A brief introduction

 

Also known as Hydraulic fluid, Hydraulic oil is a lubricant that is used to transfer power to all kinds of hydraulic machinery. This machinery includes hydraulic excavators, backhoes, brakes, etc. It has various applications in various types of industrial machinery. But for a layman going through this post, let me make it even simpler. Apart from its energy transmission property, these oils are also used for lubrication, sealing and contamination removal purposes. Just like you use petrol for a petrol car and diesel for diesel cars, you use hydraulic for hydraulic cars. 

 

The difference is that you don’t take these cars while going for a long drive or to run errands. We use these cars or machinery for more construction-related purposes. You can take the hydraulic excavator, Tata Hitachi ex 210lc super plus in Jharkhand as a prime example. 

 

Components of high-graded Hydraulic Oil

 

Every manufacturer has their formulae for producing hydraulic oil. Therefore, the components and their proportions vary from manufacturer to manufactures.  But as long as the base ingredients remain the same, it should be functional.

Listed below are few ingredients the leading construction equipment seller in Jharkhand believes high graded hydraulic oil should contain.

 

Base component

 

Most hydraulic oils available in the market today use mineral oil as their base ingredient. It has a natural lubrication property and a high boiling point. As hydraulic oils are used in heavy construction, a high boiling point is extremely necessary for its functionality.

 

If the manufacturer is trying to produce biodegradable products, they are more likely to use natural oils such as canola oil or rapeseed oil.

 

 

Hydraulic oils used for other purposes such as fire resistance and application in extremely high temperatures can use other bases such as glycol, esters, silicon oil, propylene oil, etc.

 

Other additives

 

Other components used are oils, butanol, polyalkylene glycols, silicon, anti-erosion additives, corrosion inhibitors, etc. 

Anti-wear hydraulic fluids

 

AW hydraulic oils are special types of hydraulic oils. their anti-wearing properties make them perfect  for protecting the hydraulic pumps. They use petroleum base fluid and also contain various anti-wear additives. They come in various viscosities. 

 

Hydraulic oil and Viscosity

 

The viscosity of any fluid is its resistance to flow due to change in parameters such as temperature and pressure. In layman’s word, it is the thickness and the stickiness. The viscosity of hydraulic oil is closely related to temperature. As the temperature increases, the viscosity will decrease. 

 

Blenders use the viscosity index of oil (VI) to understand the quality of hydraulic oil. In conclusion, Hydraulic oil with a very high VI will be able to function properly at a high range of temperatures. Few of the known Tata Hitachi dealers have an extremely good collection of hydraulic oil. Come check them out!