Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1275515
22 | July - August 2020 | www . machinerylubrication.com Strategies for Decontaminating and Reclaiming Your In-Service Lubricants Brian Ramatally | CASL " Lubricating oils in large-volume systems can have a long service life. Some may be in service for 15 to 20 years. " OIL RECLAMATION At most plants, oil reclama- tion is not fully supported due to a lack of technical knowledge and availability of technologies, processes and applications. Why should recla- mation be considered? e process has evolved over the years through rigorous oil testing and compati- bility analysis of in-field trials. e advances and scientific support now available have led to robust recla- mation technologies and processes. However, it is important to under- stand the limits and boundaries. Past experiences and practices often lead to oil being changed on a timed interval or based on oil anal- ysis results. Few managers want to be accountable for the risk of using new and emerging methods. ere- fore, changing the oil and flushing the system are frequently the chosen approach. Lubricating oils in large-volume systems can have a long service life. Some may be in service for 15 to 20 years. Many of these oils are made from Group I or II base stocks, unlike the more robust Group III or polyalphaolefin (PAO) base stocks. What makes these lubricants last so long? A historical review of the data from these systems reveals the oils operated within the set param- eters, specifically temperature and contamination. Additive content remained healthy and the base oil was protected. e oils also were not significantly stressed. Other systems that experienced signif icant problems were also reviewed. ese included labyrinth seal issues, higher temperatures, filter decay and breakdown, process gas and steam ingress and poor main- tenance practices. In these cases, the oils operated in highly stressed environments and were exposed to heat, water, solid contaminants and chemicals. Costly firefighting strategies were also employed, such as filtration systems, vacuum dehy- drators and "sweetening" of the oils. For organizations desiring to mitigate further problems, there is good news. Some solutions have a much longer duration than others, depending on operations, availability of spare parts, maintenance plans and the establishment of long-term objectives. For lube oil, detailed analysis is required to determine its life. Some oils will be fit for use, while others must be changed. Unfortunately, few companies are focused on reclaiming their oils when the base oil is not compro-