Tips for storing and handling lubricants

Product quality, performance and shelf life of lubricants and greases  can be significantly influenced by storage and handling. Shelf life represents the time period during which a stored product can be used without quality control checks to verify performance attributes. Poor storage and handling of lubricants can lead to many risks such as changes in performance, shorter shelf life, water and dust contamination, thermal and oxidation degradation and instability of technical specifiactaions of the product. Ultimately, this results in a shorter lifespan for your machinery or even an abrupt breakdown.

If stored indoors, in sealed original unopened packaging under proper conditions (roofed warehouse, stable temperature between +5 and +40°C, no direct sun and other heat source, protected from
sunlight and other heat sources, protected from rain/snow/ice and dust, and kept out of reach of chemical substances), the following maximum storage life can be considered (from the original
production date):

• Brake fluids 2 years
• Screen washing fluids 2 years
• Biodegradable products 2 years 
• Neat cutting oils 2 years
• Heat transfer oils 3 years
• Greases 2 years
• Engine coolants 3 years
• Bearing and circulating oils 5 years
• Slide ways oils 5 years
• Process oils 5 years
• Industrial gear oils 5 years
• Engine oils 5 years
• Air Compressor oils 5 years
• Gas engine oils 5 years
• Marine oils 5 years
• Transmission oils 5 years
• Hydraulic oils 5 years