What is pour point

Oil or synthetic muds with high pour points may suffer from poor screening and excessive pressure surges in deepwater wells or other operations subject to low temperatures. In oils, the pour point is generally increased by a high paraffin content. The pour point of liquid additives is an important consideration for arctic drilling operations. See: cuttings , diesel-oil mud , oil mud , paraffinic hydrocarbon. The temperature at which a fluid ceases to pour.

Featured Videos. Atten2 S Oil Wear 2. Featured Whitepapers. Does water ingress have to be the end of your oil's life? Neural Network Detection of Machine Faults. Cement Industry Contamination Solutions.

Buyer's Guide. Oil Analysis Laboratories. Oil Analysis Instruments. Additives such as pour point improvers paraffin-alkylated naphthalenes and phenols as well as polymethacrylates can additionally reduce the pour point of a lubricant.

These delay the contraction of the paraffin crystals. The term "pour point" is often mistakenly equated with the term "solidification point". However, the solidification point describes the temperature that an oil must reach in order to solidify completely.

The oil on the left has already reached the solidification point because it no longer runs out of the bottle. The oil on the right is still flowing despite the frost.

After each stage, the oil sample is tilted horizontally. As long as the oil is still flowing, the sample is further cooled down. Only when the oil no longer moves the pour point is determined.

The pour point is then the second to last temperature step, since the last is noted as the solidification point. The pour point of oil allows only limited statements about its behaviour at cold temperatures. The actual viscosity at certain temperatures is a better indication of the usability of the oil. Classic automotive engine oils operate at a limit pump temperature.