Lubricants and versatility: the lesser-known applications

The lesser-known applications of lubricating oils

We all know lubricating oils for their most popular use: car, motorcycle, and bus engines... But these products have many other applications you may not know about. Keep reading to discover them. 

Air conditioning and lubricating oils

Perhaps you didn't know, but lubricants are also used in air conditioner compressors. Not only do they reduce friction between two solid moving parts, they also help limit heat, seal valves, cylinders, and more! 

Repsol has developed a line of lubricating oils specifically for air compressors, gas compressors, and refrigerating machines. It is high in quality and includes highly refined paraffinic oils for normal working conditions as well as other long-lasting synthetic technology oils for compressors with more severe operating conditions.

Lubricants in the food industry

The food industry requires the formula of lubricating oils used in machinery to be very specific, as there is the possibility that the fluid may leak into the end product. There are therefore several types of lubricants for this industry: 

• H1: food grade lubricants, formulated knowing that accidental leakage into the end product may occur. 
• H2: lubricants used in parts of the machinery where there is no possibility of leakage into the food, although formulations should still not contain anything harmful to people’s health. 
• H3: soluble or edible lubricants that are in direct contact with the processed food. 

Our Food Grade line is able to protect against wear and tear, corrosion, and the formation of deposits inside the equipment, in the same way conventional oils do with a special formulation to meet the food lubricant industry's highest quality standards (category H1 according to NSF).

Lubricants in heat transfer

Closed heating systems like boilers and heat exchangers need the right lubricants allowing for quick heat transfer. MAKER TERMICO and TERMICO SYNTH (mineral and synthetic, respectively) as well as MAKER HELIOTERMO (mineral) transfer heat, improve energy efficiency, and are long lasting, due to their resistance to degradation and sludge formation.

The maritime industry and its lubricating oils

Since they are used in extreme conditions, the fluids used at sea require very specific formulations. As occurs with cars, you shouldn’t use the same lubricating oil on a yacht as on a small motorboat. 

The maritime industry includes two key factors: water and salt. Moisture and salt cause engine parts to rust much faster, so lubricating oils for the maritime industry must have significant anti-corrosion and anti-rust properties. 

Repsol created top-quality lines specifically for leisure boats and maritime vessels. They’re perfect both for vessel engines and the machinery on board.

Lubricants also in turbines

Turbines are machines in constant motion, and where there is continuous motion, you need a lubricating oil. In this case, the fluids fulfill a wide range of very specific functions: 

• Lubricating all parts to prevent friction. 
• Cooling the components to prevent overheating. 
• Preventing rust, corrosion, and degradation that stop motion or damage the parts. 

So, Repsol has created a wide variety of turbine-specific lubricating oils that cover all the lubrication needs of the current equipment, from turbines in hydraulic power stations to steam and gas turbines in combined-cycle power stations, ensuring the oils have a long useful life.

Lubricants as insulating fluids

Transformers and electric components need insulating and cooling oils. Repsol has proven experience and a wide range of dielectric lubricants. These lubricants offer stability at high temperatures and have properties to insulate against electricity.

Repsol dielectric lubricants offer top-notch performance, reliability, and safety, and are the most used in many of the current applications for electric transformers.

Both MAKER ELECTRA and MAKER TENSION CENTAURO have inhibited and uninhibited lubricants of different types, are highly stable against oxidation, offer good dielectric strength, and have great properties at low temperatures.

Lubricants for hydraulic systems

Hydraulic equipment is very complex and any damage to the system can cause the equipment to break or necessitate an expensive repair. Hydraulic lubricants are mainly used to transfer energy and protect the hydraulic system.

Repsol has a wide variety of hydraulic oils: MAKER TELEX, MAKER HYDRAULIC, MAKER HIDROLEO, MAKER HYDROFLUX, MAKER LIBRA HYDRAULIC HLP, and MAKER VACUUM PUMP OIL cover all kinds of needs. They guarantee the best lubrication for equipment and provide the robustness and reliability they require, even when working under extreme conditions.

Lubricants for gears

Industrial gears need lubricants developed for applications with high load transfer requirements. Repsol developed a line of lubricants with excellent antioxidant, anti-corrosion, demulsifying, and anti-foam properties.

The MAKER SUPER TAURO line offers both mineral and synthetic oils to cover all the applicable conditions and provide solutions that satisfy our customers’ needs.

Lubricants for metallurgy

Industrial machinery is subject to very severe conditions during continuous casting, quenching, and rolling operations, as well as subsequent cutting, grinding, electrical discharge machining, and polishing. MAKER EMPATEM, MAKER IBERTEM, MAKER LAMINOX, MAKER IBERCUT, and MAKER METAL are designed with high-quality bases and additives carefully selected to streamline each operation type.

Lubricants for bearings

Bearings, particularly those used in rolling mills, are subject to very severe temperature and load conditions in addition to potential exposure to water. Repsol designed the MAKER SYSTEM lubricants, to provide excellent protection for bearings. They have high thermal stabilities and excellent water expulsion properties, making them especially appropriate for jobs in damp environments.