2 Common Types of Lubricants

Every machine that’s developed is created to run efficiently and effectively. Whether it’s a car, clock or cellphone, each feature of the invention is created to fulfill a specific purpose. Without this purposeful development, an invention wouldn’t function properly, and tasks wouldn’t get done. A more well-oiled machine will lead to a better overall product. However, as machinery and equipment is used, sometimes parts get worn out and need to be mended by purchasing products from a lubricant supplier VA. Here are two common types of lubricants on the market today and what they’re used for.

1. Oil

This type of oil isn’t used for cooking but is instead used to prevent parts from corroding and from deposits forming. Oil is made from long polymer chains and comes in different weights. If the oil is thinner, it’ll flow better and will keep everything working smoother. You can use oil on hinges and bearings and can also sharpen tools with oil. If something you’re working with seems to be getting stuck or isn’t flowing as easily as it usually does, you may be able to help the situation with oil.

2. Grease

This is a derivative of oil. Grease is made by taking oil and mixing it with thickeners to create a stiffness oil doesn’t have. Since grease is thicker than oil, it acts as a barrier but can also be too intense for some machinery because of its thickness. If you try and use grease on small machines, it may be too much for the machine to handle and not work as effectively as you’d hope. The best scenarios to use grease on are gears, bearings, chains and links.

Oil and grease may be well known in the cooking world, but these two lubricants should be anywhere but your kitchen. However, they’re vital to cars, machines and any other power-based invention.