High Temperature Chain Lubrication with Castrol Viscogen

Chains running through ovens, kilns and stenter frames are one of the harder lubrication problems in industry. Ordinary chain oil does not survive there, and the failure mode is unhelpful: the oil carbonises, the residue builds up in the pin and bush, and the chain stiffens until it damages itself.

Why standard oils fail

At sustained high temperature a mineral oil oxidises and leaves carbon behind. Because chain wear happens inside the pin and bush where you cannot see it, the deposit accumulates out of sight. By the time the chain is visibly stiff, the wear is done.

What a high temperature chain oil does differently

Products such as those in the Viscogen range are formulated to evaporate cleanly rather than leave carbon. That is the key property. The oil is expected to be consumed at temperature, and what matters is what it leaves behind.

Application beats volume

More oil is not better. The lubricant needs to reach the pin and bush, which means applying it to the right point on the chain and giving it time to penetrate before the chain enters the heat. Flooding the outside of the chain wastes product and creates a mess without lubricating anything.

Little and often, applied at the correct point, outperforms occasional heavy application every time.

Food production is a separate case

Where the conveyor runs through a food production line, high temperature performance is not enough on its own. You need an NSF H1 registered product, which means the Optileb range rather than a standard industrial chain oil.

Open gears and heavy duty points

Contact us with your line details and we will quote for drum quantities.

For open gears and heavily loaded slow moving assemblies, Molub-Alloy is the range to look at rather than a chain oil.

Tell us the operating temperature and the chain type and we will confirm the product from the Castrol range.