BEST PRACTICES NOTEBOOK

Proper storage
and handling
of lubricants
By Mike Johnson, CMRP, CLS
Contributing Editor

A lot can go wrong from the time a lubricant leaves

the manufacturer until it’s used in a machine.
Here’s how to ensure everything goes right.
W
ith all the different ways that equipment
owners can invest in more effective lubri-
cation practices, perhaps the most easily

rtic le h ighlights: overlooked improvement is the product storage

A specting and handling practice. Although improvements in
d s f o r in
■ Standar
this area are not free, the actual cost to make obvi-

ks a n d v essels. ous, significant and lasting improvements is low.

truc
nt trans-
There are actually two distinct aspects to this
ng lub r ic a issue. The first aspect, the transport and interme-
■ Tracki delivery.
ag e a n d diate storage of lubricants, is outside the direct
port, stor control of the end-user, and, even though a strong
or
easures f
working relationship between the local marketer
■ 8 key m and the end-user may give the latter some level of
ing r e se r voirs. influence over this activity, the end-user should be
topp prepared to verify and improve product cleanliness
after it arrives at the plant site.
The heart of this article deals with the second
aspect: end-user storage and handling practices.

22 FEBRUARY 2008 T R I B O LO G Y & LU B R I C AT I O N T E C H N O LO G Y

Regardless of the lubricant’s performance capabil- cleanliness of the lubricant is shared between both
ities, the manner in which lubricants are received, manufacturer and user interests.
stored and dispatched to machines is a strong According to Barrett: “Lubricant consumers al-
indicator of the importance of machine lubrication ways seem to wish to put the risk and accountabil-
practices to plant management. ity onto the lubricant supplier, and lubricant sup-
The practices described in this article are intend- pliers want the end-user to take responsibility for
ed to provide a general frame of reference through lubricant contamination levels upon their accept-
which lubricant users can understand the compli- ance of delivery. I believe the middle ground is for
cated business of lubricant transport and delivery. end-users to establish minimum acceptable physi-
The described practices are reflective of those that cal, chemical and performance specifications for
would be adopted by quality-conscious lubricant the lubricants they purchase and invest in the
manufacturers, of which there are many. It would be (minimally) random sampling of all products upon
useful for end-users to adopt a curious attitude, and their receipt. Then they must follow-up with their
each respectively draw a well informed understand- suppliers if and when they do discover out-of-spec-
ing of the state of practices following a thorough ification products.”
review of their own lubricant supplier’s processes. Fortunately, national brands do have clearly
defined in-house expectations for their respective
General information licensed distribution networks that, when followed
Quality-conscious lubricant manufacturers commit closely, help limit the degree of chemical and
appreciable time and effort to maintain the purity atmospheric contamination errors that occur.
and integrity of their products between blend plant Let’s take a quick look at how the several million
and customer site. Each batch of lubricant is test- gallons per month of finished lubricants and circu-
ed prior to packaging or decanting to the lubricant lation oils are moved from manufacturing point to
transport tanker. Upon request, the physical and the distribution network.
chemical fingerprint of the lubricant can be record-
ed on a document called the Certificate of Analysis Stage 1:.
or COA and provided to the purchaser. This From the lubricant manufacturer
becomes the start of the quality paper trail for each to the local marketer.
and every product shipment. The paper trail is
The route for lubricant delivery from point of man-
important to protect all the interests involved in
ufacture to eventual delivery at the plant site is
the manufacture, movement and use of the lubri-
similar for each of the major brands. Following
cant over time for one simple reason: lubricant
receipt of an order from the marketer, the blend
transport, storage and delivery is the responsibili-
plant schedules the marketer to collect the ship-
ty of many different people and organizations, and
ment within a stated time frame. The marketer dis-
is not subject to strict controls.
patches a transport truck to collect the shipment.
Most lubricant manufacturers do not own or
Sometimes the truck is company (marketer)
control the vessels used to pick up and deliver lu-
owned, and sometimes it is a third party transport.
bricants to the distribution network, and while
There is no objective quality standard for the
organizations such as the American Society of Test-
condition of the truck compartment prior to fill. For
ing and Materials, the Department of Transporta-
some manufacturers the truck bulk compartment
tion (DOT), and the American Petroleum Institute
must be clean and dry. For some the truck com-
provide standards about test methods, tank con-
partments must be strictly dedicated to lubricant
struction and material shipping, there aren’t any
use and must be completely drained down,
standards that pertain to the condition that the
although it does not necessarily have to be dry. For
material should arrive at the end-user. Additionally,
some, the truck may arrive in a “diesel-wet,” com-
there are no objective standards or hard limits for
pletely drained state. Diesel-wet means the vessel
the cleanliness of the containers used to package
last contained, or was rinsed down with, nondyed,
(totes, drums, kegs, pails) the lubricant.
low-sulfur diesel fuel.
Accordingly, suppliers cannot guarantee that
Manufacturer guidelines require the truck
each stage of the handling process is completely
loader, an employee of the lubricant manufactur-
free of chemical, solid and moisture contaminants.
ing plant, conduct a visual inspection and use a
STLE member Chuck Barrett, president of Consul-
“sniffer” to conduct any gasoline or other chemi-
tive Services Co., a lubrication and marketing con-
cal/hydrocarbon vapors prior to filling the truck
sulting agency in Hoffman Estates, Ill., suggests
compartment. If the truck fails the inspection it will
that the final responsibility for the quality and
CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

T R I B O LO G Y & LU B R I C AT I O N T E C H N O LO G Y FEBRUARY 2008 23

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

be rejected and must be cleaned and retested farm and/or warehouse, responsibility for product
before it can be filled. integrity shifts to the local marketer. The marketer
The truck’s compartments will be filled and is expected to follow a rigorously defined handling
sealed with the assistance of the driver, and the procedure for all products that are delivered and
shipping manifest will identify each product that resold in bulk or packaged in totes, drums, kegs or
was placed into each compartment. The transport pails and sold accordingly.
load is delivered to the local marketer site where, Some portions of the products received by bulk
according to the lubricant manufacturer’s direc- transport are packaged into totes, drums, kegs and
tions, the truck driver and the site warehousemen pails to accommodate customer order requirements.
work in conjunction to off-load the compartments. The balance is loaded into a local delivery truck and
Prior to the off-loading process, all common taken to the customer site for bulk delivery.
headers and pumps are typically flushed to remove Practices for lubricant repackaging and offload-
any residue remaining from previous activities. ing from the tank farm to the bulk delivery truck are
Additional flushing may also occur any time there clearly defined by the lubricant manufacturer and
is a product change for a shared pump or header. are expected to be closely followed by marketers.
The amount of oil that must be flushed through a These practices mirror the manufacturer’s concern
line or a pump differs between products and is for lubricant integrity during transport and transfer
based upon the degree of incompatibility that between trucks and tanks, including specific rec-
exists between the two products (the product that ommendations for the sequential order for product
was last passed through the line vs. the product loading and packaging and for transfer system
that will be next passed through the line). Lubri- flushing requirements. Additionally, marketers are
cant manufacturers have well-defined require- expected to collect samples following the flushing
ments for the various possible product off-loading activities and prior to either repackaging and/or off-
combinations. loading lubricants at the customer site.
All offloaded products are sampled following In addition to these concerns, marketers also
the flush process, and the retained sample is are expected to follow rigorous guidelines for han-
stored for six to 12 months, which is generally long dling drums and pails used in repackaging activi-
enough for that specific batch to have cleared the ties. Totes and new or reconditioned 55-gallon
marketer warehouse. The retained sample is used, drums all must be tested and show the DOT/UN
if necessary, to demonstrate that the lubricant safety label indicating the containers are safe for
product entering the warehouse bulk tank was at interstate transport. Once the totes and drums are
maximum integrity. received onto the marketer’s site, the containers
are expected to be stored in a weather-proof man-
Stage 2:. ner (out of the rain), and some companies require
the empty drums to be stored upside down. When
From the local marketer tank farm and
empty drums are pulled from inventory they are
warehouse to the customer plant site.
inspected with a bright light or an in-drum drop-
Once the local licensed marketer accepts the prod- light for any collection of moisture or solid debris.
uct into the tank This is a subjective inspection only, with the key
point of observation being for evidence of standing
g
off-loadin
water or visible accumulation of solid rust, debris
to th e or residual soap film.
Prior
common
Pails are purchased new (pails are not recondi-
c es s , a ll tioned) and are to be stored in their original pack-
pro
e r s a n d pumps are aging until they are ready to be used. Once the pail
head packaging is open, the pails are to be stored upside

y pic a ll y f lushed to down until pulled and filled.

t
y residue
Product storage guidelines are provided to
m o v e a n assure that packaged lubricants do not remain in
re previous
f rom inventory long enough for the product to degrade.
remaining Synthetic and mineral oils and greases have shelf
.
activities
lives between two and five years with a few excep-
tions. Lubricants that contain suspended solids
have shelf life limits between one and two years.
There are special-use products (water-soluble

24 FEBRUARY 2008 T R I B O LO G Y & LU B R I C AT I O N T E C H N O LO G Y

products, emulsions) that have product-specific Even though significant controls and guidelines are
shelf life limits. in place, given the nature of the shipping and han-
The end-user should always verify shelf life lim- dling process, the lubricant manufacturer is not in
its with the OEM for any products that have been a position to guarantee product qualities beyond
packaged and in storage for more than one year. the physical (visco-metrics) and chemical (additive)
The date and location where the lubricant is pack- characteristics throughout the supply chain.
aged always should be noted on the product label. Recognizing the potential for container (truck,
tote, drum, pail) conditions and human error to
Handling exceptions influence the final cleanliness and quality of the
The preceding sequence of handling and delivery lubricant delivered to the plant site, plant reliabil-
steps applies to national brand lubricant suppliers ity and lubrication managers are right to apply sys-
for products handled in large volumes through dis- tematic quality control measures to all lubricants
tribution networks. There are plenty of exceptions received into the plant site.
to these handling practices. For instance, products According to Chuck Barrett, degradation of lubri-
that end-users purchase in relatively small annual cant between the shipping point and the use point
volumes must be either repackaged at the local is a common problem: “The top three in-plant lubri-
marketer site or packaged and shipped in the small cant handling and storage problems that I see in
volume containers (drums, kegs and pails) from my ongoing work with manufacturing plants
the blend plant. Many of the packaged lubricants include (1.) plants allowing lubricants that have
maintained at a local marketer’s locations are become contaminated by previously delivered bulk
packaged at the blend plant and shipped via com- products (in transport containers/vehicles) into the
mon carrier to the marketer site. consumption stream, (2.) plants allowing accept-
Synthetic lubricants, for instance, are typically able incoming lubricants to be transferred into
packaged in new five- to 55-gallon containers at unacceptable/contaminated intermediate storage
the point of manufacture. A few companies allow containers such as bulk oil and grease tanks and
their premium quality synthetic products to be (3.) the use of transfer delivery containers or sys-
packaged in larger semibulk (five- and 10-drum tems that are poorly maintained and have become
sized) containers, but this is not a common prac- contaminated with environmental debris and/or
tice. Synthetics are rarely allowed to be packaged other materials. Each of these common problems
in reconditioned containers or, for practical com- renders lubricants unacceptable for use.”
mercial reasons, shipped via bulk transport truck. There are a variety of practices that plants can
In addition, there are a few products that are adopt to improve the integrity of the lubricant from
manufactured with highly specialized additive initial delivery to final use, including:
chemistry concerns. Large commercial combustion ■ Incoming lubricant QC testing.
engines used in shipping (railroad, marine applica- ■ Long-term storage.
tions) are manufactured using components that ■ Contamination control for open stores.
are degraded upon contact with zinc-based anti-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
wear additive technologies. These specialized
products must be handled in such a way that there
Once
is absolutely no potential for any mixture with the loc
commonly used zinc-fortified lubricants. These marke al lice
products are identified by specific name and num- ter ac nsed
ber and are handled with completely dedicated produc cepts t
t into he
systems and storage containers. The lubricant
farm a th e tank
manufacturer clearly identifies these products to nd/or
their marketers and end-users so there is little respons wareh
chance that the end-user might unknowingly mis- ibility ouse,
handle them. integri f or prod
ty shif uct
local m ts to t
In-plant receipt and storage
arkete he
It is evident from the sequence of delivery steps r.
from the lubricant manufacturer to the end-user
storage vessel that most national brand named
lubricants are transferred from vessel to vessel sev-
eral times prior to receipt at an end-user’s facility.

T R I B O LO G Y & LU B R I C AT I O N T E C H N O LO G Y FEBRUARY 2008 25

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

■ Pre-filtering lubricants in storage. repeatable, and the instruments routinely calibrat-

■ Use sealable, cleanable top-up containers. ed to a recognized standard. The instrument cali-
■ Precautions during top-up activities. bration and operation practices suggested by the
■ Stock rotation. instrument suppliers should be adequate for these
Let’s examine these in depth. purposes.
The following are some sampling guidelines.
Incoming lubricant (QC testing). A best practice in
product storage and handling begins with verifying 1. When checking lubricant physical properties
the lubricant qualities for both bulk and packaged (viscosity, color):
products as they are delivered to the plant site. It (a.) For packaged goods, take the sample from
is a good idea to discuss this intention with the the middle (center of the container, mid-
local marketer prior to testing in order to give the way up from the bottom) of the container.
marketer time to make adjustments in practices (b.) For bulk deliveries, collect the sample after
that might enhance delivered product quality. An the standard line flush process has been
acknowledgement of, if not a tacit agreement with, completed.
a pending test practice also should help minimize (c.) If the center of the vessel cannot be
organization stress that could occur if any ship- reached, allow sufficient flushing oil to flow
ments are ever rejected. through the discharge valve and pipe con-
As is the case with any QC testing program, figuration such that three times the volume
sample collection practices should be defined in a off the valve/discharge pipe area has
standardized operating procedure. Sample collec- cleared the valve.
tion also should be simple enough to be highly
repeatable, regardless of who is taking the sample. 2. When checking lubricant for evidence of
Test methods should be rigorously defined and moisture or settled solid contaminants:

Table 1. ASTM D6224 – Recommended New Oil Quality Control Tests1

A = Required, B = Optional, C = Performed with/without on-site instrument, D = Substitute ‘Crackle’ Test for quick on-site response.
Note: Items C and D have been added by the author. These are not part of the ASTM procedure.
1
ASTM D6224 is the Standard Practice for In-service Monitoring of Lubricating Oil for Auxiliary Power Plant Equipment
26 FEBRUARY 2008 T R I B O LO G Y & LU B R I C AT I O N T E C H N O LO G Y
 (a.) For packaged goods, collect sample from age in these conditions all but assures that rain-
the bottom of the container. water will settle on the drums and cover the sealed
(b.) For bulk deliveries, collect the sample after openings. As the containers heat and cool the con-
the standard line flush process has been tents expand and contract, causing the containers
completed. to breathe. Manufacturers that reside in geograph-
There are many common used-oil tests that ical areas that experience significant daily temper-
could be conducted, but those that can be con- ature swings should be particularly careful to avoid
ducted on-site would be most useful for QC analy- storage in direct sunlight. These circumstances can
sis, particularly for bulk deliveries. Table 1 provides contribute to the chemical degradation of the
a list of proposed tests recommended for QC test- lubricant before it is ever placed into service.
ing of lubricants by ASTM D6224.i Those noted with For bulk lubricant storage, the advice to the
the superscript ‘C’ pertain to tests that may be con- local marketer (from the lubricant manufacturer)
ducted on-site. The key test parameters, the physi- represents a good starting point. Bulk tanks should
cal properties and contamination levels, could be be staged on paved or concrete pads and all piping
measured fairly easily with relatively inexpensive and fittings should be either stainless steel or
on-site instruments. Chemical properties measure- black iron. The mesh screen requirement for the
ments will be more difficult to accomplish on-site, tank vents is inadequate and should be upgraded
given the appreciably higher cost of instrumenta- to a high quality (rated) breather filter.
tion. Table 2 provides general guidance for con- Additionally, bulk tanks should have perma-
demning parameters for those on-site tests. Time nently mounted filtration systems designed to fil-
permitting, it would be best to verify on-site results ter continuously. Filter-element quality for dedicat-
against those provided by a professional oil analy- ed bulk tanks should coincide with the most strin-
sis laboratory before condemning large shipments. gent cleanliness standards for the machines into
which the lubricant type is placed. Elements rated
Long-term storage. For packaged goods, it is
at β10 = 75 represent a minimum quality standard.
appropriate to follow the advice of lubricant man- Bulk tanks staged in cold-weather climates should
ufacturers to their respective distribution ware- be either heat traced or staged in climate-con-
houses. Packaged lubricants (semibulk, drums, trolled conditions to enable filtration during low
kegs, pails, case lots) should be stored under cover temperature periods.
and away from exposure to the elements. The best-
case condition would be a climate-controlled room Contamination control for open stores. Regard-
away from direct exposure to sunlight. less of the state of lubricant cleanliness upon
End-users often store lubricants outside, in a delivery, unless there are specific measures in
vertical orientation, on concrete and asphalt pads place to improve lubricant cleanliness the state of
and parking lots and in direct exposure to sunlight cleanliness likely will begin to degrade the
and significant temperature swings. Vertical stor- moment the container is opened. This creates a bit
of a catch-22 situation with raising expectations for
i
ASTM D6224: Standard Practice for In-service Monitoring of Lubricating the lubricant manufacturer to meet delivered
Oil for Auxiliary Power Plant Equipment.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

Table 2. Proposed Condeming Limits for On-Site QC Testing

1
PC Proposed Limits are based on typical results for new lubricant delivered cleanliness measurements from a field study. Uptime,
March 2006.
T R I B O LO G Y & LU B R I C AT I O N T E C H N O LO G Y FEBRUARY 2008 27
 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

cleanliness targets. There is little reason for the greater. High flow rates and high pressures can
lubricant manufacturer to put forth more effort and impede the effectiveness of some filter elements.
accept higher delivery costs if an improved cleanli- There are many companies manufacturing filter
ness state is not preserved at the plant site. units for these kinds of purposes, as in Figure 1.
Setting up the storage plan should follow a few The amount of time the lubricant should run for
key objectives: each package depends on the flow rate of the filter
1. Create and maintain clean, brightly lighted, cli- and the package size. At a minimum, the filter unit
mate-controlled main and substorage areas. should run long enough to pass eight times the
2. All lubricants, particularly those in open container volume through the filter unit, regardless
stores, should be maintained in climate-con- of the amount of time involved in achieving this
trolled enclosures. Where climate control is target. The return line should be plumbed to be as
not an option, at least maintain the open far as possible away from the suction line.
stores away from direct exposure to the Lastly, and this is a very important detail, if one
weather. filter unit is going to be used to filter multiple
3. Minimize human contact with the lubricant products, whether the products are in the machine
during storage and handling as much as pos- or are still in the storage container, any time the fil-
sible. ter is moved from one product type to another the
element should be replaced and the piping should
4. Each lubricant package (tote, drum, keg, pail)
be flushed with three times the cumulative
should be staged for protection from the
pipe/hose and housing capacity before the filter
environment at a minimum through the use
unit is attached to the next reservoir/package to be
of quality breathers and by maintaining clo-
filtered. If the unit is being moved to another vis-
sure on all openings (valves, hoses and
cosity grade within the same product type (i.e., the
pipes) when not in use.
same brand and product designation), the flush
Since plants have vastly differing in-plant operat-
volume can be reduced to only one times the
ing environments and differing tolerances for
cumulative pipe/hose and housing capacity prior
machine reliability, the steps for accomplishing
to reuse.
these objectives will differ.
Once the package (typically a five- to 10-drum
Pre-filtering lubricants. Whenever the concentra- semibulk tank or a 55-gallon drum) has been
tion of solid contaminants in the lubricant exceeds opened and pre-filtered, the container should
the QC target limits for allowable contaminants, remain stationary and be equipped to breathe
the lubricant should be filtered before use. through a vent filter instead of an open pipe.
Filtering lubricants prior to use can be done
easily and relatively inexpensively. Filter elements Use sealable, cleanable top-up containers. After
should have high dirt-holding characteristics, low the effort of testing and pre-filtering the products
back-pressure lim- to assure they are capable of performing in the
Figure 1. its and at least β10 desired manner, the end-user certainly wants to
= 75 quality per- preserve the improved quality state of the lubri-
formance. The cant while it is being transported around the plant
equipment select- in the possession of the lubrication technician or
ed should be capa- operator. This can be challenging.
ble of filtering high Any surface that is wetted with oil becomes a
viscosity oils (up magnet for atmospheric contaminants. Funnels,
to ISO 680 would new oil cans, dip-sticks, transfer container, etc., all
be best) at a fairly eventually become grossly contaminated if they are
low rate of flow not isolated from the atmosphere following use.
(one to five gal- For items small enough to fit in a plastic bag, such
lons per minute). as a funnel, once used the items should go imme-
Filter systems for diately into a zip-loc type resealable plastic bag.
(Courtesy of Trico Corp.)

larger bulk tanks Open metal cans should be replaced with oil-
(five drums or handling containers designed for this purpose.
greater) should There is a variety of sealable and cleanable handling
have flow charac- containers available to transport the pre-filtered
A prefabricated portable filter unit teristics at five gal- lubricant to the machine center. Discharge nozzles
designed for pre-filtering lubricants. lons per minute or range in size, opening diameter and type, from

28 FEBRUARY 2008 T R I B O LO G Y & LU B R I C AT I O N T E C H N O LO G Y

pump-type quarter-inch nozzles to gravity flow one-
inch, twist-to-seal type nozzles. The containers also
Figure 2.
come in a variety of colors, as shown in Figure 2.
Some organizations construct agreements with
their suppliers to receive lubricants in single-use
one-gallon containers. These containers may be
delivered to predesignated storage areas and main-
tained at a pre-established inventory level by a week-
ly inventory check and replenishment. (see Figure 3).

Precautions during top-up activities. Providing

the lubricant is delivered according to quality

(Courtesy of Trico Corp.)

expectations and maintained in a clean state while
in inventory, the remaining opportunity for corrup-
tion occurs at the time that the lubricant is placed
into the machine sump. The act of filling the
machine is the last chance to inadvertently harm
Examples of sealable, cleanable lubricant handling containers
the lubricant and the machine. A few simple pre- designed for in-plant use.
cautions can eliminate the remaining threat.
When topping reservoirs with a high volume of
lubricant (10 gallons or more), equip the sump
Figure 3.
drain and fill ports with fluid quick-connectors
that, matched with the quick-connectors on the fil-
ter cart, allow the prefiltering process to take place
from the lubricant package directly into the lubri-
cant sump. The amount of precleaning of the fit-
ting that must be done before each use is simple
and quick if the equipment owner keeps the con-
nector covered with a rubber or metal cap while the
machine is in normal run mode. Observe the same
consideration for flow rate and filter quality as was
previously discussed.
When topping reservoirs with a low volume of
lubricant (10 gallons or less), follow these guidelines:
1. Use a soft bristle brush to completely dis-

(Courtesy of Electric Energy, Inc., Joppa, Ill.)

place any atmospheric dust or dirt that has
accumulated around the port plug since the
last top-up event.
2. If there is wet residue, use a clean, lint-free
cloth to physically wipe down the area
around the port plug.
3. Loosen the plug and repeat Step 1 if solid
debris is observed. An example of custom delivery through single-use, one-gallon con-
4. Remove the plug and place it in a clean and tainers delivered directly to predesignated in-plant storage lockers.
dry container or location while topping the
port. oil on the housing.

5. Reinspect and try to remove any contaminant 8. Drain any excess, if necessary.
that may fall into the sump during top-up. This is not clinical type work but simple precau-
tions to minimize the kind of ingression that can
6. Use a top-up reservoir that has a piston-type
greatly support the long-term reliability objectives
displacement pump supplying lubricant
for the production machinery.
through a narrow opening discharge fitting.
Place the fitting into the reservoir and fill the
Stock rotation. Lubricants have shelf life limits. As
sump to the appropriate level.
noted previously in this article, the limits vary from
7. Replace the plug and wipe down any residual CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

T R I B O LO G Y & LU B R I C AT I O N T E C H N O LO G Y FEBRUARY 2008 29

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

product to product and from manufacturer to man- supplier and are, for all practical purposes, outside
ufacturer. Several things can have a negative effect of the reach of the end-user/equipment owner.
on the shelf life of the lubricant. The effectiveness of Precision practices in receipt and storage follow
the blend process has an impact on whether addi- what is largely a common-sense approach. Verify
tives are fully dissolved or whether they are suscep- that the lubricant is what it is supposed to be (QC).
tible to settling during transport and storage. A dark Once verified, make changes in the handling prac-
or off-colored highly viscous layer at the bottom of tice to preserve the chemical and physical qualities
the shipping container is an indicator of additive and improve the overall cleanliness of the lubri-
settling. Contamination from rainwater/melting cant. Store the lubricant in such a way that it can-
snow, large temperature swings and high tempera- not be corrupted by either the production or
ture storage methods also shorten shelf life. atmospheric environment while the packages are
To avoid shelf life issues for petroleum prod- being emptied. Use simple filtration methods to
ucts, the lubricant inventory volume should be pre-filter all stored lubricants. In some instances
maintained at a low enough level such that the the same devices can be use to top-up the reser-
whole inventory is turned over at least once annu- voir directly through the filter itself.
ally. The interval for specialized and custom-blend- Lastly, the vast majority of the handling and
ed products may be shorter and should be top-up practices are manual. Simple precautions
addressed individually by the manufacturer. and cleaning around the openings before removing
fittings and applying the lubricant can provide sub-
Conclusions stantial long-term benefits. TLT
There are three distinct stages of the lubricant
transport, storage and handling process. Each of Mike Johnson, CMRP, CLS, MLT, is the principal consultant
these stages represents some level of risk to the for Advanced Machine Reliability Resources, headquartered
lubricant. The first two stages belong to the lubri- in Franklin, Tenn. You can reach him at mjohnson@
cant manufacturer and the lubricant wholesale amrri.com.

30 FEBRUARY 2008 T R I B O LO G Y & LU B R I C AT I O N T E C H N O LO G Y