Gear oil additives are very important lubricants added to gear oil in order for them to perform in very specialized environments. Without them the gear oil would not work as well (if at all) and the machinery that relies upon that oil would not function. Learn more about gear oil additives and different types of them below.
What are Gear Oil Additives?
These additives usually include sulfur-treated organic compounds (sometimes referred to as sulfurized hydrocarbons) and dithiocarbamate derivatives. These additives are added to gear oil in order for them to function better in various environments that heavy-duty machinery must operate in to function properly. For instance, gears in automobiles must be able to handle higher temperatures when the automobile is operating. Similarly, industrial machinery that has been running continuously for hours at a time will get hotter, thereby leading to increased friction without these oils and their additives.
Different Types of Additives
The most common types of additives are added for extreme pressure (EP) and for antiwear. The former is used in environments where the machinery is under a great deal of pressure; the additives within these oils help to ensure the machinery holds up and functions under great duress. The latter is used in environments where the gears within the machinery come into constant contact with each other; the additives within these oils help to ensure the gears do not wear out quickly so that the machinery (such as an automobile or heavy-duty industrial machinery) continues to perform as expected without mechanical breakdowns.
