Care is required to preserve product quality during storage and handling. Contamination and oil
degradation due to improper or inadequate handling procedures add unnecessary costs to an operation.
The following suggestions are designed to help preserve lubricant quality during storage and handling.

Indoor Storage
Storage temperatures should remain moderate at all times. The storeroom should be located away from
possible sources of airborne contamination such as coke dust, cement dust and similar forms of grit or soot.

The storage building should be kept clean at all times, with regular cleaning schedules being maintained.
This also applies to dispensing equipment.

Contamination and confusion of brands are two key risk factors that must be managed when handling partially full containers and dispensing equipment. Order and organization is critical to success.

Dispensing equipment should bear a label that matches the container from which it was filled. Labels on all equipment and containers should be kept legible at all times.

Drying oils, such as linseed oil, should not be stored in the same store as lubricants. Never use the same dispensing equipment for both detergent oils and rust- and oxidation-inhibited turbine
and hydraulic oils.

Trace contamination of lightly additized industrial oils with detergent engine oils can substantially impair the quality of the industrial oils. Potential performance problems that can result include foaming, filter blocking and emulsion formation.

Never use the same dispensing equipment for oils containing zinc-based additives with those that are zincfree. This is especially important in applications that contain silver components because zinc additives attack silver components.Do not use galvanized containers to transport oil. Many of today’s industrial oils contain additives that can
react with the zinc of the galvanizing to form metal soaps that can clog small oil passages, wicks, etc.

Outdoor Storage
In general, outdoor storage should be avoided. Repeated exposure to water and large temperature changes
increases the risk of contamination or oil degradation.

Shelf Life
The shelf life of a product defines the maximum amount of time a product should be kept in storage before
use. It begins on the date the product is packaged.
Most lubricant-type products will remain suitable for application after the end of the recommended shelf
life, as long as they are stored in accordance with the guidelines given. If the lubricant is stored outside, the shelf life can be reduced.

Some products are known to be less stable than others due to the nature of the components used to blend
them. The shelf life of these products is intentionally shorter. In all cases, procedures should be in place to
ensure lubricants are applied before they reach the end of the recommended shelf life.