Motor Oil Glossary of Terms and Definitions

Please click on the appropriate subheading below to see definitions of all the terms under each subheading...

A - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter A

AAMA (The American Automobile Manufacturers Association)
abel tester
abrasive wear
absolute pressure
absolute viscosity
ACEA (Association des Constructeurs Europeens Automobiles)
acid
acid sludge
acid treating
acidity
additive
additive level
adhesion
adhesive wear (scuffing)
adsorption
AGMA (American Gear Manufacturers Associations)
AIAM
aliphatic
aliphatic hydrocarbon
alkylated aromatic
Almen EP lubricant tester
ANSI
anti-foam agent
antioxidant
anti-seize compound
anti-wear additive
API (American Petroleum Institute)
API Engine Service Classification System
API Gear Lubricant Service Designation
API Gravity
apparent viscosity
arbon residue
ash content
ASLE (American Society of Lubrication Engineers)
asperities
asphaltic
ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials)
ATC
ATIEL
atomization characteristics

B - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter B

barrel
base
base oil
base oil interchangeability
base stock
batch
Bbl
bearing
bench test
blender
blending
bloom
blow-by
boundary lubrication
bright stock
Brookfield viscosity
BTU
bunker fuel oil

C - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter C

C or cent.
C/H Ratio
calorie
calorific value
capillary viscometer
carrier oil
cavitation
Cc
CCMC (Comite des Constructeurs d'Automobile du Marche Commun)
CCR
CCS (Cold Cranking Simulator)
celsius
centigrade
centistoke (cSt)
centrifuge
CFR (Coordinating Fuel and Equipment Research Committee)
channelling
CL (Cleanliness Level)
clarifier
clay filtration
cloud point
CMA (Chemical Manufacturers Association)
COC (Cleveland Open-cupTester)
coking
colloid
color
complex grease
compounded oil
compounding
corrosion
corrosion inhibitor
cp (Centipoise)
cracked
cracking
crankcase oil
CRC (Coordinating Research Council Inc.)
crude oil
cst (Centistoke)
cutter stock

D - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter D

demulsibility
demulsifier
density
DEO
desalter
detergency
detergent
detergent oil
DHD
dielectric strength
diester oil
DIN (Deutsche Industrie Norm)
diolefin
dispersant
distillate
distillation
doctor test
dropping point
dry lubricant

E - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter E

EC & ECII
elastohydrodynamic lubrication
electrolytic process
ELTC
emulsibility
emulsifier
emulsion
energy conserving oil
engine deposits
engine oil
engine test
Engler degree
Engler viscosity
EOLCS (Engine Oil Licensing and Certification System)
EP (Extreme Pressure lubricants)
EP additive
EP agent
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

F - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter F

Fahrenheit
filler
film strength
fire point
flash point
fluidizer
foam inhibitor
foaming
four-ball tester
fraction
fretting
fretting corrosion
friction
FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy)
fuel oil
fuel-economy oil
full-fluid-film lubrication

G - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter G

gear
gear oil
graphite
grease

H - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter H

heat transfer fluid
heavy crude
heavy-duty oil (HD)
Herschel Demulsibility Number
HHV
homogenizer
HVI
hydraulic fluid
hydrocarbon
hydrodynamic (fluid film) lubrication
hydrogenation
hydrometer
hydrotreating
hypoid gear lubricant
hypoid gears

I - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter I

ILMA (The Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association)
ILSAC (The International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee)
inhibitor
IP
ISO (International Standards Organization)
ISO viscosity grade
ISO viscosity classification system

J - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter J

JASO (Japanese Automobile Standards Organization)

K - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter K

kinematic viscosity

L - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter L

light crude
LRI
lubricant
lubricity, lubricities
LVI
LWI (Load Wear Test)

M - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter M

MDO
Mg/L
mineral oil
molybdenum disulfide
MON
monograde
motor oil
motor oil recycling
MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)
Multigrade
MVMA

N - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter N

naphthenes
neutralization number
Newtonian fluid
NFPA
NLGI
NLGI Number
non-Newtonian fluid
normal paraffin
NVMA

O - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter O

octane number
OEM
oil
oiliness agent
OLAP
olefin
OPEC
ORI (Octane Requirement Increase)
oxidation
oxidation inhibitor
oxidation stability
oxidizing agent

P - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter P

paraffin
PCMO (Passenger Car Motor Oils)
penetration
Pensky-Martens
peristaltic pump
petrochemical
petroleum
poise
polar compound
polymer
polymerization
polyol ester
pour point
pour point depressant
pour stability
PPM/ppm
process oil
process stream
PSI
PSIA
PSID
PSIG
pumpability
purifier

R - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter R

R&O (Rust & Oxidation inhibited)
rapeseed oil
reagent
reduced crude oil
reducing agent
Redwood viscosity
refinery
refining
residual fuel oil
RON
rust inhibitor
rust preventive

S - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter S

SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers)
SAPS (Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus and Sulfur)
Saybolt Furol viscosity
SCL
scoring
scuffing
Service Category
Services SJ, SH, SG, SF, SE, SD, SC, SB, SA, CH-4, CG-4, CF, CF-4, CF-2, CE, CD, CDII, CC, CB, CA
shear rate
shear stress
SI (Shear Index)
SIT (Spontaneous Ignition Temperature)
slagging
sludge
sour crude
specifications
SR1
SSF
SSU/SUS
static mixer
STLE (Society of Tribologist and Lubrication Engineers)
stoke
STP
straight-run
stratification
sulfonate
sulfur
sulfur oxide
sweet crude
synergism
synthetic
synthetic oils

T - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter T

tackiness agent
tacky
Tag-Robinson Colorimeter
TAN (Total Acid Number)
TBN (Total Base Number)
thixotropy
Timken EP tester
Timken OK load
topped crude oil
toxic
toxicity
tribo
tribology
TVL

U - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter U

Ubbehohde viscosimeter
used oil

V - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter V

varnish
VI (Viscosity index)
VII (Viscosity Index Improver)
Vis-Breaking
viscometer
viscosity
viscosity-temperature relationship
volatile
volatility

W - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter W

wear
wear inhibitor
worked penetration

Z - motor oil definitions beginning with the letter Z

ZDDP
ZN/P