The Hidden Dangers of Topping Up Your Lube Oil

Synthetic lubricants were born out of a need for better lubricating properties, and the unavailability of crude oil in Germany. Aviation was the first application for synthetic lubricants, as they are superior to mineral oils at cold start up and cold climates. Synthetic oils have a higher Viscosity Index, offering better viscosity stability at varying temperatures. Group IV synthetic oils are man-made from PAO’s (polyalphaolefins) and Group V oils are made up of polyesters, phosphate esters, di-esters, alkylated benzenes and other synthetic molecules.

Another way of comparing the various refinement of oil is to compare the oil to a fluid with balls of varying sizes in suspension. The lower the Group level of oil, the greater variety of ball size and shapes (which represent the types of molecules). Group 1 oils will have millions of differing atomic compounds (molecules) making up the oil. As the oil is refined, the oil is more uniform and the ‘balls’ are the same size. Synthetic oils have only one size ball.
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Has your Lubricating Oil got Gas?

Entrained gas can reduce your oil lubrication effectiveness by up to 80%

Entrained gas reduces the efficiency of your lube oil, which can have negative consequences on the machinery it is supposed to be lubricating. This can range from minor consequences up to devastating effects.  The longer it’s left, the worse the consequences.

But first, here is a description of the problem - this is about fluid aeration, it happens at high temperature and compression rates, when the lubricating oil in your equipment comes into contact with gas, bubbles form in the lube oil. When oil is aerated, it won’t give a full film, leaving sensitive components unlubricated, causing extremely premature wear rates or catastrophic failure. 

Electrophysical Separation Process

Before you open a bottle of Coke or beer there are no visible bubbles, this is dissolved gas.  When you open the bottle you see tiny bubbles in suspension - this is entrained gas.  The same as in your oil.

There are several situations when this can occur even in closed loop systems.

Return lines where oil ‘plunges’ into the tank under gravity or pressure.

Hydraulic systems under suction resistance.

When process gas comes into contact with your oil.

Sudden pressure drops.

What are the effects? Machinery operating with entrained gas in its lube oil has the same effect as oil starvation as your lube oil is just not lubricating all of the area it was designed to.  When gases in oil are compressed (eg. rolling element bearings, gear teeth and hydraulics) oil temperatures rise causing other issues and concerns.  If left unchecked, the result is increased wear in sensitive and expensive components. The lubricating oil will suffer a marked degradation in quality, enabling catalysts to deplete antioxidants and other additive packages, raising varnish potential which, in turn, can decrease tolerances and cause sticking valves (the list goes on!).  Entrained gas will also dilute the viscosity of the oil, falling outside of its design specification for the given application. Entrained gas also creates cavitation. This is caused when the pressure of the dissolved gas is higher than the fluid.  When this happens the bubbles can collapse, which degrades the quality of the oil.  It is also often the source of increased high-frequency vibrations and noise… plus it can cause direct damage to equipment. Finally, entrained gas in lube oil can reduce thermal conductivity, increase erosion, and decrease the efficiency of pumps. Your solution to restore your lubricating oil: Simple bubble removers can be effective on highly aerated systems and work like mini centrifuges to spin the gas and bubbles into the middle of the vortex and then remove them.  However, to remove 100% of entrained gas and 90% of dissolved gas you need vacuum dehydration. Vacuum dehydration or VDOPS is ideally a six stage process with the added benefit of removing moisture and dirt as well as the gas.  The oil is passed through a vacuum chamber at an elevated temperature, above 66˚C is ideal for most oils for moisture or gas removal to separate the oil from water vapour and process gas.  The resulting lube oil is almost completely free from gas and ready for service. Oil purification systems Australia Bulk Particle Removal – The first stage of the process, where large particles are removed by a 10µm or greater filtration element. (Element selection differs with viscosity). Temperature and Viscosity Adjustment- The oil is heated to above 66˚C, which lowers the viscosity for higher flow and processing rates, and allows for vacuum dehydration to occur. Vacuum Chamber - is where the heated oil is exposed to vacuum, where gas is removed, and water evaporated. Fine Filtration – Using absolute β1000 pleated microglass filtration media, particles as small as 2 micron can be removed (dirt, scale, rust, wear metal, silica, etc). Multi pass procedure - Used to maximise the results, five passes are often used to achieve the targets of 100 percent entrained gas removal, and 90 percent dissolved gas removal. Additive blending – If available, this is an optional restorative process which returns the lube oil to an as-new, or higher specification, as required. If you would like further information on this article or others, please let me know or visit our website.

Clean Lube Oil Increases the Life of Rotational Equipment

Lubrication oil cleanliness is probably the single most important factor determining your rotational equipment longevity.

The British Hydromechanics Research Association (BHRA) conducted a three year controlled “field” study of 117 hydraulic machines.  The field trial was established with the sole purpose of correlating fluid cleanliness to breakdown frequency.  The results published are extremely compelling and worthwhile heeding.

You would assume that operating machinery within oil cleanliness specifications should assure that the life of the equipment is reasonable, R&M is fair and downtime minimised.  But what if the lube circuit oil is maintained at several levels of cleanliness above the norm?  The answer is surprising and the BHRA study shows that based on a datum of ISO 18/15 oil that oil that is two grades ‘cleaner’ will outperform the datum oil by 1.8x reliability based on breakdowns.  If the oil is running dirtier at ISO 22/19 then breakdowns are far more frequent and more than twice as problematic.

The chart also shows that the new ‘clean’ oil received from a supplier is typically ISO 21/18, and potentially harmful to your machinery if not polished before first use. 

If you suffer an event that compromises the cleanliness of your oil contact BioKem and seek advice as the oil can be recovered, dehydrated, filtered and polished so that it exceeds a new oil spec … a cheaper and possibly quicker solution than ordering new oil.

Research

In the 1990’s Nippon Steel implemented a hydraulic system contamination control program plant-wide, involving both improved filtration and rigorous fluid cleanliness monitoring, and pump replacement frequencies were reduced to one fifth and the cumulative frequency of all tribological failures (i.e., failures relating to wear and contamination) were reduced to one tenth.

Kawasaki Steel also implemented a similar oil contamination control program and almost achieved a 97% reduction in hydraulic component failures. Such claims as these spurred the British Hydromechanics Research Association (BHRA) and the U.S. Navy to conduct their own controlled studies to substantiate benefits of proactive contamination.

The BHRA study covered a three-year period and was based on the carefully monitored field experience of 117 hydraulic machines across various categories (i.e., injection moulding, machine tools, material handling, mobile/construction, marine, metal working, test stands, and miscellaneous). The results of the study showed a dramatic relationship between fluid contamination levels and service life.  Improved system cleanliness achieved extended actual mean time between failures (MTBF) from 10 to 50 times, depending on cleanliness.  A study by the Naval Air Development Centre in Warminster, Pennsylvania performed on aircraft hydraulic pumps showed nearly a 4-fold wear-life extension with a 66 percent improvement in filtration and a 13-fold wear-life extension with a 93 percent improvement in filtration. Solution

BioKem has the equipment to perform on-site oil purification to rectify post-event lubrication circuit contamination without discarding the oil and installation of conditioning vacuum dehydration equipment running kidney loop filtration.  BioKem can also presecribe and supply static solutions to resolve chronic oil cleanliness concerns.  Should you require a professional service to filter or HOF your circuitry, spools, coolers, lube tanks, manifolds then contact BioKem Oil Services.

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Copper Concentrator - SAG& Ball Mill Case Study

The Problem

Our client experienced a significant water and debris contamination event in theFixedBearing circuit of the SAG Mill.  The mill was immediately shut downto avoid bearing damage and the contaminated oil was removed and new then oil introduced.  Even so, there was concern that the circuits still had potentially harmful debris and moisture present. 

The lubricant removed was very dirty and saturated with water to 5000ppm, a level of contamination that high would normally mean disposal/total loss, at a cost of $20,000.

Lost production downtime at this mill is circa $1,000 per minute of downtime as the two mills run in series potentially affecting other operations.

BioKem’s mobile VDOPS, on site and operational within hours of arrival, and conforming to all site requirements.

 The Challenge

The rapid response solution was to firstly remove residual water and particulate contamination in the in-service SAG fixed bearing lube tank followed by cleaning and polishing of the bulk contaminated oil.  All tasks were completed in an urgent timeframe to mitigate any potential damage to the gearbox and trunnions.

Working with ISO 460 oil requiredraising the temperature from operating temp of 47°C to >70°C to lower the viscosity to a workable 100cSt or less.

Filtration was to be conducted on in-service oil by way of kidney bypass to the required standard in a reasonable timeframe.  Access restrictions added to the complexity of the job.

Solution

After initial contact and a phone consultation, BioKem mobilised the 50GPM Vacuum Dehydration Oil Purification System (VDOPS) asset and engineering team to the remote site in Queensland immediately.  Site inductions, JSEA and documentation were completed and BioKem were on site with all equipment within 30 hours.

The Mobile VDOPS is equipped with 2 x 32 kW heaters, capable of heating 100L/min of this gear oil to 80°C, and drawing over 20” Hg of vacuum, for the most efficient moisture dehydration and viscosity adjustments, without risk of damaging the oil further.

The VDOPS is capable of moisture removal and dissolved gases to below 50ppm, and ISO 4406 cleanliness to 13/12/10, with a β1000, 2.5 micron filtration.Equipped with 4m, 6m, and 12m hoses, we can access the most challenging locations. With 8 drain points and a pressurised flushing system, we ensure no cross contamination from previous jobs between different tanks and lubricants.

Fitted with 2” Camlocks, Plugs & Caps for quick installation and adhering to a ‘NO SPILL’ policy.

To keep downtime and revenue losses to a minimum, BioKem has developed operational procedures and reporting systems, that maximiseefficiency and professionalism, setting the industry standard.

In this case BioKem’s VDOPS not only purified the contaminated oil, but also polished other in-service oil whilst the asset was available, offsetting the cost of having BioKem onsite for the event and saving the customer money.

Purification Tasks

1.      SAG Mill Fixed Bearing Tank                                  6,000 L

2.      SAG Mill Floating Bearing Tank                              4,500 L

3.      Outside Bulk Tank                                                   5,000 L

4.      Polishing SAG Mill Floating Tank                           4,500 L

5.      Ball Mill Floating Bearing Tank                              4,500 L

       Total Oil Purification Completed                         24,500 L

1. SAG Mill Fixed Bearing Circuit Tank 6000L

Starting ISO:                            21/21/17 (out of spec)

After Purification ISO:     16/15/12

Water Content:               Not tested at start

Water Content after:      <50ppm

VDOPS Purifying Time:  26.9 Hrs

Comment: Client had sensibly drained the contaminated oil and deployed a small centrifuge that helped.  VDOPS further reduced the moisture and significant larger debris was captured as shown. 

2. SAG Mill Floating Bearing Circuit Tank 4500L

Comment:  Filtration was commenced on this oil however the oil did not respond normally.  It had a very dark appearance and smelled ‘burnt’.  A sample was taken and this oil displayed a ‘cake of fines’. 

Action:  Client was advised to go offline drain this tank as this contamination will cause significant wear.

A cake of fines is a very high concentration of silt size particles and/or additive pack ingredients that build up on the patch membrane obscuring all other contaminants.  If the additive package breaks down in this way and drops out of solution it is no longer performing its intended function.  The oil that was removed was dehydrated and left to be filtered over the next two weeks with depth filter media to remove these sub-micron contaminants.  Afterwards an additive pack will be needed to restore this oil.

3.     Outside Bulk Tank 5000L

Operating outside and beyond ISO 4406 spec

Starting ISO:                            23/22/17 (out of spec)

After Purification ISO:     21/17/15

Water Content:               5000ppm (out of spec!)

Water Content after:      100ppm

VDOPS Purifying Time:   20.3 Hrs

Comments: A huge 25L of water was removed and lubricant could then be returned to service.  The image shows the VDOPS collection chamber extracting water from the emulsified oil. No free water was present.

Summary

In total 24,500L of oil was purified to better than target specification in 114.2 Hrs.

The outcome was returning the plant to operation with a minimum of downtime and without discarding any lubricant resources and associated costs.  The client was so impressed with our response service and professionalism; they have requested a regular 90 day service agreement to manage the oil cleanliness.

Job#	Vol	ISO 4406 Start*	ISO 4406 Finish*	Hrs	Note
1  SAG Mill Fixed	6,000L	20.19.16	16.15.12	26.9	Excellent improvement in ISO4406
2  SAG Mill Floating	4,500L	-	-	33.5	Clean, however sub-micron ‘cake of fines’ still present
3  Bulk Tank	5,000L	23.22.17	20.19.16	20.3	Highly emulsified oil, 25L of water removed
4  SAG Mill Floating Polish	4,500L	20.19.16	-	12.3	Low level fines residue – visually OK
5  Ball Mill Floating	4,500L	23.22.17	Await result	21.2	Oil was dry, however anticipate significant improvement in cleanliness.
TOTAL	24,500L	-	-	114.2

Photo Essay

Comparison of SAG Floating oil contaminated with ‘cake of fines’ (Left) darker pigment compared to SAG Fixed in-service oil after VDOPS has cleaned it (Right).

Zero Spill Policy & Procedures

Advantage of pre-filtering the oil before the high value glass fibre filter is subjected to this level of contamination!

Graph of how the ISO 4406 cleanliness will saw tooth with the proposed deep filtration cycle over a rolling 90 days.  The redline is the upper allowable limit.

Redundant Technology was onsite, deemed unsuitable and mothballed

BIOKEM OIL SERVICES OIL PURIFIER

VACUUM DEHYDRATOR OIL PURIFICATION SYSTEMS (VDOPS)

The harmful effects of particulate and moisture contamination in hydraulic and lubrication oils have been well documented. By maintaining absolute fluid cleanliness, end-users can dramatically increase the life of critical wear components on rotational equipment, minimizing downtime and maximizing profitability.

BioKem Oil Services deploys class leading Best Practice vacuum dehydrators to sites across Australia.  Designed in the USA, our purpose built units are engineered to maximize water extraction rates of our oil purifiers, and use top-quality components and workmanship ensure years of maintenance-free operation and performance.  Our equipment is available as a comprehensive solution with operators for daytime or 24 hr operations, for lease and rental, or for purchase. 

PERFORMANCE

·         Flow Rates Range up to 50 GPM (190L/min) or Higher

·         Water Removal  Achieve Overall Water Content As Low As 20 PPM In Multi-Pass By Removing Free, Emulsified, and Dissolved Water

·         Particulate Removal  Achieve Particle Counts As Low As ISO 4406: 14/12/9 NAS 5 with High Efficiency Pleated Microglass Filter Elements Rated Beta(c)>1000 per ISO 16889

·         Entrained Air and Gas Removal  Degassing via Vacuum Distillation

·         Acid Removal  Can Be Equipped With Fullers Earth or Activated Alumina Cartridges To Neutralize Acid and Lower TAN

·         Varnish Removal Can Be Equipped With Ion Charged Bonding Cartridges To Remove Insoluble Varnish

DESIGNED FOR USE ON

·         Hydraulic Oil

·         Turbine Oil

·         Lubrication Oil

·         Gear Oil (ISO VG 220 - 680)

·         Transformer Oil

·         Diesel Fuel

·         Phosphate Ester (Fyrquel EHC Fluid)

·         PAO Fluid

OPTIONAL FEATURES

·         Inline Digital Particle Monitor

·         Inline Digital Moisture Indicator

·         NEMA 7 Explosion Proof Components

·         Stainless Steel Wetted Parts

·         4-Point Lifting Lug Cage Structure

STANDARD FEATURES

·         Permanent Dispersion Media Inside Vacuum Tower - maximizes water extraction rates, eliminates the need for costly replacement of coalescer filter elements, and enables the system to operate effectively on high viscosity gear oils.

·         Variable Frequency Drive - enables operator to dial in the optimal flow rate, and enhances the system overall performance during cold start-ups, on higher viscosity oils, or when a restricted inlet condition exists.

·         Claw-Style Vacuum Pump - pulls deeper vacuum, higher CFM, and requires much less maintenance than other conventional vacuum pumps.

·         Single Utility – requires 3 Phase electric service only.

·         System View Windows - enables operator to observe system operation and performance.

·         Plugged Filter Indicator Light - positive indication when the particulate removal filter element is plugged and needs to be changed.

BIOKEM OIL SERVICES