Colour plays a vital role for manufacturers and consumers of lubricants because it is the primary method of identifying a specific product type. Some industrial lubricants have an entire colour range, indicating the level of refinement, the type of base stock and the additive package. Monitoring a product's colour throughout production can also alert manufacturers to potential contamination or faulty processing.
What Are Colour Standards and Why Are They Important?
Multiple test methods exist for measuring the colour of lubricant products and maintaining quality control during production. Manufacturers must keep a close eye on colour during refinement to catch any defects immediately, minimizing the amount of lost time, materials and labor if an error occurs. One of the most accurate and reliable methods of measuring lubricant colour is spectrophotometry.
Since lubricant manufacturing and refining are complex, companies use industry standards to ensure their products meet the necessary colour specifications. Some of the primary colour scales for analyzing lubricants and other petroleum products include the Saybolt and ASTM D1500 standard test methods. These scales work on a colour range from light to dark.
While visual comparison methods and colour charts may work for consumers in identifying a specific lubricant type, manufacturers must employ more advanced techniques to ensure better accuracy. Spectrophotometers can measure the exact colour of your lubricant and deliver a precise colour comparison to any of these scales.
