– B –
Babbitt – A soft, white, non-ferrous alloy bearing material composed principally of copper, antimony, tin and lead.
Ball Bearing – An antifriction bearing comprising rolling elements in the form of balls.
Base Stock – A fully refined lube oil, which is a component of lubricant formulations.
Bearing – A support or guide by means of which a moving part such as a shaft or axle is positioned with respect to the other parts of a mechanism.
Bleeding – The tendency of a liquid component to separate from a solid or semi-solid mixture as an oil from a grease.
Block Grease – Generally, a grease of high soap content, which, under normal temperatures is firm to the touch and can be handled in block or stick form.
Bloom – A sheen or fluorescence evident in some petroleum oils when viewed by reflected light.
Boundary Lubrication – A condition of lubrication in which the bulk viscosity characteristics of the lubricant do not apply or in which partial contact takes place between the mating surfaces.
Also refers to a thin film, imperfect, or non-viscous lubrication.
Bright Stock – A term referring to high viscosity lubricating oils which have been refined to make them clear products of good color.
By-Pass Filtration – A system of filtration in which only a portion of the total flow of a circulating fluid system passes through a filter or in which a filter, having its own circulating pump, operates in parallel to the main flow.
