LUBE OIL BLENDING AND GREASES PLANT

Lube oils generally include all classes of lubricating materials that are applied as fuels. Nearly all of the world’s lube oils are made from the move viscous portion of the crude oil which remain after removal of gas oil and lighter fractions by distillation. Much of the variations in physical characteristics and performance qualities of lubricating oils prepared from different crude sources can be accounted for by the millions of variations that can exist in a single large hydrocarbon molecule. In order to minimize variations and produce products that provide consistent performance in specific applications, four steps are followed in the manufacture of finished lubricating oils from the various available crudes. Selection and aggregating of crudes according to the principal types of hydrocarbon present; distillation of the crude to separate it into fractions containing hydrocarbons in the same sp range; processing to remove undesirable constituents from the various fractions or to convert same of these materials constituents from the various fractions or to convert same of these materials to more desirable materials, and blending to attain the physical characteristics that are required in the finished products and incorporating chemical agents to improve performance.