In the stationary gas engine industry there are many ‘urban legends’ and ‘rules of thumb’ about lubricants. Often these ‘rules’ are very important because they steer the direction of gas engine oil development but they also contribute to misinterpreting the performance of stationary gas engine oils. A few examples of these urban legends are ‘replenish at 50% TBN’, ‘Group II is better than Group I’ and ‘more ash, more deposits’. Challenging these accepted rules is very important to make the next step towards better and more innovative stationary gas engine oils. I have written a series 3 of articles about these urban legends.
Joris Van der List – Technology Manager
Challenging the urban legends of stationary gas engine oils Article 1 of 3: Does oil really need to be changed at 50% TBN reduction?
The 50% Total Base Number rule is probably the most unquestioned rule of thumb in the industry. To be fair, for most traditional stationary gas engine oils (SGEO) it works quite well. But, better understanding of the rule is needed to make the next step towards better oils.
