What is viscosity? | Functional Products Inc.

Our Specialty: Viscosity, In All Its Forms

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The Functional Products Inc. team develops and manufactures the polymer technologies that give lubricants and greases their viscosity, viscoelasticity (tack), and flow behavior. We put viscosity in a drum with the handling, pumping, and shear characteristics needed for demanding applications including industrial lubricants, greases, metalworking fluids, personal care products, and paints and coatings. Viscosity is more than a centistoke or centipoise value: it’s how a fluid behaves as it is pumped, poured, sprayed, or exposed to changing temperatures and shear rates.

Viscosity, operating speed, and equipment load are the three primary variables that govern tribology—the science of friction, wear, and lubrication. In greases and semi-fluid products, these properties are often described as consistency or rheology because they determine how a lubricant flows, stays in place, pumps through centralized lubrication systems, and protects moving surfaces. Our high molecular weight tackifiers introduce viscoelasticity, helping lubricants resist fling-off, reduce oil mist, and remain where protection is needed most.

For more than four decades, Functional Products Inc. has developed and manufactured viscosity modifiers, tackifiers, specialty additives, and formulated additive packages for virtually every lubricant market. Our technologies are compatible with mineral oils, PAOs, esters, vegetable oils, biodegradable fluids, silicone oils, water-based systems, and many other specialty base fluids. Supported by in-house laboratory expertise, manufacturing, and responsive technical service, we help customers source multiple formulation components from one technical partner and solve today’s formulation challenges with proven polymer technology.

Learn more about our second passion: Tribology – the study of friction and wear.