Mechanical Degradation of Multi-Grade Engine Oils

Polymer additives in commercial engine oils are mechanically degraded in flows involving large stresses. The oil stability is usually characterized by an asymptotic value called the fully-sheared viscosity. Published data from field and laboratory engine tests show that the kinematic viscosity of degraded oil does not approach such an asymptote. This viscosity reaches a minimum due to the compensating effects of mechanical degradation and oxidation. Kinematic viscosity data from various tests are correlated here using a logarithmic function. This correlation is used to compare the kinetics of degradation processes in different tests. These comparisons suggests that multi-grade oils degrade at a consistent rate in different engine tests. Simulation devices using a diesel fuel injector do not give results comparable to field test data. A milder technique for simulating mechanical degradation of engine oils is suggested to improve correlation with field data.