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In This Issue:

• Up Front: Filters Destroyed, Lesson Learned

• Book Bits: Lubricant Delivery Line Options

• Today's Tip: How Contaminants Affect Additives

• Q & A: Testing New Oil Deliveries

Up Front

Filters Destroyed, Lesson Learned

Recently we tried out a high-capacity element on our paper machine wet end lube system. During the trial, we increased our oil sampling intervals to closely monitor the oil condition and performance of the new filter elements.

With steadily improving particle counts and extended filter change outs, we suddenly encountered an elevated particle count. Resampling confirmed the results. Seeing there was no elevated water content, we suspected that something happened to the filter elements.

Inspection of the filter housing revealed that all three elements had blown apart. A failure investigation showed that on the last filter change, the filter housings were not fully charged. When operations personnel put this housing into service, the outlet isolation valve was opened first, resulting in a high- pressure surge of fluid from the inside of the element out.

Due to our oil analysis program, this incident was caught in a timely manner, avoiding a costly breakdown. As a result we have reviewed and issued a new policy for filter servicing. (Submitted by Dave Maki, St. Mary's Paper Ltd. Thanks Dave!)

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Book Bits

Lubricant Delivery Line Options

From "Lubrication for Industry"

The best material for a lubrication delivery line is steel. In some instances, plastic is a viable alternative. Steel is a little more difficult to work with when installing lube lines, but it rarely requires replacement, unlike copper tubing. Copper is easy to install, but is easily crimp damaged, and suffers from work hardening and line splitting. Copper can also deplete certain additive packages from oil. Flexible hoses should be the hydraulic types utilizing compression fittings.

More information about the book "Lubrication for Industry"

Today's Tip

• Particle contamination in a lubricating or hydraulic system is widely known as one of the most devastating contaminants. One effect of particle contamination that is rarely discussed is additive leaching. Many additives attach to particles and are removed along with the particle by filtration.
  

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Q & A

Testing New Oil Deliveries

"We have just started testing our new bulk oil deliveries. We found one batch of ISO 680 gear oil to be only 522 cSt (at 40 degrees C). One suggestion is that this oil, which is delivered in bulk from a tanker truck, may have been contaminated by diesel fuel during transfer from our local distributor. Are there any oil analysis tests we can use to confirm or deny this theory?"

One of the most obvious tests may be to run a flash point test. Based on the viscosity data you provided, there is likely to be in excess of 2.0 to 2.5 percent by volume of fuel in the oil resulting in a significant reduction in flash point.

At this level, you should also be able to smell a characteristic diesel odor. However, for a more quantitative approach, I would suggest running a gas chromatography (GC) analysis. This test will separate hydrocarbons like fuel and lubricant base oils into different fractions just like the refining process used to refine crude oils. In fact GC is often used to simulate the expected distillation characteristics of different batches of crude oil.

Because 680 gear oil and diesel fuel are so dissimilar in the size of molecules present, the main determining factor in the GC test, you would expect with such a degree of dilution to see a disparate level of light end fractions for the test oil, compared to a typical 680 cSt gear oil.

Mark Barnes, Senior Technical Consultant, Noria Corporation

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