Degradation 3 – Thermal Degradation

Thermal degradation is one of the most common and severe forms of lubricant failure, leading to the formation of harmful byproducts such as sludge, varnish, carbon deposits, and acidic compounds. Excessive heat can cause lubricants to oxidize, break down chemically, and lose their protective properties, resulting in increased wear, equipment failure, and costly downtime.

This course provides an in-depth exploration of thermal degradation mechanisms, how to detect early warning signs, and best practices for preventing lubricant breakdown under high-temperature conditions. Participants will learn about the various causes of thermal degradation, including excessive operating temperatures, local heat concentration, and the effects of contaminants such as air and combustion byproducts. The course covers key thermal failure phenomena such as nitration, microdieseling, electrostatic discharge (ESD), and hot wall carbonization, equipping maintenance professionals with the knowledge to identify, mitigate, and prevent thermal degradation in lubrication systems.

Designed for maintenance professionals, lubrication engineers, and reliability specialists, this course helps participants develop proactive strategies to improve lubricant life, enhance equipment performance, and prevent costly failures due to heat-related oil degradation.

Course Modules:
Degradation 03 01 – Thermal Failure Concepts
Understand the fundamental mechanisms of thermal degradation, how excessive heat affects lubricant chemistry, and why temperature control is critical for lubrication system performance.

Degradation 03 02 – Signs of Thermal Failure
Learn how to identify the early warning signs of thermal degradation, including changes in viscosity, darkening of oil, sludge formation, varnish deposits, and increased acid number.

Degradation 03 03 – Nitration
Explore how high-temperature combustion environments contribute to oil nitration, its impact on lubricant properties, and strategies for minimizing nitration in gas and diesel engines.

Degradation 03 04 – MicroDieseling
Understand the phenomenon of microdieseling, where air bubbles rapidly compress and ignite in lubrication systems, leading to localized oil breakdown, soot formation, and varnish deposits.

Degradation 03 05 – Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)
Examine how electrostatic charge buildup in lubrication systems can cause oil degradation, the role of filtration in ESD generation, and best practices for mitigating its effects.

Degradation 03 06 – Hot Wall Carbonization
Learn how hot surface deposits form due to excessive localized heating, their impact on lubrication system performance, and methods for preventing carbon buildup in high-temperature environments.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Recognize the key mechanisms of thermal degradation and their impact on lubricant performance.
• Identify early signs of lubricant thermal failure through oil analysis and system monitoring.
• Understand how high temperatures lead to chemical reactions such as nitration and microdieseling.
• Learn best practices for mitigating thermal degradation through temperature control, filtration, and oil selection.
• Develop proactive maintenance strategies to extend lubricant life and improve system reliability.

This course is ideal for reliability engineers, lubrication technicians, and maintenance professionals who want to improve their understanding of thermal degradation in lubrication systems. By mastering thermal failure detection and prevention techniques, participants will be able to extend lubricant service life, reduce unscheduled downtime, and enhance equipment efficiency.