Creep Oil
About Creep Oil
Once in a while, you come across a stubborn nut. There are a few options to loosen them up. You can hammer them or try to use your strength on them and see if they will budge. But if you have a penetrating oil, it can be so much easier to deal with.
Penetrating oils are a rare breed. While most lubricating oils are thick and have high viscosity, these oils can flow through tiny gaps because of their low surface energy and low viscosity. They can even displace moisture and rust from even tiny cracks on metal surfaces. They might not be a good general-purpose lubricant, but they can help you unwind a bolt or two. The best part is that you don’t have to submerge the rusted part in it as you do with other rust removers. With a penetrating oil, do a little spraying, and you are good to go. But before you go shopping for them, knowing more about them will help you make better purchasing decisions. This article will tell you all about them.
Everything you need to know about penetrating oils
If you can fix a noisy suspension in your car almost free of cost, why would you ever bother to summon a professional repair person? If you have just the basic tools and the know-how of the mechanical parts, you can solve a lot of the problems in your car and house. And a bottle of penetrating oil is an inevitable item in a versatile toolbox. Read on to know more about how to use them. Like everything, there are also dos and don’ts when it comes to using these amazing oils. In this article, you will also find some amazing tips that you can use while you are shopping for them.
What makes up penetrating oils
Apart from their name, these oils have very little to do with oil at all. They are usually a mixture of several different chemicals that combine to form a very low viscous liquid. The major components of all penetrating oils are zine dialkyl, thiophosphate, alkyl succinic acid, lower alkylbenzenes, dibutyl-p-cresol, etc. Usually, paraffin bright forms the base that holds these chemicals and also acts as the main lubricant. This base oil is specially treated to lower its viscosity and thus increase its penetrating power. There will be additional additives depending on the use of oil. For example, some of them use butane gas to make them sprayable.
Uses of penetrating oils
People often use penetrating oils as quick fixes in household objects, automobiles and industrial applications. They can get inside the joints in no time and fix noisy hinges, machine parts or vehicle suspensions. Even though there are other far better products when it comes to lubricating alone, penetrating oils still beat them all when it comes to fast action. It’s because they can do three things at the same time: moisture displacement, surface protection, and lubrication. The moisture displacement property of penetrating oils makes them good at protecting metal parts from corrosion.
Penetrating oils for rust
Corrosion is the most dangerous enemy of metal tools and machinery. Therefore, there is a high demand for products that can slow down the corrosive effect of humidity and salt. Some oils have special additives that help them inhibit corrosion. Although they might not completely eliminate corrosion, they do minimise its effect. Corrosion inhibitors work by sticking onto metal surfaces using electrostatic force. Because it is not possible to dissolve corrosion inhibitors in penetrating oils in large quantities, these additives should work even when they are in low concentrations.
Types of penetrating oils
You will come across two types of penetrating oils in the market: micro dispersant penetrating oils and straight oils. The former is what you want to use in electrical equipment and high-temperature machinery. They are very fire resistant. Straight oils are just the opposite of that. Except for the fact that they are highly flammable, they are a great option for lubricating mechanical parts. Straight oils have minerals, or petroleum oils have their base. The base will be emulsified with water to form the oil. Because of this, the water content will be higher in them as compared to micro dispersant oils.
Tips on how to buy Penetrating Oil Online
There are a lot of different penetrating oils in the market. The thing about them is that if you don’t have the right kind of product, they are as useful as a chocolate fireguard. Moreover, it can be quite tricky to find the right one because there are a few factors to consider. Following these tips will help you find the right product for your purpose.
- Flashpoint – This is the temperature at which the vapour from the oil can catch fire. Compared to other industrial lubricants, the flashpoints of most penetrating oils are too low. Therefore, you should not use regular penetrating oils in electrical applications and heavy machinery. There are synthetic fluids penetrating oil substitutes that are suitable for high-temperature applications.
- Dielectric strength – When you use the oil in high voltage applications, you need to consider its dielectric strength of it. If the dielectric strength of penetrating oil is more, it means that the oil can resist the flow of electric current to a higher degree.
- Moisture displacement – For the oil to work in deep and narrow crevices of the metal parts, the moisture displacement quality of the oil should be high. The less surface energy an oil has, the better it will be at displacing water. The oil should be able to move beneath the moisture layer on the metal surface to work on them.
- Foaming – The amount of foam you will get out of a lubricating oil varies greatly. Some oils won’t produce any foam at all, while others add a thick layer of foam on the surface. You will also find oils that have medium foaming properties. This depends on the application. For example, you should not use a foaming spray on a heat sink as the foam will act as an insulator.
Penetrating oils are an example of a car care product that is a jack of all trades. They are highly versatile. You can use them for rusted lubricating bolts and machine parts, removing the squeaky noise from door hinges, and whatnot. Also, don’t forget to check out other amazing products from the car supplies category. Amongst the leading brands you can choose from here on our product search engine include WD-40, Kanolabs, Loctite, Ambersil, and Den Braven.
Question & Answer
Are penetrating oils flammable?
Although all penetrating oils are flammable, all oils do not have the same flammability. Some are extremely flammable, while there are oils that you can use even in high-temperature applications. Oils that come in aerosol cans are extremely flammable. Therefore, you should not use them in hot places or inside electrical equipment. Straight oils or oils that have very little water content in them are highly flammable. While they are a good lubricant and corrosion inhibitor in mechanical machinery, they are not good against heat and electricity. If you are looking for a less flammable option, there are soluble oils that have a high water content in them.
Can you use penetrating oils for cleaning?
Apart from cutting through rust and moisture, most of the penetrating oils in the market can work on mild grease and oily layers as well. But you will need to use a lot of it on a surface to clean them. After spraying a generous amount of it, simply use a steel brush or steel wool to get the grease or tar off. Leave it like that for a few minutes before wiping the surface with a clean cloth. Because the manufacturers of penetrating oil are trying to increase the utility of their product, they have been coming up with better cleaning agents recently.
What is the difference between a penetrating oil and a rust buster?
The difference between the two is in the way they are meant to be used. Products like WD-40 and JB-80, which are more popular among household users, are basically penetrating oils. They come in aerosol cans to make them easier to use. They are good at loosening tight nuts and bolts. On the other hand, rust busters are formulas for removing rust from metal surfaces. They are not as good as penetrating oils when it comes to lubricating. So, to fix metal parts with heavy rusting, you need to use them both. After removing the rust with a rust buster, you should use penetrating oil to lubricate them.