4/6/2018 Oil Viscosity - How It's Measured and Reported

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Oil Viscosity - How It's Measured and

Reported
Noria Corporation
Tags: viscosity (/Meta/Tags/viscosity), oil analysis (/Meta/Tags/oil analysis)
According to the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE),
viscosity is one of an oil’s most important physical properties. It is often one of
the first parameters measured by most oil analysis labs because of its
importance to oil condition and lubrication. But what do we really mean when we
talk about an oil’s viscosity?
A lubricating oil’s viscosity is typically measured and defined in two ways, either
based on its kinematic viscosity or its absolute (dynamic) viscosity. While the
descriptions may seem similar, there are important distinctions between the two.
An oil’s kinematic viscosity is defined as its resistance to flow
and shear due to gravity. Imagine filling a beaker with turbine
oil and another with a thick gear oil. Which one will flow
faster from the beaker if it is tipped on its side? The turbine
oil will flow faster because the relative flow rates are
governed by the oil’s kinematic viscosity.
Now let’s consider absolute viscosity. To measure absolute
viscosity, insert a metal rod into the same two beakers. Use
Figure 1. Capillary
the rod to stir the oil, and then measure the force required to
Tube Viscometer
stir each oil at the same rate. The force required to stir the
gear oil will be greater than the force required to stir the turbine oil.
Based on this observation, it might be tempting to say that the gear oil requires
more force to stir because it has a higher viscosity than the turbine oil. However,
it is the oil’s resistance to flow and shear due to internal friction that is being
measured in this example, so it is more correct to say that the gear oil has a
higher absolute viscosity than the turbine oil because more force is required to
stir the gear oil.

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4/6/2018 Oil Viscosity - How It's Measured and Reported

For Newtonian fluids, absolute and kinematic viscosity are related by the oil’s
specific gravity. However, for other oils, such as those containing polymeric
viscosity index (VI) improvers, or heavily contaminated or degraded fluids, this
relationship does not hold true, and can lead to errors if we are not aware of the
differences between absolute and kinematic viscosity.

For a more detailed discussion on absolute versus kinematic viscosity, refer to

the article “Understanding Absolute and Kinematic Viscosity
(http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/294/absolute-kinematic-viscosity)”
by Drew Troyer.

Capillary Tube Viscometer Test Method

The most common method of determining kinematic viscosity in the lab utilizes
the capillary tube viscometer (Figure 1). In this method, the oil sample is placed
into a glass capillary U-tube and the sample is drawn through the tube using
suction until it reaches the start position indicated on the tube’s side.

The suction is then released, allowing the sample to flow back through the tube
under gravity. The narrow capillary section of the tube controls the oil’s flow rate;
more viscous grades of oil take longer to flow than thinner grades of oil. This
procedure is described in ASTM D445 and ISO 3104.
Because the flow-rate is governed by resistance of the oil flowing under gravity
through the capillary tube, this test actually measures an oil’s kinematic viscosity.
The viscosity is typically reported in centistokes (cSt), equivalent to mm2/s in SI
units, and is calculated from the time it takes oil to flow from the starting point to
the stopping point using a calibration constant supplied for each tube.
In most commercial oil analysis labs, the capillary tube viscometer method
described in ASTM D445 (ISO 3104) is modified and automated using a number
of commercially available automatic viscometers. When used correctly, these
viscometers are capable of reproducing a similar level of accuracy produced by
the capillary tube manual viscometer method.
Stating an oil’s viscosity is meaningless unless the temperature at which the
viscosity was measured is defined. Typically, the viscosity is reported at one of
two temperatures, either 40°C (100°F) or 100°C (212°F). For most industrial oils,

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4/6/2018 Oil Viscosity - How It's Measured and Reported

it is common to measure kinematic viscosity at 40°C because this is the basis for
the ISO viscosity grading system (ISO 3448).
Likewise, most engine oils are typically measured at 100°C because the SAE
engine oil classification system (SAE J300) is referenced to the kinematic
viscosity at 100°C (Table 1). Additionally, 100°C reduces the rise of
measurement interference for engine oil soot contamination.

Rotary Viscometer Test Method

A less common method of determining an oil’s viscosity
utilizes a rotary viscometer. In this test method, the oil is
placed in a glass tube, housed in an insulated block at a
fixed temperature (Figure 2).

A metal spindle is then rotated in the oil at a fixed rpm, and

the torque required to rotate the spindle is measured. Based
on the internal resistance to rotation provided by the shear

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4/6/2018 Oil Viscosity - How It's Measured and Reported

Figure 2. Rotary stress of the oil, the oil’s absolute viscosity can be
Viscometer determined. Absolute viscosity is reported in centipoise (cP),
equivalent to mPa·s in SI units.
This method is commonly referred to as the Brookfield method and is described
in ASTM D2983.
While less common than kinematic viscosity, absolute viscosity and the
Brookfield viscometer are used in formulating engine oils. For example, the “W”
designation, which is used to denote oils that are suitable for use at colder
temperatures, is based in part on the Brookfield viscosity at various temperatures
(Table 2).
Based on SAE J300, a multigrade engine oil that is designated as SAE 15W-40
must therefore conform to the kinematic viscosity limits at elevated temperatures
according to Table 1 and the minimum requirements for cold cranking as shown
in Table 2.

Viscosity Index
One other important property of an oil is viscosity index (VI). The viscosity index
is a unitless number, used to indicate the temperature dependence of an oil’s
kinematic viscosity.
It is based on comparing the kinematic viscosity of the test oil at 40°C, with the
kinematic viscosity of two reference oils - one of which has a VI of 0, the other
with a VI of 100 (Figure 3) - each having the same viscosity at 100ºC as the test
oil. Tables for calculating VI from the measured kinematic viscosity of an oil at
40°C and 100°C are referenced in ASTM D2270.

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Figure 3. Determination of Viscosity Index (VI)

Figure 3 shows that an oil that has a smaller change in kinematic viscosity with
temperature will have a higher VI than an oil with a greater viscosity change
across the same temperature range.
For most paraffinic, solvent-refined mineral-based industrial oils, typical VIs fall in
the range of 90 to 105. However, many highly refined mineral oils, synthetics and
VI improved oils have VIs that will exceed 100. In fact, PAO-type synthetic oils
typically have VIs in the range 130 to 150.

Viscosity Monitoring and Trending

Monitoring and trending viscosity is perhaps one of the most important
components of any oil analysis program. Even small changes in viscosity can be
magnified at operating temperatures to the extent that an oil is no longer able to
provide adequate lubrication.
Typical industrial oil limits are set at ±5 percent for caution, and ±10 percent for
critical, although severe- duty applications and extremely critical systems should
have even tighter targets.
A significant reduction in viscosity can result in:
Loss of oil film causing excessive wear
Increased mechanical friction causing excessive energy consumption n Heat
generation due to mechanical friction n Internal or external leakage

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Increased sensitivity to particle con- tamination due to reduced oil film

Oil film failure at high temperatures, high loads or during start-ups or coast-
downs.
Likewise, too high a viscosity can cause:
Excessive heat generation resulting in oil oxidation, sludge and varnish
build-up
Gaseous cavitation due to inadequate oil flow to pumps and bearings
Lubrication starvation due to inadequate oil flow
Oil whip in journal bearings
Excess energy consumption to over- come fluid friction
Poor air detrainment or demulsibility
Poor cold-start pumpability.
Whenever a significant change in viscosity is observed, the root cause of the
problem should always be investigated and corrected. Changes in viscosity can
be the result of a change in the base oil chemistry (a change in the oil’s
molecular structure), or due to an ingressed contaminant (Table 3).

Viscosity changes may require additional tests, such as: acid number (AN) or
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), to confirm incipient oxidation;
contaminant testing to identify signs of water, soot or glycol ingress; or other less
commonly used tests, such as the ultracentrifuge test or gas chromatography
(GC), to identify a change in the base oil chemistry.
Viscosity is an important physical property that must be monitored and controlled
carefully because of its impact on the oil and the oil’s impact on equipment life.

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Whether measuring viscosity onsite using one of many onsite oil analysis
instruments capable of determining viscosity changes accurately, or whether
sending samples routinely to an outside lab, it is important to learn how viscosity
is determined, and how changes can impact equipment reliability. A proactive
approach must be taken to determine the condition of the equipment’s lifeblood -
the oil!

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