Lubricants
When color serves as a crucial component of quality in petroleum-based lubricants, developing a color range is an essential stage in the refinement process. Color measurement and management can help you monitor contamination and quality control. Additionally, many consumers rely on color for acceptability.
HunterLab provides just the right color measurement solutions to meet the quality standards of visual perception.
Why Conduct Lubricant Color Measurement?
Oil lubricants are a subset of petroleum products meant to help reduce friction between metal objects, especially with automotive and industrial parts and equipment. To reach ideal functionality, oil lubricants must undergo extensive distillation and refinement processes. These steps will eliminate contaminates while ensuring they have the right functional properties.
Measuring oil lubricant color can give manufacturers insight into their product and process quality. They can test products after they go through processes to see how well they meet company and industry standards. Changes or variations in color can indicate oil lubricates have contaminates in them or need more refining before they are ready for customer use.
Customers also have specific expectations when purchasing products, including their visual elements. When a customer sees a discolored lubricant, they might consider buying a different product. Color testing can help maintain your branding standards and meet your target audience's needs.
How to Measure the Color of Lubricants
When measuring oil lubricant color, you will need a spectrophotometer and a lubricating oil color chart. Several organizations outline color standards for oil lubricants, including:
- The American Public Health Association (APHA)
- The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM)
- Gardner
- Saybolt
These standards help outline the determination of color of petroleum products, so you can ensure your oil lubricants meet the distillation and refinement quality your industry demands.
To measure the oil lubricant color, the spectrophotometer will provide you with the numerical color information you need to match the charts. Oil products, including lubricants, have increased color variety, ranging from various shades and translucency.
If you have an opaque product, the spectrophotometer will measure how much light the lubricant sample reflects. For translucent lubricants, the equipment will measure how much light shines through the sample.
Regardless of the process, the spectrophotometer will provide you with detailed data you can use to determine the exact color of your oil lubricant. When the human eye can be subjective and prone to error, color charts and measurement equipment allow you to collect more accurate and reliable color data.
Invest in Lubricant Color Measurement Equipment From HunterLab
Color measurement and management require equipment you can rely on for consistent and accurate data. HunterLabs specializes in measuring the color of several samples, including liquids like oil lubricants, with over 65 years of experience. Our spectrophotometers can help you continually meet industry standards and customer expectations for quality lubricants.
Contact HunterLab today.
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