LUBRICATION specialist Ray Thibault and Mark Graham from O’Rourke Petroleum have written about the factors and costs of lubricant and oil cleanliness.
Many industrial users understand the need for cleaner oil, but do not have a good grasp of the costs involved. Most of the time, lubricant cleanliness depends on a cooperative and informed relationship between the lubricant supplier, distributor and end user.
Most lubricants used in industrial applications are sourced from distributors. They can be delivered from the lubricant blending plant directly to the customer in bulk, shipped in bulk from stores held by the distributor.
Non-bulk shipment options include filled drums and pails from the blend plant delivered by the distributor, or drums and pails filled at the distributor’s outlet from oil in tanks.
Both the lubricant blender and the method of delivery will affect the cleanliness of the oil.
Turbine and hydraulic oils are usually sent out of the blend plant with a cleanliness level of 19/17/14. This three-part rating system portrays the concentration of hard particles in the lubricant. The first number is the concentration of particles with a diameter of four microns, while the second and third numbers stand for particles with diameters of 6 and 14 microns respectively.
The higher the concentration of these particles, the more potential for damage to equipment to arise as a result of the use of that lubricant.
Putting the oil into trucks and drums will increase the contamination levels, although it is possible to get premium cleanliness ratings by filtering the oil and using new sealed steel drums.
Certain users who require special handling of their oils because of strict cleanliness ratings can also make use of filtered lubricants delivered in a dedicated bulk truck.
Of course, the contaminants in the lubricants are also the responsibility of the end user. Dirt can build up very quickly if the oil is not handled or dispensed properly.

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