42 Lubricating Fluids extend equipment life.

Press Release Summary:



Molykote(R) industrial fluids are made of synthetic fluids and ultra-high purity mineral oils that reduce lubricant consumption, permitting longer drain intervals and extending equipment life. Additives reduce oxidation rates due to elevated pressures and temperatures that can cause premature lubricant breakdown. Fluids are resistant to oxidation and emulsion.



Original Press Release:


42 New Industrial Lubricating Fluids Available From Dow Corning


Molykote(R) Brand Fluids Last Up To Ten Times Longer Than Conventional Lubricants; Part of Total Lubrication Consolidation Program

MIDLAND, MI (February 27, 2002) - Dow Corning has expanded its line of industrial lubricants by adding 42 new fluids that last up to ten times longer than conventional products.

Marketed under the Molykote(R) trade name, the new line of industrial lubricants is comprised of synthetic fluids and ultra-high purity mineral oils that are formulated to help save maintenance costs by reducing lubricant consumption, permitting longer drain intervals and extending equipment life.

The new line of fluids is part of the company's Total Industrial Lubrication Consolidation program, which also includes greases, pastes, anti-friction coatings, and dispersions marketed under the Dow Corning(R) trade name, and an oil analysis service and lubrication management software that together meet the requirements of virtually every plant lubrication need.

The superior performance of Molykote synthetic fluids and ultra-high purity mineral oils is mainly due to a proprietary additives package that significantly reduces oxidation rates due to elevated pressures and temperatures that can cause premature lubricant breakdown. In addition, their special "engineered" chemistry makes them inherently more resistant to oxidation and emulsion than competitive products. As a result, Molykote ultra-high purity mineral oils can outlast conventional lubricants by up to five times, while the synthetic products can last up to ten times longer.

The company explains that whereas most competitive mineral oils are manufactured by refining - a solvent-based process that can retain contaminants from the crude-oil source - Molykote(R) mineral oils are custom engineered at a molecular level to formulate a unique, ultra-high purity base oil that meets target performance specifications. This process also avoids problems associated with conventional solvent-refined mineral oils, which retain contaminants that can lead to acid development and premature aging of the oil.

Molecular reconstruction makes it easier for Dow Corning to tailor lubricant properties to meet customer requirements. And, for even better performance, Dow Corning blends its ultra-high purity mineral oils with powerful synthetic polyalpha olefin (PAO) oils and other synthetics, which are well known for their hydrophobic properties (water shedding). The resulting saturated molecules provide increased resistance to oxygen attack and heat-generating friction.

Synthetic lubricants achieve full lubrication more quickly at start-up, so the Molykote PAO fluids and MO/PAO blends reduce component wear. Furthermore, the synthetic lubricant's resistance to oxidation and other contaminants leads to longer service life, more efficient lubrication and less formation of undesirable by-products in the lubricant. The blends offer lower pour points, more stable viscosity in wider temperature ranges, and even longer service life. In addition, the saturated molecular structure of these unique blends has no receptive sites to attract water, which makes Molykote fluids inherently better able to resist emulsification in high-moisture environments than most competitive lubricants. The resistance to emulsification virtually eliminates problems associated with high-humidity environments where conventional fluids tend to bond to water, which causes oil emulsification and breakdown, resulting in a build up of varnish, sludge and/or deposits.

Molykote fluids are typically used in a wide range of maintenance and repair operations (MRO) in industries such as chemical/petrochemical processing, automotive manufacturing and power generation. The fluids are particularly suited for use in wet processing environments such as the pulp and paper and food processing industries. Molykote(R) fluids provide less misting from vacuum-pump discharge and are low odor. They are ideal for use in the food processing industry as they conform to USDA requirements under H-I or H-2 designations and many are kosher approved.

Total Industrial Fluid Consolidation
The Dow Corning Fluid Consolidation Program offers products and services to meet virtually every plant lubrication need. It is designed to help customers reduce overall maintenance costs, extend equipment life, and simplify the purchasing process by consolidating all lubrication-related purchases with one company.

"This is the world's most complete package of industrial lubricants and related services available," says Jim Stutelberg, Lubrication Channel Manager for Dow Corning. "Other companies offer parts of the package, but none offer one as complete as this one. What makes this point compelling is that by consolidating lubrication purchases, customers can produce better bottom-line results than what is otherwise possible, while at the same time simplifying the purchasing process.

"Our intention is to be the industry leader in industrial lubrication, " he says. "This is the most extensive and most complete package of industrial lubricant supply, services and expertise that is available from a single company. We believe our prospects for success are excellent because it is designed to meet customer demands for significant efficiency improvements and reduced costs than what is otherwise possible."

Longer Lifetime, Reduced Cost
Dow Corning claims longer equipment lifetime will result from better lubricant selection and consolidation, superior lubricant performance, and integrated oil analysis. Reduced overall maintenance cost will result from extension of oil service intervals, longer oil life, and work saved by effectively applying lubrication maintenance scheduling software.

"Consolidating to Dow Corning's lubricant program will also result in savings and management benefits by simplifying the purchasing process," said Stutelberg.

Integrated Oil Analysis. Unlike typical oil analysis programs, the Integrated Oil Analysis Program from Dow Corning contains a proprietary aging marker that tells exactly how Molykote(R) and Dow Corning(R) brand lubricants have aged and, given specific application requirements, precisely when to change them. In addition, the analysis measures seven critical content factors to determine deviations from each product's original content. This helps track wear trends, maximizes product lifetime, and ensures that the right product is used for each application.

Lubrication Management Software. The service offering also includes Lube-It(TM) management software and SurveyView(TM) data base software, which help customers achieve significant savings by enabling them to automate the lubrication management process. This state-of-the-art software tracks and schedules thousands of lubrication operations to ensure accurate, cost-effective maintenance of plant lubrication. It does so by helping customers optimize lubrication routes and schedules, and by keeping records and procedures on every lubrication point in their plant, or multiple plants. In so doing, this software provides lubrication maintenance crews with the critical information they need-when they need it- and in virtually the most reliable, cost-effective manner possible.

The package of Molykote(R) and Dow Corning(R) brand lubricants and services is being implemented as a comprehensive lubricant consolidation program through Dow Corning's channel partners, which have over 3000 field locations.

Dow Corning currently offers more than 7,000 products to customers around the world.

Dow Corning is a global leader in silicon-based materials with shares equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning Incorporated. More than half of Dow Corning's sales are outside the United States. Molykote has been a well-known brand for industrial lubrication throughout Europe and Asia since the 1950s.

For more information about Dow Corning's complete line of Molykote(R) and Dow Corning(R) brand high-performance industrial fluids, lubricants, and product literature, contact www.molykote.com, or call 1-800-637-5377.

(R) Molykote and Dow Corning are registered trademarks of Dow Corning Corporation.

(TM) SURVEYVIEW and LUBE-IT are trademarks of Generation Systems, Inc.

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