From "Machinery Failure Analysis and Troubleshooting"

In the past two decades the benefits of oil purification have been viewed primarily in the areas of reducing oil consumption and improving machinery reliability, thereby contributing to plant operating cost reductions.

While these benefits are self-evident, it is becoming increasingly important to focus on methods of reducing plant emissions. Oil purification, on-site and on-stream, has now moved to the forefront because environmental pressures and oil-disposal related concerns. In addition to social cost justification, economic benefits accrue from the avoidance of potential steep fines from the environmental regulatory agencies.

The viability of on-stream oil purification has been documented by a world-scale chemical plant that has had an inventory of 22,000 U.S. gallons of lube oil in service for more than ten years, with no plans to replace it.

More information about the book "Machinery Failure Analysis and Troubleshooting"

STOP OVER & UNDER LUBRICATION

PdMA Corporation is pleased to announce that we are a distributor for the Ultra-Lube.

Attach the Ultra-Lube to your grease gun and bearings will tell you when they’ve had enough grease.

The Ultra-Lube allows lubrication technicians to listen to the quality of sound of a bearing while lubricating. The ability to listen to the bearing as lubrication is being injected prevents over and under-lubrication because the user is able to hear bearing sound change when enough lubrication has entered the cavity.

For a brochure or more information please contact Cheryl Huff at 813-621-6463 Ext 111 or e-mail Cheryl@pdma.com.

Test your knowledge and prepare for ICML lubrication and oil analysis certification.

QUESTION: Name five functions of a lubricant.

Get the answer.

"We have expanded our used oil analysis program on our turbine generators to include specific tests for steam turbine equipment. Of the 20 units we baselined - one failed the demulsibility test - ASTM D1401. We got a result of 20-20-40 after 30 minutes (The test was repeated three times for verification.)

What could cause this problem and what can be done to correct it? The sample came from a 10,000-gallon reservoir and results from the other routine lab tests (viscosity, oxidation, AN, and water content) are good. The baseline RPVOT value was also very good."

There is usually a specific and meaningful reason for a lubricant's loss of demulsibility. It is typically symptomatic of such things as oil oxidation, contamination, mixed lubricants, etc. While your oil analysis results don't yet reveal the problem, more in depth analysis probably will. Unless you are able discover the source of the problem, it may reoccur after a future oil change.

Loss of demulsibility may accompany problems related to the air-handling ability of the oil (air release, foam tendency/stability). ASTM tests can confirm this.

Loss of demulsibility means more water is going to stay in a continuous emulsified state (the most destruction state of water). This puts considerable more stress on the oil's additive package and shortens service life of the turbine oil, among other risks. I suggest you read this article.

If loss of demulsibility occurred due to a water washing phenomena then it is possible that adding more demulsifying agent to the oil may correct the condition. Consider sending a sample of the oil to your oil supplier and ask them to attempt such a correction in the lab first. Confirm by rerunning D1401.

There is evidence that charged particle separators can correct certain problems associated with loss of demulsibility. Suppliers such as ISOPur, ASL, Clarus and Kleentek offer such products and should be able to run trials in the lab to confirm.

Jim Fitch, Noria Corporation

Submit a question | Discuss on Message Boards