History of Automotive Lubrication

Today's lubricant quality is defined by classifications, or specifications, that are established by taking into account metallurgy, equipment design, and or operating conditions For engine oils, the American Petroleum Institute (API), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) are the key bodies that define industry needs, establish classifications, and develop test methods to assure that lubricants meet the required performance For gear oils, API and the Coordinating Research Council (CRC) play a similar role The U S Military and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have their own performance requirements that are usually over and above those of the API/SAE/ASTM and API/CRC The performance requirements of automatic transmission fluids (ATFs) are established by OEMs, such as General Motors Corporation (GM) and the Ford Motor Company Greases are defined by the National Lubricating Grease Institute's (NLGI) classification system The paper follows the history of automotive lubrication from the early 1900s to date It describes the introduction and progression of classifications and specifications with changes in the lubricating environment