If the hydraulic, lubricating, compressor or gear oil you use is not made of a water base in formulation , then water is considered a contaminant and must be recognized and managed. 

There are three types of water in a typical system: free water , emulsified water and dissolved water. The water saturation point of most oil, that point above which water is in a free form, is 200-400ppm, depending on age and condition. 

Using 100ppm for an upper water limit for most systems using mineral base oils, this means all free and emulsified water and a significant portion of dissolved water must be removed.

A vacuum dehydrator is one of the very few methods to remove dissolved water from oil. Let's take a look at these three types of water in your system. It will give you a solid foundation for how the vacuum dehydrator works in the end.

Proper filtration keeps control valves from becoming faulty and failing.

Most people have at least heard the term control valve, even if they don't know exactly what it does. For those of you caring for hydraulic systems, you likely work intimately with these parts. Did you know that if you're not using proper filtration in front of said control valves that you're likely doing your operation a disservice? (It's true.)

If you’ve been following our blog, you probably have a pretty solid understanding of ISO fluid cleanliness codes (if not, click here). You know that ISO codes quantify levels of particulate contamination at three different micron sizes (4μm/6μm/14μm), but how big is a 4μm particle? Watch the video below for a brief explanation of micron size.

Static electricity is an amazing thing. It can cause hairs to stand on end when rubbed with a balloon, which can cause it to then stick to a wall. (It’s a fun trick, especially for kids). Unfortunately, when it comes to interaction with filters, static can have devastating results.

Here at Hy-Pro, we understand the importance of selecting target ISO Cleanliness Codes. That’s why we’ve put together this set of instructions for selecting target codes in case you’re in need of a little help.

If you didn’t happen to catch last week’s blog or want to jog your memory, click here. 

Last week we discussed how new oil picks up contamination on its way to your facility. This week we’ll continue our investigation of how your new oil isn't really clean. Let's take a look at a three more reasons your new oil continues to be contaminated as it reaches your distributor.

Lubricants and hydraulic oil have to go a long way to make it into your system, which means there's a high potential for it to pick up particulate and water at every step along the way.

Around here at Hy-Pro, we cringe when we think about that process and how our customers put that oil into their machines. We want you to be aware of the state of the oil that you're using, so let's take a look at three reasons why new oil does not mean CLEAN oil.

At the end of Part 2, we discussed the winning nature of vacuum dehydration. If you missed Part 1 in the series, you can find it here. 

Did you know that hydrogen is the friendliest molecule - meaning that it is most likely seeking partners to attach to? Similarly, the suspended particles in oil actively look for particles to join forces, so they pair with the water. 

This particulate contamination is the catalyst guilty of continuing the degradation of the oil and the increase of emulsified water. The more water there is, the more oxidation that occurrs. This also increases various acids that form as the molecules break down. These acids attack seals, hoses, pumps and metal.

If you're just tuning in and didn't catch the first part of our steel mill and lube oil series, click here.

When we left off, we just determined how the high levels of emulsified water and high particulate contamination levels work together to cause bearing failure and reduce oil life. So, how do we prevent this expensive combination from happening? We're glad you asked!

Premium oils keep steel mills running. It's crucial to protect their quality in order to keep the mills fully functioning. 

In both hot and cold steel mill production, high-demulsibility lubricant is used for backup roller bearing lubrication. Some of these oils are referred to as SD, which stands for super-demulsibility. Not surprisingly, these SD oils are a premium product and come at a premium price. If a manufacturer wants to invest in these big-ticket oils, they obviously want to go to great lengths in order to keep them clean and fully functioning.

Join us for this three-part series as we take an in-depth look at improving rolling mill lube oil performance and useful life.