The most important reasons to consider synthetic gear oil.

Because of the extreme conditions under which a transmission operates it’s worthwhile to consider using synthetic gear oil to extend oil change intervals and reduce costs.

From high-speed gearing in turbomachinery to slow-turning gear reducers, gear lubricant selection, application and condition are the single-largest contributors to reliability and longevity of gearboxes. With this as background it then
makes sense to consider using synthetic gear oil to protect your expensive equipment.

Avantages when you consider using synthetic gear oil.

Synthetic gear oils offer some very real advantages. For example, in extremely low temperatures, a synthetic gear oil will have a much lower viscosity than the equivalent grade of mineral oil. This can be an advantage during cold temperature start-up when temporary oil starvation can cause excessive wear, particularly in splash-lubricated gear drives.

Often companies consider using synthetic gear oil at higher operating temperatures caused by high ambient temperatures or the process itself, because synthetic gear oils have a higher viscosity than the equivalent grade of mineral oil.

Synthetic gear oil is not only more stable across a wide range of operating temperatures - A rule of thumb is that regular mineral oil is fine up to about 160 degrees Fahrenheit, but synthetics are clearly better above about 180 Fahrenheit. Of course, there are other reasons, such as for extended oil drain or other operational reasons.

When you consider using synthetic gear oil, pay close attention to the type of synthetic in use. Many synthetic gear oils are made from polyalphaolefin (PAO) basestocks, which are compatible with conventional mineral oils. However, increasingly polyglycol gear oils are being used, which have excellent lubricity while helping to keep the gearbox clean of deposits due to their natural detergency and “clean-burning” tendency. In fact, some gear manufacturers are factory-filling their boxes with polyglycol-based oils.
However, Polyglycols are incompatible with hydrocarbon basestocks (mineral or PAO synthetic), thus requiring extreme caution to prevent accidental mixing and cross-contamination. When switching from a hydrocarbon oil to a polyglcol, the transmission needs thorough cleaning and flushing to prevent hydrocarbon residues from reacting with the polyglycol gear oil.

Viscosity is important when you consider using synthetic gear oil.

When you consider using synthetic gear oil instead of mineral gear oil, it’s not uncommon to drop down one ISO grade. The reason for this is the fact that synthetic oils typically have higher viscosity indexes than mineral oils. As a result, when you compare the viscosity of, for instance, a ISO VG 680 mineral oil to that of a ISO VG 460 synthetic oil, they will have very similar viscosities at 160 F. Before applying this rule, it’s important to plot the viscosity-temperature profile of each oil and consider the anticipated operating temperature along with high and low ambient temperatures to insure you select the correct grade for the specific application.

Armed with this information you are in a good position to consider using synthetic gear oil to save energy and maintenance costs. However be careful when you consider using synthetic gear oil that you choose a product from a quality manufacturer such as Habot Synthetic Lubricants that are specialists in high quality synthetic gear lubricants.