, or ipH
- TBN
- Total Base Number Obsolete base number measurement unit. See BN
- TOF-SIMS
- Time of Flight-Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy – A mass spectrometry technique for characterizing the composition of substances.
- TOST-Test
- Turbine Oil Oxidation Stability Test – Requirement test valid for various lubricants to assess oxidation stability according to DIN EN ISO 4263
- TOU
- Tractor Oil Universal – See UTTO (Universal Tractor Transmission Oil).
U
- UNITI
- Bundesverband mittelständischer Mineralölunternehmen e.V. www.uniti.org
- USDA
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – U.S. agency that regulates requirements for lubricants in industries such as food and feed.
- UTTO
- Universal Tractor Transmission Oil – Multipurpose oil for transmissions and hydraulics of tractors and agricultural equipment. These oils specifically take into account the special lubrication requirements for oil-immersed brakes, commonly known as “wet brakes.” However, using them as engine oil is not possible. see STOU
V
- VCI
- Vapor Corrosion Inhibitors – Corrosion protection additives effective in the oil mist phase.
- VDI
- Verein Deutscher Ingenieure – Professional association and industry network for engineers in Germany. www.vdi.org
- VDMA
- Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau – Association of German Mechanical and Plant Engineering Service Providers and Industry Network for more than 3000 industrial companies in Europe. www.vdma.org
- VI
- Viscosity Index – Dimensionless value describing the temperature-dependent change in viscosity. The higher the value, the lower the impact of temperature on the change in flowability.
- VKA
- Vier-Kugel-Apparat – Test apparatus for determining mechanically dynamic parameters such as the VKA welding force, among others, according to DIN 51530.
- VSI
- Verband Schmierstoff-Industrie e.V. – Coalition of all significant manufacturers of automotive and industrial lubricants in Germany. www.vsi-schmierstoffe.de
- VZ
- Saponification number (German: Verseifungszahl) – Indicating the content of free and bound acids and esters in the oil.
W
- WAV
- Water Separation Ability (German: Wasserabscheide-Vermögen) – Ability of an oil to separate water..
Z
- ZnDDP
- Zinc dithio-phosphate – Very widely used additive with AW/EP and antioxidant properties.
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