What to know about solid contaminants

04 January, 2015

of contaminant from your oil. Typically when a fluid is contaminated its viscosity can vary, leading to higher than normal friction, subsequent temperature increases and loss of lubricity. This can reduce system efficiency, wear components and effect compression rates. In the worst case contamination can lead to catastrophic failure. Below is a list common complaints associated with un-suitable fluid condition: • Mechanical wear. • Clogging of nozzles, orifices and valves. • Corrosion. • Loss of protective coatings on components. • Increased operating temperatures • Change in fluid compressibility. What factors can effect particle distribution & concentration within my system? Unlike laboratory conditions real world applications are constantly changing. As a system operates, contamination is generated and needs to be controlled. As it is physically impossible to achieve 100 per cent efficiency in any given system, some particles will always get through filtration. This is one source of variation. More often than not it is assumed that downstream of any filtering and purification the fluid is ‘clean’ however this may not be the case. As in most hydraulic systems, construction is mainly metal or elastomer/textile based. Over time, and in reaction to changing fluid conditions such as temperature, pressure and chemical decomposition, these materials can become susceptible to corrosion and leach out contaminants into the system. Homogeneity plays a significant part in accurately assessing contamination in a system. A homogenous solution is uniform in its composition and particles are evenly distributed within it. It is fair to conclude that the majority of real world systems are heterogeneous (unevenly composed) and therefore when taking measurements this must be considered as a significant variable between tests. Factors including but not exclusive to viscosity, temperature, electrical conductivity, surface tension can contribute negatively to the overall quality of your fluid. www.mpfiltri.co.uk

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