50 Reliable Plant
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reliableplant.com Machinery Lubrication
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machinerylubrication.com 2025 Annual
A N N U A L E D I T I O N
e year was 1984, Ronald Reagan was
the President, the average price of a gallon
of gas was $1.13 and "Wake Me Up Before
You Go-Go" was at the top of the music
charts. is catchy song from the group WHAM! was
wildly successful and launched George Michael's career
to new heights. Who would have thought that a song from
what many consider the worst decade of music could hold
a message about lubrication, or more specifically about
how lubricants degrade?
Amongst the most common degradation pathways
of lubricants is the oxidation of the base oil. is process
involves the intake of oxidation and the production
of highly reactive molecules that not only damage the
surrounding base oil but can also impact the equipment
health in a variety of manners. Long has oxidation
been the bane of extended oil life, and many industries
closely monitor it. However, the approach to proactively
managing oxidation has a lot to do with what we allow
in contact with the fluid in the first place. is is where
WHAM comes into the story
e leading catalysts for oxidation can be remembered
using this simple mnemonic device:
Water Heat Air Metals
W H A M
ese four agents working together greatly increase
the oxidation rate and shorten the lubricant's usable life.
Don't Let Your Lubricants
Go-Go: Managing Oxidation
with WHAM!
CONTAMINATION CONTROL
Wes Cash | Noria Corporation
Is it true that a
lubricant's life
is cut in half for
every 10 degrees
C (18 degrees
F) increase
in operating
temperature?
Yes, this is
generally true
and is based on a
well-established
scientific
principle known
as the Arrhenius
Rate Rule.
