Glossary of petroleum additives

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1. Petroleum Product Additive: Chemicals that are added in certain amounts to base oils to enhance or confer desired properties. For example, the rust prevention capacity of mineral oil in a humid chamber is only about 4 hours, whereas rust preventive oils containing rust inhibitors can provide rust protection for several hundred hours or more ； Base oil and water are immiscible, but the addition of an emulsifier to the oil allows a stable emulsion to be formed between the oil and water. Additives are one of the important means to improve the quality of oils and expand the variety of oil products. It is worth noting that additives are not a panacea either; they cannot turn low-quality oil into high-quality oil. Additives are merely one of the main factors that contribute to improving oil quality. The contribution of additives depends not only on their specific components but also on the quality of the base oil (that is, the base oil must have a certain degree of refinement or belong to a certain type, such as solvent-refined, hydrogenated, wax-isomerized, or synthetic oil), as well as on the technology used in formulating the additives for the oil in question; both of these factors are essential. 2. Detergent: A chemical added to fuel or lubricants that enables the cleaning of engine components and helps keep them clean. In engine oil formulations, detergents are mostly alkaline metal soaps used to neutralize the acids produced by oxidation or combustion. 3. Dispersant: A chemical that enables solid pollutants to remain suspended in oil in a colloidal state, preventing substances such as sludge, paint films, and sediment from accumulating on engine components. Dispersants are usually non-metallic (ash-free) and are generally used in combination with detergents. 4. Antioxidant and Corrosion Inhibitor (or Oxidation-Corrosion Inhibitor): Chemicals that can prevent the oxidation of oils and protect lubrication surfaces from chemical degradation caused by water or other pollutants. 5. Extreme Pressure Agent (or EP Additive): a chemical that prevents the sintering and scuffing of metal surfaces under extreme pressure conditions. 6. Antiwear Agent: A chemical that can form a thin, highly resilient film on components under high loads to prevent metal-to-metal contact. 7. Oiliness Additive: A chemical that, under boundary lubrication conditions, enhances the lubricating properties of oil and prevents wear and scuffing. Oil-based agents are usually animal or plant oils, or compounds with polar groups at the ends of their hydrocarbon chains. These compounds have a strong affinity for metals; they function by adsorbing onto the friction surfaces through their polar groups, forming a molecularly oriented adsorption film that prevents the metals from coming into contact with each other, thereby reducing friction and wear. 8. Friction Modifier (FM): A chemical that can reduce the coefficient of friction between two in contact metal surfaces. FM generally does not react with metals, but rather adsorbs on their surfaces. The adsorption membrane can reduce the frictional heat at the oil/metal interface, thereby helping to improve efficiency under certain conditions. FM are usually phosphorus- or nitrogen-containing derivatives. 9. Antioxidants are chemicals that enhance the antioxidant properties of oils and extend their service or storage life. Antioxidants are also known as oxidation inhibitors. 10. Metal deactivators are chemicals that can passivate metals and render them inert from a catalytic perspective; such chemicals are referred to as oil metal deactivators or metal passivators, and they are also known as anti-catalytic additives. The autoxidation of hydrocarbons is a chain reaction mediated by free radicals; during the process in which intermediates decompose into free radicals, metal ions, particularly copper ions, play a significant catalytic role. 11. Viscosity Index Improvers (VII for short) are chemicals that can increase the viscosity of oils and raise their viscosity index, thereby improving the viscosity-temperature properties of lubricants. 12. Rust Preventive (or Antirust Additive): Chemicals that form a thin film on the metal surface to prevent rusting. Rust is a mixture of oxides and hydroxides formed on the surface of metals as a result of the action of oxygen and water. Rust on iron is red, rust on copper is green, while the rust on aluminum and zinc is known as white rust. It is difficult for machinery, during operation and storage, to avoid coming into contact with oxygen, moisture, or other corrosive substances in the air; these substances cause electrochemical corrosion on the metal surface, leading to rust. To prevent rust, it is necessary to stop these substances from coming into contact with the metal. 13. Anticorrosive additives, also known as corrosion inhibitors, are chemicals that prevent the chemical erosion of metals by the acids produced by the oxidation of the oil itself, as well as by the active substances resulting from the decomposition of certain additives. 14. Inhibitors are additives used to suppress or control side reactions and improve the relevant properties of oils, such as oxidation inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors, rust inhibitors, etc. 15. Pour point depressants are chemicals that can lower the pour point of petroleum products and improve their flowability at low temperatures. 16. Antifoam Agent (or Antifoaming Additive): A chemical that can suppress the tendency of oils to form foam during use. 17. Lubricating oil tackifiers (Lubricating Oil Tackifier or Lubricating Oil Tackiness Agent) are chemicals that improve the adhesion and retention of lubricating oils, and prevent their loss or splashing. 18. Emulsifying Additive: A chemical that enables oil and water to form a stable mixture or emulsion. 19. Demulsifying Agent: A chemical that can accelerate the separation of oil and water or cause an emulsion to completely separate into water and oil. 20. Mildew inhibitors (Mildew Inhibitor, Anti-mildew Agent, or Mildew-retarding Agent) are chemicals that can suppress various harmful effects caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, molds, and yeasts present in oils. They are also known as bactericides, antimycotic agents, or microorganism killers