Tacky
A descriptive term applied to lubricating oils and greases which appear particularly sticky or adhesive.

Tag Closed-Cup Tester
An instrument used to determine the flash point of volatile flammable materials flashing below 200°F, as described in ASTM Method D 56.

Thermography
The use of infrared thermography whereby temperatures of a wide variety of targets can be measured remotely and without contact. This is accomplished by measuring the infrared energy radiating from the surface of the target and converting this measurement to an equivalent surface temperature.

Thermal conductivity
Measure of the ability of a solid or liquid to transfer heat.

Thermal stability
Ability of a fuel or lubricant to resist oxidation under high temperature operating conditions.

Thin film lubrication
A condition of lubrication in which the film thickness of the lubricant is such that the friction between the surfaces is determined by the properties of the surfaces as well as by the viscosity of the lubricant.

Thixotropy
That property of a lubricating grease which is manifested by a softening in consistency as a result of shearing followed by a hardening in consistency starting immediately after the shearing is stopped.

Three-body abrasion
A particulate wear process by which particles are pressed between two sliding surfaces.

Thrust Bearing
An axial-load bearing.

Timken EP test
The Timken Extreme Pressure Test is one of many laboratory machines used in determining the load carrying capacities of oils and greases. In this test, a Timken bearing cup is rotated against a steel block. The highest load under which a lubricant prevents scoring of the steel block by the rotating cup is the reported value.

Timken OK Load
The heaviest load that a test lubricant will sustain without scoring the test block in the Timken Test procedures, ASTM Methods D 2509 (greases) and D 2782 (oils).

Tribology
The science and technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion, including the study of lubrication, friction and wear. Tribological wear is wear that occurs as a result of relative motion at the surface.

Turbidity
The degree of opacity of a fluid.

Turbulent flow sampler
A sampler that contains a flow path in which turbulence is induced in the main stream by abruptly changing the direction of the fluid.


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