Pour point is the temperature at which a lubricant or fluid will move freely. It is important in materials testing and oil and gas companies pay attention to it for drilling and transportation. Lubricant manufacturers also have concerns. Testing can be done by placing a sample container in a cool environment. Labels may need to provide confirmed operating range and testing information.
Pour point is the temperature above which a lubricant or fluid will move freely under normal conditions. This can be an important characteristic to determine in materials testing. For some types of materials, standardized tests are available to enable manufacturers to consistently determine and report their pour points, and the material may need to meet established specifications before it can be sold. Some products are available in a range of formulations, in which case labeling can provide information about performance under various conditions, including pour point.
Oil and gas companies pay close attention to pour point because it impacts drilling and transportation. If an oil deposit has a high pour point, which usually reflects a high paraffin content, it can be difficult to extract. Drilling crews need oil to flow so they can extract it with drilling rigs. Transportation can also become a problem; in some cases, pipelines must be heated to keep the oil at its pour point and ensure it moves smoothly from oil fields to shipping terminals and other destinations.
Lubricant manufacturers also have concerns in this area. For products such as motor oil, the lubricant may need to operate over a range of temperatures. Technicians don’t want the oil to flow too easily in cold temperatures because it could become too diluted in high temperatures and cause engine problems. They must also consider issues such as handling engines in extreme cold, where sometimes lubricants or entire engine blocks need to be warmed up to keep the equipment operational.
To test the pour point of a material, one simple option is to fill a sample container and place it in a cool environment. When the temperature drops, a technician can periodically tilt the container to see if the material moves. When tipping the container on its side and there is no movement for five minutes, it is evident that the material has dropped just below its pour point. The test team can add several degrees to this temperature to determine operating temperature information for labeling and regulatory purposes; one standard requires testers to add three degrees Celsius to get this measurement.
When materials need to meet specific pour point standards, their labels may need to provide confirmed operating range and testing information. Regulators can request samples of the material to be independently tested, confirming that a company meets specifications. Other materials may not need to meet specific requirements, but still provide this information because it can be helpful to customers.
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