ASHRAE GUIDELINE 40

Abstract

Scope: Application. This guideline applies to lubricants used or proposed as compressor lubricants in refrigeration systems. Test Methods. This guideline provides recognized test methods to a. describe a specific class of refrigeration lubricant without the use of commercial designations, b. describe the molecular structure for various classes of refrigeration lubricants, and c. define the critical properties needed to describe a refrigeration lubricant using recognized test procedures. Limits. This guideline is not intended to define refrigeration oil quality through the establishment of test specifications or requirements. In addition, performance tests intended to measure quality have been excluded from this guideline. PURPOSE The purpose of this guideline is to describe lubricants used in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems based on molecular structure, physical properties, and chemical properties. Because the properties of generically similar lubricants can vary significantly depending on source of formulation, terms such as “refrigeration lubricant” have little meaning in defining such materials. This guideline defines those properties critical to the precise identification of refrigeration lubricants, along with recognized test procedures for the determination of these properties.