Abbreviations

AFV
Alternate Fuel Vehicle

API (engine service categories)
Gasoline and diesel engine oil quality levels established jointly by API, SAE, and ASTM, and sometimes called SAE or API/SAE categories; formerly called API Engine Service Classifications.

API (gravity)
A gravity scale established by the American Petroleum Institute and in general use in the petroleum industry, the unit being called “the A.P.I. degree.” This unit is defined in terms of specific gravity as follows: (IMAGE NEEDED)

ASTM D-95 (Distillation method)
A method involving distilling the fluid sample in the presence of a solvent that is miscible in the sample but immiscible in water. The water distilled from the fluid is condensed and segregated in a specially-designed receiving tube or tray graduated to directly indicate the volume of water distilled.

ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid)
Fluid for automatic, hydraulic transmissions in motor vehicles.

Atm
Atmosphere

BS&W
The material which collects in the bottom storage tanks, usually composed of oil, water, and foreign matter. Also called bottoms, or bottom settling and water.

BTU
British thermal unit. The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit.

C or cent.
Centigrade

Cc
Cubic centimeter

CCS (Cold cranking simulator)
An intermediate shear rate viscometer that predicts the ability of an oil to permit a satisfactory cranking speed to be developed in a cold engine.

Cfm
Cubic feet per minute

CID
Commercial item Description used in many cases in lieu of military specification.

Cm
Centimeter

cp (Centipoise)
A unit of absolute viscosity. 1 centipoise = 0.01 poise.

cst (Centistoke)
A unit of kinematics viscosity. 1 centistoke = 0.01 stoke.

COC (Cleveland open-cupTester)
Apparatus used in for the determination of flash and fire points of petroleum products flashing above 175 F, with the exception of fuel oils (ASTM Method D 92)

DEO
Diesel Engine Oil

EC & EC II
Energy Conserving and Energy Conserving II

EP (Extreme Pressure lubricants)
Lubricants that impart to rubbing surfaces the ability to carry appreciably greater loads than would be possible with ordinary lubricants without excessive wear or damage.

FFV
Flexible Fuel Vehicle

FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy)
A test where infrared light absorption is used for assessing levels of soot, sulfates, oxidation, nitro-oxidation, glycol, fuel, and water contaminants.

FZG
A German gear test for evaluating EP properties

GPM
Gallons per minute

hp or HP
Horsepower

HVI
High Viscosity Index, typically from 80 to 110 VI units.

Hz
Hertz (cycles per second)

IFT (Interfacial tension)
The energy per unit area present at the boundary of two immiscible liquids. It is usually expressed in dynes/cm (ASTM Designation D 971.)

ISO (Viscosity grade)
A number indicating the nominal viscosity of an industrial fluid lubricant at 40°C (104°F) as defined by ASTM Standard Viscosity System for Industrial Fluid Lubricants D 2422. Essentially identical to ISO Standard 3448.

Kg
Kilograms

kilo
Thousand

Km
Kilometer

kHz
Thousand Hertz (cycles per second)

log
Logarithm (common)

LVI
Low Viscosity Index, typically below 40 VI units.

LNG
Liquefied Natural Gas

LPG
Liquefied Petroleum Gas

LWI
Load Wear Index

M
Meter

Mega
Million

Micro
Millionth

MIL
Military

Milli
Thousandth

MON
Motor Octane Number

MSDS
Material Safety Data Sheet

OLAP
Oil Labeling Assessment Program

ORI
Octane Requirement Increase

PAPTG
Product Approval Protocol Task Group

PCMO
Passenger Car Motor Oil.
 
PCV (Positive crankcase ventilation)
System for removing blow-by gases from the crankcase and returning them through the carburetor intake manifold to the combustion chamber where the recirculated hydrocarbons are burned. A PC valve controls the flow of gases from the crankcase to reduce hydrocarbon emissions.

pH
Measure of alkalinity or acidity in water and water-containing fluids. pH can be used to determine the corrosion-inhibiting characteristic in water-based fluids. Typically, pH > 8.0 is required to inhibit corrosion of iron and ferrous alloys in water-based fluids.

PSI
Pounds per square inc

PSIA
Pounds per square inch absolute (PSIG + 14.696)

PSID
Pounds per square inch differential.

PSIG
Pounds per square inch gauge (PSIA - 14.696)

P
Pressure - psi

PPM
Parts per million (1/ppm = 0.000001). Generally by weight. 100 ppm = 0.01%; 10,000 ppm = 1%

Q
Flow rate - GPM

QLP
Qualified Product List (Military Listing)

(R+M)/2
Research Octane Number plus Motor Octane Number, divided by 2. Used now as general measure of road octanes of gasoline

R&O
Rust and oxidation-inhibited

RON
Research Octane Number

Rpm
Revolutions per minute

RVP (Vapor Pressure-Reid)
Measure of the pressure of vapor accumulated above a sample of gasoline or other volatile fuel in a standard bomb at 100°F (37.8°C). Used to predict the vapor locking

SCL
A Sulfur, chlorine and lead component extreme pressure additive package once commonly used for automotive type gear lubricants. Has been largely replaced by sulfur/phosphorus materials.
Services SJ, SH, SG, SF, SE, SD, SC, SB, SA, CH-4, CG-4, CF, CF-4, CF-2, CE, CD, CDII, CC, CB, CA
API Service categories

SUS (Viscosity)
Saybolt Universal Seconds (SUS), which is the time in seconds for 60 milliliters of oil to flow through a standard orifice at a given temperature. (ASTM Designation D88-56.)

t
Time in seconds

TAN (Total Acid Number)
The quantity of base, expressed in milligrams of potassium hydroxide, that is required to neutralize all acidic constituents present in 1 gram of sample. (ASTM Designation D 974.)

TBN Total Base Number
The quantity of acid, expressed in terms of the equivalent number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide that is required to neutralize all basic constituents present in 1 gram of sample. (ASTM Designation D 974.)

P
Pressure drop psid

T
Temperature change, Fahrenheit

V
Total volume (gals)

VI (Viscosity index)
A commonly used measure of a fluid’s change of viscosity with temperature. The higher the viscosity index, the smaller the relative change in viscosity with temperature.

µm
Micron micro-meter

ZDDP
An antiwear additive found in many types of hydraulic and lubricating fluids.

Zinc
dialkyldithiophosphate.

Return to top