Lab Certified Lubricants
CIM Lubricants’ laboratory is a well-equipped testing facility, staffed by technically qualified personnel. Its primary objective is to produce high-quality analytical data and conduct elemental analysis using measurements that are accurate, reliable, and fit for the intended purpose.
Our laboratory professionals are fundamental to our success, carefully and meticulously executing all test methods established by international governing bodies.
We believe that our outstanding technical support and service are key to our success, both in the laboratory and in the field. Technical and after-sales support are available from CIM Lubricants.
OUR FOCUS
Our goal is to continually demonstrate technical competence and exceptional service to both existing and potential customers.
With leading technology and support from our experienced lab team, we offer unique, optimized, and competitive solutions for our customers’ challenges, today and in the future.
Why Choose
CIM Lubricants
With our state-of-the-art tribology lab, we guarantee high-performance lubricants designed for longevity and efficiency. Our comprehensive testing procedures, including Stribeck curve analysis and other tribology tests, ensure that our products deliver superior performance in demanding environments.
Lets get technical
Standard Test Method Available
Automatic Pour / Cloud/ Freezing Point Tester
Cold Temperature Performance: Pour Point testing determines the lowest temperature at which our lubricants can flow, crucial for operations in cold environments.
Cloud Point Analysis: This test identifies the temperature at which wax crystals form, ensuring our lubricants remain clear and effective even in the harshest conditions.
Reliable Operation: By guaranteeing performance in cold temperatures, we ensure your machinery runs smoothly no matter where you are.
Compliant Methods: PP: ASTM D6749 / CP: ASTM D7683
Reference Methods: PP: ASTM D97, ISO 3016, JIS K 2269 / CP: ASTM D2500, ISO 3015, JIS K 2269 / FZ: ASTM D2386, ISO 3013, JIS K 2276
Measuring Range: -90 °C to +51 °C (at room temperature of 25 °C )
ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer)
At CIM Lubricants, we use cutting-edge ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry) technology for precise and reliable elemental analysis.
Our SPECTROGREEN DSOI ICP-OES system delivers unparalleled sensitivity and accuracy, ensuring optimal performance in the detection of trace elements and metals in various oil and lubricant samples. This makes it an ideal tool for monitoring wear metals, contaminants, and additive elements in lubricants, critical for maintaining machinery health and performance.
The dual-side-on plasma observation technology enhances detection limits across the full spectral range of 165 to 770 nanometres, providing rapid, accurate results with reduced interference. This feature ensures more efficient laboratory workflows, reducing downtime and increasing productivity.
Key Benefits of CIM Lubricants’ ICP-OES System:
- High sensitivity for trace-level elemental analysis
- Wide spectral range (165 – 770 nm) for comprehensive data
- Fast and efficient processing for high-throughput labs
- Advanced software for precise data interpretation
Standard Methods Supported:
- ASTM D4951
- ASTM D5708
- ASTM D5185
- NF T60-106
- DIN 51363
- DIN 51390-4
- DIN 51399-1
- DIN 51400-10
- DIN 51443-2
- DIN EN 15944
Our ICP-OES technology plays a critical role in ensuring that our lubricants meet and exceed industry standards, providing you with the data and reliability necessary to keep your operations running smoothly.
The Spectro Green ICP-OES with Automated Sample Tray Selector revolutionizes elemental analysis with enhanced speed and accuracy.
Designed for high-throughput labs, this automated system handles large sample volumes with precision, reducing manual intervention and minimizing errors. The tray selector enables seamless, continuous sample processing—perfect for overnight and extended runs.
This automated handling not only accelerates testing time but ensures consistent, reliable results by positioning each sample with exacting accuracy. Ideal for applications like oil and lubricant testing, it detects trace elements and contaminants, streamlining quality control and providing fast, high-quality data.
The ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy) at CIM Lubricants represents a crucial advancement in precision testing for newly formulated products. This cutting-edge technology enables CIM to ensure stringent quality control and consistency in every batch, especially for new formulations requiring accurate elemental composition analysis. ICP-OES is particularly valuable for identifying and quantifying trace metals, contaminants, and additives essential to product performance.
Key Benefits for Newly Formulated Lubricants:
Precision Elemental Analysis: ICP-OES technology enables detailed analysis of metals and additives within lubricants, ensuring formulations meet exact specifications required for optimal engine and machinery performance.
Enhanced Product Quality Control: The ICP-OES detects contaminants and wear metals, providing real-time data to optimize formulations and refine quality. This ensures that new products adhere to CIM’s high standards for purity and reliability.
Additive Verification and Performance Optimization: For new formulations, maintaining accurate levels of additives is essential. ICP-OES ensures the precise blending of anti-wear agents, detergents, and other additives, safeguarding product stability and enhancing lubricant effectiveness in varied applications.
By leveraging ICP-OES, CIM Lubricants accelerates the development of new lubricants with enhanced performance properties. This technology provides reliable data crucial for testing, verifying, and fine-tuning formulations, making it possible to bring advanced products to market faster while maintaining rigorous quality standards.
Viscosity Testing
Multiple parameter measurements from a single syringe.
Peltier temperature control Designed for fast heating/cooling over a wide range (Temperature range -60 °C to +135 °C)• Kinematic viscosity (ASTM D7042)
• EN 16896, DIN 51659-2)
• Viscosity Index (VI) (ASTM D2270)
• Density (EN ISO 12185, ASTM D4052, IP 365)
• Dynamic viscosity (ASTM D7042)
• API grades (ISO 91, API 2540,ASTM D1250, IP 200)
• Saybolt viscosity (ASTM D2161)
Elemental Analysis
CIM Lubricants uses a Rotating Disc Electrode (RDE) Optical Emission Spectrometer (OES), a laser imaging particle analyzer based on Laser Net Fines® technology.
Elemental analysis remains the pre-eminent technology for oil analysis. Its multi-faceted capability to probe contamination, and additives, and quantitatively pinpoint machinery wear is unmatched by any other type of analysis. The key use mode of the technology is for CIM Lubricants chemical engineers must carefully monitor the number of additives in the blend.
Rotating Disc Electrode Optical Emission Spectroscopy (RDE-OES) ASTM D6595. Spectrometers that look at the multitude of spectral lines from heated, or “excited,” samples are called optical emission spectrometers.
Excitation Source:
Introduce energy to the sample.
Optical System:
Separates and resolves the resulting emission from that excitation into its component wavelengths.
Readout System:
Detects and measures the light that has been separated into its component wavelengths by the optical system and presents this information to the operator in a usable fashion.
Particle Counting
- Particle count, size distribution and codes (ISO 4406, NAS 1638, NAVAIR 01-1A-17, SAE AS 4059,GOST, ASTM D6786, HAL and user-defined bins).
- Differentiation of contaminants (silica and fibers) from machine-wear metal.
- Classification of wear particles, image storage, and reporting of particle count and size for Cutting, Sliding, Fatigue, Fibers, and Non-metallics wear types.
- Ferrous content measurement in the sample with ferrous particle count and size distribution.
- Differentiation of large ferrous particles >25 microns from total ferrous particles. Reporting the percentage of large ferrous particles and the ferrous wear severity index for easy trending and interpretation of the ferrous measurements. The disc rotates as the burn proceeds, unmatched by any other type of analysis.
ISO 4406:99 is the reporting standard for fluid cleanliness. According to this standard, a code number is assigned to particle count values derived at three different micron levels: greater than 4 microns, greater than 6 microns, and greater than 14 microns.
Rheometer
CIM Lubricants has heavily invested in its laboratory, with industry-leading equipment. One of our new additions is a Tribology Cell. This is a unique piece of equipment.
We’re calling it: The “unfair advantage”:
Using Tribological test methods, CIM Lubricants is able to compare performance levels from other brands, ensuring that we exceed existing performance levels. Performing these comparisons is vital to ensure that our end users enjoy unsurpassed performance product solutions. It encourages our chemical engineers to blend some of the best shear-stable lubricants.
Rheology measurement methods
A wide variety of rheology analysis methods exist.
Some of the more commonly used measurements
and metrics that we utilize include:
• Viscosity as a function of shear stress
• Viscosity as a function of shear rate
• Viscosity as a function of temperature
• Zero-shear viscosity measurements
• Yield stress and yield strain measurements
• Thixotropic breakdown rate
• Thixotropic recovery rate
• Elasticity under shear measurements
• Structure rigidity, complex, storage, and loss modulus
• Phase angle and tan delta
• Oscillatory stress and strain sweeps
• Oscillatory frequency sweeps
• Oscillatory temperature sweeps and cycles
• Creep and recovery
• Record Stribeck curves
• Determine static friction properties
Tribology Cell at CIM Lubricants
Tribology Cell and Stribeck Curve Analysis for Lubricating Oils and Greases
At CIM Lubricants, we employ advanced tribology testing methods to ensure the highest performance of our lubricating oils and greases. One of our key tools in this process is the MCR Rheometer equipped with a Tribology Cell, which allows us to assess frictional properties and wear performance under various operating conditions.
Stribeck Curves and Their Importance
The Stribeck Curve is a fundamental concept in tribology, illustrating the relationship between friction coefficient and lubrication regimes, ranging from boundary to mixed and hydrodynamic lubrication. By measuring friction across these regimes, we can determine how well a lubricant performs under varying load, speed, and viscosity conditions. This analysis is crucial for selecting the right lubricant for heavy-duty applications, from industrial machinery to automotive engines.
Key Applications for Lubricating Oils and Greases:
- Lubrication Performance: The tribology cell helps identify how oils and greases reduce wear and friction between moving surfaces. We measure the transition points between lubrication regimes to find the optimal product for each application.
- Durability Testing: By simulating extreme pressure and temperature conditions, we evaluate the durability of lubricants in real-world applications like mining, transportation, and manufacturing.
- Energy Efficiency: Stribeck curve testing allows us to determine the viscosity range where lubrication is most effective, improving energy efficiency and reducing operational costs.
ASTM and DIN Standards for Stribeck Curve Testing
To ensure our results meet industry standards, we conduct Stribeck Curve testing according to internationally recognized guidelines. Our testing aligns with the following standards:
ASTM D6425: This standard outline the testing procedures for measuring friction and wear properties of lubricants using a tribometer. It includes methods for evaluating lubricating oils and greases based on their friction coefficient and wear performance, making it closely aligned with the Stribeck Curve analysis.
DIN 51834: The DIN 51834 series describes the tribological behaviour of lubricants under various test conditions using different types of tribometers. These standards provide guidelines for determining friction, wear, and lubrication regimes, which are central to Stribeck Curve analysis.
Both ASTM D6425 and DIN 51834 are used to evaluate the performance of lubricants under real-world conditions. By adhering to these standards, CIM Lubricants ensures accurate, reliable, and consistent results across different lubricant formulations and applications.
Related Tests Conducted with the Tribology Cell
Beyond Stribeck curve analysis, our tribology cell is used for several other essential tests, including:
- Wear Scar Testing: We measure wear resistance of oils and greases under load, ensuring long-lasting protection for components.
- Coefficient of Friction: Our tests measure the precise friction levels between surfaces to optimize performance in both low- and high-load scenarios.
- Film Thickness Measurement: Understanding the film strength of lubricants ensures they maintain a protective layer, reducing metal-to-metal contact, especially in high-speed or high-load applications.
FTIR- Fourier Transform Infrared
• Glycol content in coolants
• Oil contamination
• Anti-wear
• Soot
• Oxidation
• Nitration
• Gasoline (as contamination)
• Diesel (as contamination)
• Water
• Sulphated-by-products
CIM Lubricants FTIR is used for routine and dedicated analytical use and provides accurate, fast results. Offering robust performance in a compact design,
CIM Lubricants FTIR is suitable for extensive quality control measuring that offers both sample identification and quantitation of oils and greases in the market space today.
Penetrometer
CIM Lubricants Penetrometer is used for consistency testing for greases and plasticity determination of pasty, creamy, semi-solid, or highly viscous samples in accordance with NLGI.
Standard Methods:
Needle Penetration:
ASTM D5, EN 1426, JIS K 2207, JIS K 223
Cone Penetration:
ASTM D217, ASTM D937, ASTM D1321, ASTM D1403, ASTM D7342, ISO 2137, EN 13880-2, DIN 51579, European Pharmacopoeia 2.9.9.2.
Flashpoint Tester
Available Methods:
- ASTM D6450 (SHT0768) & D7094.
- Excellent correlation to Pensky Martens Method – ASTM D93, ISO 2719, DIN 51758, IP 34, JIS K 2265
TAG Closed Cup Method – ASTM D56
Abel Closed Cup – ISO 13736, IP 170.
- Excellent correlation to equilibrium and small scale methods EN ISO 3679/3680, ASTM D3828 A/B, IP 523/IP 524.
- Flash / No flash methods.
- Fast screening methods.
- Customized methods for higher flexibility in flash point testing.
Automatic Colour Meter
Tri-Stimulus values from spectroscopy method
Test Methods
- ASTM Colour: ASTM D1500, D6045, ISO 2049.
- Say bolt Colour: ASTM D156, D6045.
- Pt-Co / Hazen Colour: ASTM D1209, D 5386, ISO 6271.
- Gardner Colour: ASTM D1544, ISO 4630.
CCS (Cold-Cranking Simulator)
Cold-Cranking Simulator for measuring apparent viscosity of engine oils from –35 °C to –5 °C.
Produces measurements that meet or exceed the accuracy and precision dictated in ASTM test method D 5293.
SAE J300 and the Role of Cold Cranking Simulator (CCS) Testing:
In SAE J300, the Cold Cranking Simulator (CCS) test is specifically used to measure low-temperature viscosity. This test determines the oil’s “cranking viscosity,” which reflects how easily the oil will flow and lubricate engine components during cold starts. The CCS test results are measured in centipoise (cP) and are used to classify oils into different “W” (winter) grades, such as 0W, 5W, 10W, 15W, 20W, and 25W.
Cold Start Performance Assurance: The CCS test helps ensure that the oil maintains sufficient fluidity at low temperatures, allowing the engine to start reliably and reduce stress on battery and engine components during cold starts.
Engine Protection in Cold Climates: By setting a viscosity limit for each “W” grade, SAE J300 ensures that oils can effectively protect the engine in cold climates. Oils that meet these viscosity limits prevent excessive wear that could otherwise occur if the oil thickens too much in low temperatures.
Automatic Titration system
ASTM D2896:Standard Test Method for Base Number of Petroleum Products by Potentiometric Perchloric Acid Titration
ASTM D664:Standard Test Method for Acid Number of Petroleum Products by Potentiometric Titration
JIS C2101:Testing methods of electrical insulating oils
KF Moisture Titrator
What is a Karl Fischer Moisture Titrator?
A German chemist named ” Karl Fischer ” discovered this method for measuring water content, which has the highest reliability of the various methods.
As one type of titration device that utilizes the alternative reaction of iodine to water, this device titrates the Karl Fischer reagent (iodine) and finds the water content.
Applicable standard:
- JIS K2275
Flender Foam Tester
It has the advantage of corresponding closely to practical conditions.
The Flender foam test yields especially valuable information when
mixtures of different types of oils or impurities cause excessive oil
foaming. It is an internationally recognised test method. Leading gearbox manufacturers insist on proof of a successful Flender foam test for fresh oil before they recommend a gear oil for their drives.
Modern gear oils contain many additives to enable them to achieve the
performance level necessary to provide adequate wear protection. Due
to the use of new types of base oils, and especially due to EP additives,
these oils have an increased tendency to foam formation in use. To
suppress surface foam formation, foam inhibitors are added to the gear oil during manufacturing.
The Flender Foam Test is a specific testing method used primarily by
Flender, a well-known manufacturer of industrial gearboxes and drives,
to assess the foaming tendencies of lubricants used in their gear
systems. However, the Flender method is not universally recognized as
an official ASTM or DIN standard, but rather it is a company-specific
testing procedure.
Discover CIM Lubricants, your premier source for high-performance lubricants and oils engineered to enhance machinery efficiency and extend equipment life across diverse industrial applications.
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Business Hours
Monday to Friday
7:30 – 16:00
Discover CIM Lubricants, your premier source for high-performance lubricants and oils engineered to enhance machinery efficiency and extend equipment life across diverse industrial applications.
Get In Touch
Business Hours
Monday to Friday
7:30 – 16:00
Quick Links
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