Lubricant Testing
Lubricant testing of oils and greases for load-carrying capacity, wear protection, friction, oxidation stability and grease performance, with standard methods or tests adapted to your application.
What a lubricant has to do
- Separate the surfaces and carry the load without seizure or scuffing.
- Limit wear and friction in sliding, rolling and oscillating contacts.
- Resist ageing by oxidation, heat and water.
- Protect against corrosion of the lubricated parts.
- Stay in place: for greases, resist washout, leakage and loss of consistency.
Lubricant tests in our network
We choose the setup that matches your question: standard screening tests, tests on components such as gears and bearings, or tribometer tests under your operating conditions.
| Test setup | What it shows | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Four-ball testers | Extreme-pressure properties (weld load) and wear protection | ISO 20623, ASTM D2783, ASTM D4172 |
| Oscillating (SRV-type) tribometers | Friction, wear and extreme-pressure properties of oils and greases, fretting | ISO 19291, ASTM D5707 |
| Brugger tester | Load-carrying capacity of lubricating oils | DIN 51347-2 |
| Pin and vee block testers | Extreme-pressure and wear properties of fluid lubricants | ASTM D3233 |
| FZG gear test rig | Scuffing load capacity of gear oils and greases (see gear testing) | ISO 14635-1 |
| Rolling bearing test rigs | Wear and grease life in rolling bearings (see bearing testing) | DIN 51819, DIN 51821 |
| Twin-disc tribometers and mini traction machine | Traction and friction in rolling–sliding contact | – |
| Oxidation and ageing tests | Oxidation stability and ageing of oils and greases | ASTM D2272, ASTM D5483 |
What we measure
- Weld load, wear scar and friction
- Oxidation induction time and ageing behaviour
- Grease properties: dropping point, water resistance, corrosion protection, low-temperature torque
- Physical properties: viscosity, viscosity index, flash point, evaporation loss
- Used-oil condition: see Advanced Analytics
Key lubricant test standards
These are the methods most often used in this field. Where no standard fits your application, we propose a test closer to your operating conditions. Search all standards in our test standards finder.
Four-ball tests
| Standard | Test | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM D2783 | Four-ball EP test, fluids | Load-wear index and weld point of fluid lubricants |
| ASTM D2596 | Four-ball EP test, greases | Load-wear index and weld point of greases |
| ASTM D4172 | Four-ball wear test, fluids | Wear protection of fluid lubricants |
| ASTM D2266 | Four-ball wear test, greases | Wear protection of greases |
| DIN 51350-4 | Four-ball welding load, greases | Good load and welding load of greases |
| DIN 51350-5 | Four-ball wear, greases | Wear scar diameter with greases |
| DIN 51350-2 | Four-ball welding load, fluids | Good load and welding load of liquid lubricants |
| DIN 51350-3 | Four-ball wear, fluids | Wear scar diameter with liquid lubricants |
| ISO 20623 | Four-ball EP and anti-wear test | EP and anti-wear properties of oils and greases |
| ASTM D5183 | Four-ball friction test | Coefficient of friction of lubricants |
Oscillating (SRV) tests
| Standard | Test | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM D5706 | SRV EP test, greases | Extreme-pressure properties of greases |
| ASTM D5707 | SRV friction and wear, greases | Friction and wear protection of greases |
| ASTM D6425 | SRV friction and wear, EP oils | Friction and wear protection of EP oils |
| ASTM D7594 | SRV fretting wear, greases | Fretting wear resistance at high Hertzian pressure |
| ASTM D7421 | SRV EP test, oils | Extreme-pressure properties of oils |
| ASTM D8316 | SRV roller-on-disc test, EP oils | Friction and wear of EP oils in line contact |
| ASTM D8503 | SRV scuffing temperature test | Scuffing temperature limit of oils |
| ISO 19291 | Translatory oscillation apparatus | Friction, wear and load-carrying capacity of oils and greases |
| DIN 51834-2 | SRV friction and wear, oils | Friction and wear of EP oils, ball-on-disc |
| DIN 51834-4 | SRV roller-on-disc test, oils | Friction and wear of lubricating oils, roller-on-disc |
Other load-carrying tests
| Standard | Test | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM D2509 | Timken test, greases | Load-carrying capacity of greases |
| ASTM D3233 | Pin and vee block EP test | Load-carrying capacity of fluid lubricants |
| ASTM D2670 | Pin and vee block wear test | Wear properties of fluid lubricants |
| DIN 51347-2 | Brugger test, oils | Load-carrying capacity of lubricating oils |
| ISO 14635-1 | FZG scuffing test | Scuffing load capacity of gear oils |
Oxidation and ageing
| Standard | Test | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM D2272 | RPVOT | Oxidation stability of turbine oils |
| ASTM D943 | TOST | Long-term oxidation of inhibited mineral oils |
| ASTM D5483 | PDSC, greases | Oxidation induction time of greases |
| ASTM D2619 | Hydrolytic stability | Resistance of hydraulic fluids to breakdown by water |
| ASTM D2893 | Oxidation of EP oils | Oxidation characteristics of EP and gear oils |
| ASTM D6186 | PDSC, oils | Oxidation induction time of lubricating oils |
Grease properties
| Standard | Test | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM D2265 | Dropping point, wide temperature range | Temperature at which grease drips |
| ISO 2176 | Dropping point | Dropping point of lubricating grease |
| ASTM D4049 | Water spray-off | Resistance of grease to water spray |
| DIN 51807-1 | Static water resistance | Behaviour of greases in the presence of water |
| IP 186 | Low-temperature torque | Torque of grease in a ball bearing at low temperature |
| ASTM D2595 | Evaporation loss | Evaporation loss of greases at high temperature |
Physical properties
| Standard | Test | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM D445 | Kinematic viscosity | Kinematic viscosity by capillary viscometer |
| ASTM D7042 | Stabinger viscometer | Dynamic viscosity and density |
| ASTM D2270 | Viscosity index | Viscosity index from viscosities at 40 and 100 °C |
| ASTM D92 | Cleveland open cup | Flash and fire point |
| ASTM D93 | Pensky-Martens closed cup | Flash point |
| ASTM D5800 | Noack | Evaporation loss of lubricating oils |
| ASTM D7896 | Transient hot wire | Thermal conductivity and heat capacity of fluids |
Environmental and special fluids
| Standard | Test | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| OECD TG 301 B | Ready biodegradability, CO₂ evolution | Aerobic biodegradation over 28 days |
| ISO 9408 | Ultimate aerobic biodegradability | Biodegradation by oxygen demand |
| ISO 4925 | Brake fluids | Specification and test methods for brake and clutch fluids |
Grease tests carried out in bearings, such as corrosion protection and water washout, are on bearing testing.
References
- Klüber Lubrication: tribocorrosion behaviour of lubricants
Read the full statements in our case studies.
Industries
- Wind energy: gear oils and bearing greases
- Automotive: engine, transmission and electric drive lubricants
- Railway: flange lubricants and rail lubricant sticks
- Marine & offshore: marine and environmentally acceptable lubricants
One contact, the whole European network
i-TRIBOMAT is the single entry point to more than 130 tribometers and more than 250 experts across Europe. You do not need to find, compare and coordinate several laboratories: we do it for you.
- One contact and one offer for the whole programme
- Independent choice of setup: we match your application to the right test, not to the equipment we happen to own
- One consistent report and, on request, your results in your own online database (see Data-Driven Services)
- Confidentiality covered by a single agreement
Frequently asked questions
Do you test both oils and greases?
Yes. Most methods exist in versions for fluid lubricants and for greases, and many greases are also tested in rolling bearings.
Standard test or customised test?
Standard tests make lubricants comparable and are often required by specifications. When your application differs from the standard conditions, we adapt load, speed, temperature or motion, or propose a component test.
Can you test biodegradability?
Yes, for example with OECD TG 301 B and ISO 9408.
How do I start?
Send us a short description of the lubricant, the application and the question you want answered. We reply with a test proposal and an offer.
Or write to office@i-tribomat.eu. See also all tribological characterisation services.