High-Temperature Oil −40°C to +150°C — PE1116

An oil-impregnated sintered bush is a porous metal skeleton, typically with around 20–25% interconnected porosity, whose voids are saturated with lubricating oil. PE1116 is the fluid that fills those voids. When the shaft turns, frictional heat and the wedging action of rotation draw oil out of the surface pores by capillary action, building a thin hydrodynamic film that separates shaft and bore. Because oil has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the metal matrix, warming during operation pushes additional oil toward the running surface; as the assembly cools and stops, capillary forces and the contracting oil pull the film back into the pore network, so the charge is recycled rather than thrown off. This closed exchange is what lets a correctly impregnated bush run maintenance-free and dry to the touch.

What distinguishes a high-temperature impregnation oil such as PE1116 is its behaviour at the extremes of that thermal cycle. High-temperature impregnation fluids of this class are formulated to hold viscosity and oxidation stability as temperature climbs toward the upper limit, resisting the thinning and dry-out that cause a standard oil to lose its film and the bush to run metal-to-metal. At the cold end, a low pour point keeps the fluid mobile so capillary release still occurs on a sub-zero start, rather than the oil waxing in the pores. The result is a lubricating film that remains present and load-bearing across the whole −40°C to +150°C operating range typical for this material class.

PE1116 is applied by impregnating the porous bush rather than by fitting a part. For a full charge, the most effective method is vacuum impregnation:

• Clean and dry the sintered component first, removing any degraded oil, swarf or solvent residue so only PE1116 occupies the pore network.
• Submerge the bushes in the oil and draw a vacuum to evacuate air from the interconnected porosity; releasing the vacuum then forces oil deep into the pores. Warming the bath to roughly 80–100°C lowers viscosity and speeds penetration.
• Where vacuum equipment is unavailable, a hot soak in PE1116 achieves partial impregnation and is suitable for top-up of bushes that have lost part of their charge in service.
• Allow excess oil to drain and wipe the running surfaces; a correctly impregnated bush feels only slightly oily, with the charge held internally.

Handle as an industrial lubricant: use undiluted, keep containers closed and free of contamination, avoid mixing with other oil grades, and store the sealed 1-litre pack cool and away from direct heat. Press-fitting of the impregnated bush into its housing follows normal sintered-bearing practice and should be done after impregnation, taking care not to over-compress the bore and close the surface porosity.

Choose PE1116 when the sintered bush must run outside the comfortable band of a standard mineral impregnation oil. A conventional mineral charge is economical for general-purpose duty but tends to lose its hydrodynamic film as temperatures climb much above +100°C and can stiffen at sub-zero starts. PE1116, with its specified −40°C to +150°C range and synthetic-class formulation, is the right selection for hot-mounted, hot-process or wide-temperature applications, and for re-impregnating bushes that dried out because their original mineral oil was thermally overtaxed. If the equipment operates only at moderate ambient and never approaches these extremes, a standard-grade impregnation oil may be more cost-effective; specify PE1116 where the temperature span, oxidation stability and reliable cold-start release genuinely justify a high-temperature synthetic fluid.