Excellent flight control

Low-viscosity naphthenic base oils are ideal for blending high-performance, low temperature adapted hydraulic fluids for aircraft. NYNAS® NS 3 and NYNAS® S 3B display ultra-low base oil viscosity even at temperatures as low as -54°C.

Virtually all aeroplanes have hydraulic systems. Large, complex aircraft use hydraulics to move and actuate landing gear, flaps, brakes, flight controls, spoilers, thrust reversers and many other components.

A hydraulic system consists largely of the hydraulic fluid and three mechanical components. These are the hydraulic pump, the hydraulically powered motor and the “plumbing”, which contains and channels the fluid throughout the aircraft. The hydraulic fluid is used to transmit energy throughout the system.

Given the operating pressure (3,000 to 5,000 psi), the environmental conditions and strict safety criteria, the fluid must have high flash and boiling points, a low freezing point and maintain a stable viscosity at a wide range of temperatures. It must also have cooling, lubricating and anti-corrosion properties.

“Low-viscosity naphthenic base oils are ideal for blending high-performance, low temperature adapted hydraulic fluids for aircraft. NYNAS® NS 3 and NYNAS® S 3B display ultra-low base oil viscosity even at temperatures as low as -54°C,” says Thomas Norrby, Technical Manager Nynas Naphthenics.

“These ultra-low viscosity naphthenic base oils have low temperature properties rivalling polyalphaolefin (PAO) while also having much better solvency. So combining naphthenics and PAO is a cost-effective route to achieve the desired high-performance products.”

Aviation hydraulic fluids based on these products meet both civil and military fluid specifications.

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