Industrial fluids consist of petroleum-based mineral oils, vegetable oils, synthetic fluids or other types of chemicals that have chemical stability and resilience. Industrial fluid or machinery fluid additives improve physical, chemical and electrical characteristics of the components by reducing the friction and wear.

Industrial fluid products also include metalworking fluids, system cleaners, slideway lubricants, industrial gear oils, hydraulic oils, heavy duty fluids and turbine oils. You can use industrial fluids for various applications including heat transfer, lubrication, power transmission, corrosion control and cleaning.

Some important parameters you must consider before buying an industrial fluid are:

1. Application of the industrial fluid
2. Thermophysical properties: temperature, density, specific heat, thermal conductivity, enthalpy and entropy
3. Available categories of the industrial fluids
4. Other properties: solubility, viscosity, compressibility, thermal conductivity and freezing point

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy industrial fluids from a reliable manufacturer

Once you understand your requirements in terms of application of industrial fluids, check out the products available in the market.

I recommend: If you want a heat transfer fluid, check out industrial fluids offered by Paratherm Corporation, a company that provides industrial heat transfer fluids including low temperature liquids, heating and cooling fluids, and high temperature fluids. Shell manufactures a wide array of industrial fluid solutions for a variety of business sectors such as food and beverages, power generation and transmission, metalworking and pulp and paper. Another industrial fluid supplier for hydraulic fluid, turbine oils and paper machine oils is Delta Logistics International.

Buy industrial fluids from reputable distributors and retailers

For your machine fluid requirements, compare different industrial fluids based on their features and prices at websites of reputable industrial distributors or retailers.

I recommend: Acculube Industrial Products is a leading distributor of heat transfer fluids, hydraulic oils, industrial gear oils, compressor oils and turbine oil. AHB Tooling & Machinery distributes different types of machine fluid products such as synthetic, semi-synthetic, soluble oils and straight oils.

Opt for customized industrial fluids from a reputable supplier

If industrial fluids available in the market do not meet your requirements, then you can opt for specialty or customized industrial fluids.

I recommend: Miller Industrial Fluids is a reputable heavy duty fluid supplier for a wide range of applications including automotive components, turbines, food plant machinery, refrigeration and industrial equipment. If you want a customized metalworking fluid for engineering workshops, you can buy it from Callington.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Check the International Standards Organization (ISO) and International Electrochemical Commission (IEC) standards applicable for industrial fluids.
• •  Industrial magnetic fluid contains suspended magnetic particles that become dense when subjected to a magnetic field.