What makes the difference in lubricity of machine oil or grease vs something like olive oil?

Question

Of course stickiness can be a factor, but I’m curious about how the substances differ to make one more slippery than the other?

In: 3

Answer 1

There are 2 main factors that determine how well a certain lubrication works.

1. Viscosity. This is the measure of how well a liquid flows. Typical liquids like water have extremely high viscosity levels while substances like molasses and honey have very low viscosities. All oils/lubes have lower viscosity than water, that way it doesn’t just run off your hand/machine/whatever it is applied to.
2. Hydrophobicity. This deals with how compounds react when exposed to water. The more hydrophobic a compound is, the more it avoids water on contact. This partly explains why some oils are difficult to was away.