Contamination Control

Engineer name:
Title:
Mobil Industrial Lubricants
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Success stories
Success stories
Training Objectives

• What are contaminants?

• Where do contaminants come from & how do they affect equipment?
• Which processes prevent contamination?
• Address any lubrication questions you may have
Is Contamination Impacting Operations?

“At least 70% of all hydraulic and lubricating system component

replacements are due to premature failure caused by surface metal
damage resulting from contamination.”
Dr. E. Rabinowicz, MIT
Is Contamination Impacting Operations?

“A typical 50gpm hydraulic pump with 10-micron filtration passes approximately 1,800
pounds of dirt through the pump in one year.” -- Noria Corporation

“It costs 10 times as much to remove particulate contamination as it does to keep it out in
the first place.” -- Des Case Corporation

“Proper selection and placement of contamination control devices in a system to attain the
targeted cleanliness eliminates (the root cause of) up to 80% of hydraulic system failures.”
-- Vickers (Guide to Systemic Contamination Control)

“… bearings can attain a much longer life than predicted by normal life calculation methods.
These special conditions are when the rolling surfaces are effectively separated by a
lubricant film and when the surface damage caused by contaminants is limited. In fact,
under ideal conditions, it is possible to speak of infinite life.” -- Bearing Maintenance
Handbook, SKF
What are contaminants?
Where do contaminants come from & how do they affect equipment?
Which processes prevent contamination?
Scenarios
Your Questions
 What is a Contaminant?

Anything that doesn’t belong in the lubricant

Dirt & Particles Water Air Wear Debris

Fuel Other Lubricants Coolant Detergents & Chemicals

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

• Grain of table salt 1 micron
• 100 microns
• Human hair Human hair
• 40 microns
• Lower limit of sight
• 40 microns
• Milled flour
• 25 microns
• Red blood cells
• 8 microns

Flour
Blood
Typical Load Zone Clearances

Application Load Zone Clearance Oil

Film
Roller Element Bearings 0.1- 3 microns
Human hair
Ball Bearings 0.1-1 Ball Bearing Load
Zone
Journal Bearings 0.5 - 5

Hydrostatic Bearings 1- 25
Journal bearing
Gears 0.1 - 1

Dynamic Seal 0.05 - 0.5

Gear set

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

What is a Particle Count?

Number of Particles / mL Range

Number
More Than Less Than
The ISO contamination code states the or Equal To
average concentration in particles per mL 80,000 160,000 24
for particles in the following sizes: 40,000 80,000 23 R4/R6/R14
Particle Count Data
4 micron and larger 20,000 40,000 22
6 micron and larger
Size in Number of
10,000 20,000 21
ISO 18/16/13
Microns Particles Larger 14 micron and larger 5,000 10,000 20
than Size per mL 2,500 5,000 19
4 1654 1,300 2,500 18
6 495 640 1,300 17
10 122 320 640 16
14 52 160 320 15
20 21 80 160 14
50 1.3 40 80 13
75 0.22 20 40 12
100 0.05 10 20 11
5 10 10
How Clean / Dry Should Oil Be?

Machine Type Particle Level Target Moisture Level Target

With servo valves 15/13/11 125 ppm

With proportional valves 16/14/12 150 ppm
Variable volume
Hydraulics 17/15/12 150 ppm
piston pump
1500-2500 psi
With cartridge valves or fixed piston pump 17/16/13 150 ppm

With vane pump 18/16/14 150 ppm

Gearbox 19/16/13 300 ppm
Paper Machine 18/14/11 200 ppm
Steam Turbine 18/14/11 100 ppm
Pumps 17/14/12 150 ppm
ISO Cleanliness

Micron Current Particle Count Recommended Particle Count

[21/20/17] [16/14/11]
4 18,276 640
6 6,758 160
14 837 20
ISO Cleanliness

http://filtroilcalc.punchbuild.com/
ISO Cleanliness

http://filtroilcalc.punchbuild.com/
What are contaminants?
Where do contaminants come from & how do they affect equipment?
Which processes prevent contamination?
Scenarios
Your Questions
Effects of Contamination?

Contaminant Type Direct Machine Wear Damage to Lubricant Indirect Damage

• Abrasion
• Oxidation • Varnish / Deposits
• Erosion
Particle Contamination • Particle Scrubbing • Corrosive attack
• Fatigue
• Viscosity Increase • Increased aeration
• Valve Stiction (silt lock)
• Varnish / Deposits
• Oxidation
• Corrosion • Corrosive attack
• Hydrolysis
Moisture Contamination • Cavitation erosion • Increase Aeration
• Water Washing
• Exacerbates all wear mechanisms
• Viscosity Increase
due to loss of film strength
• Varnish / Deposits
• Cavitation Erosion • Oxidation • Corrosive attack
Air Contamination • Corrosion • Thermal degradation • Increased aeration
• Viscosity Increase • Exacerbates all wear mechanisms
due to loss of film strength
Effects of Contamination?

Contaminant Type Direct Machine Wear Damage to Lubricant Indirect Damage

• Oxidation
• Varnish / Deposits
• Additive loss
Cross-Contamination of • No specific action • Increased aeration
• Viscosity Increase/
Lubricants • Potentially exacerbates all wear
Decrease
mechanisms due to loss of film strength
• Loss of performance
• Varnish / Deposits
• Increased aeration
• Viscosity Increase
• Decreased Demulisibility
Coolant • No specific action • Water Washing
• Potentially exacerbates all wear
• Additive loss
mechanisms due to loss of film
strength
• Varnish / Deposits
• Oxidation
• Corrosion • Corrosive attack
Fuel Dilution • Viscosity Decrease
• Exacerbates all wear mechanisms due
• Additive Dilution
to loss of film strength
How Oil Gets Contamination

Refinery / Blend Plant

National Distribution

Local Distributor Regional Distribution

Upon arrival oil is too dirty Poor storage & Dirty accessories Incorrect or absent
for most equipment. handling methods add compound problem. breathers allow more
contamination. contaminants.
Delivery Storage Dispensing In Service
ISO 19/17/15 ISO 20/18/16 ISO 21/19/17 ISO 22/20/18
© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Particle Ingression Sources

Natural Ingression Built In Machine Generated

Enters the system through Left in the system during the Wear particles, sludge and varnish
openings such as air filters manufacturing process generated during operation
and seals

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Internally-generated Contamination

• Chain reaction of abrasive wear

• Particles become work hardened as they are rubbed between surfaces
• Causes abrasive wear which generates more particles
• This debris becomes work hardened
• The cycle continues

*Fatigue, erosion, corrosion and cavitation also generate particles

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Internally-generated Contamination

• Sludge and varnish can form as the oil ages or gets contaminated
• Reservoirs should be periodically tested and/or inspected
• Use of high quality oil minimizes sludge and varnish

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Preventing Internally Generated Contamination

• Use the proper oil

• Oil that is too light (viscosity too low) will cause metal-to-metal contact
• Wrong additives can cause corrosive wear
• Operate equipment according to design parameters
• Keep oil clean
• Use proper filtration

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Built-in Contamination

• Equipment should be flushed with fresh oil before operation

• Removes machining chips, dirt, preservative chemicals, cleaning compounds,
condensation
• Inspect for debris
• Use high velocity flush for large or critical pieces of equipment

• High velocity flush apparatus

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Contamination Types – Dirt

• Abrasion of pump components, cylinder packing, bearings, etc.

• Dirt causes erosion of valves, seals, o-rings, gaskets, and hoses as it travels within
the lubricant fluid. This increases oil leakage.
• Filters CANNOT remove 100% of the dirt from lube oil.
• Plugs filters (increases filter consumption)
• Plugs grease lines & fittings.
• Insulates heat

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

What if it’s a little dirty?

82% of mechanical
wear is caused by
particle contamination

Ref: NRCC, STLE

Moisture Ingression Sources

Leaky Coolers
Humid air entering through
the breather

Hydraulic Wash
Cylinders Down

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Contamination Types – Water

• Good cooling…..poor lubricant.

• Causes metal corrosion (rust)
• Only 0.1% or 1000 PPM of water doubles the rate of vane pump wear
vs. dry fluid in a hydraulic system.
• Water causes the oil additives to agglomerate and separate from
lubricant.
• Water causes oil to foam and hold air!
• Hydrogen Embrittlement in bearings and pump components
Effect of Water in Oil on Bearing Life
Effect of Water in Oil on Bearing Life

A bearing lubricated with

oil that has 1000 ppm
water has one quarter the
life of a bearing where
the oil only has 100 ppm
water
Definition – Forms of Water in Oil

•DISSOLVED WATER - Oil appears bright

and clear. Difficult to separate.

•EMULSIFIED WATER - Very small droplets

dispersed in oil. Oil viscosity may go UP (like
mayonnaise). Tiny amounts of detergent
engine oil can contaminate industrial oils.

•FREE WATER – Large drops that readily settle out.

Appearance of Water in Oil

500 1000 2500 5000 10,000

ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm
Contaminants – Air (Foam)

• Aeration - Causes increased metal wear due to reduced oil flow and reduced
lubricant film strength.
• Cavitation - Pump space is not fully charged with fluid. Leads to pump damage as
the vapor voids implode while passing from the low pressure inlet to the high
pressure outlet. Breaks away surface material.
• BOTH - Cause sluggish hydraulic operation, soft cylinders…..increased cycle times.
• Shortens oil life due to “burning of the oil” (oxidation) via dieseling effect.
Imploding air voids generates temperatures over 2000 °F!!!
Impact of Contamination: Air Cavitation

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

How air affects equipment

• Pump cavitation
• Foam overflow spills on floor
• Difficult to see oil level
• Vibration
• Oil oxidation
• Spongy, erratic hydraulic control
• 1% entrained air may trip low oil pressure switches
• Centrifugal pumps require <1% air to maintain suction
Types of air in oil

• Foam - large bubbles that sit on top of the oil

• Air entrainment – bubbles that are finely dispersed in the

oil. The oil can look hazy or cloudy.

• Dissolved air – the oil looks clear. Most oil contains 8 –

12% dissolved air at room temperature.
Sources of Air Entrainment / Foaming

• Suction Leaks
• Water Contamination
• Cross Contamination
• Particle Contamination
• Wrong Viscosity
• Poor Reservoir Design
• Wrong oil level
How to treat foam and air entrainment

• Look for a source of air

• Coat suction side fittings with shaving cream and look for
dimple
ADDITIVES
• Check oil level
• Check for flow restrictions or plugged vents
• Do NOT use anti-foam additives – they may make the
problem worse
How to determine air vs. water?

• Air bubbles go up, water bubbles go down

• If the oil is spattered on a hot plate, it will

crackle and pop if it contains water
Contamination Types – Heat

HEAT - Temperatures above 140 °F

• Every 18 °F increase above 140 °F
shortens oil life by one half……..
Reason: Heat is a catalyst to oxidation.
• Oxidation causes oil to thicken with sludge
build-up. This causes plugging of valves, oil
passage ways, & filters.
• Heat causes oil to thin out (lowers
viscosity) causing increased wear due to
reduce load carrying capability.
• Heat shortens life of seals, hoses, o-rings.

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Contaminants – Other/Wrong Oil

• Adding an oil that is too thick can cause

overheating
• It takes more energy to circulate thick fluids
• Oil may not flow to moving parts
• Risks severe wear at startup

• Oil that is too thin causes wear

• Oil film may not separate metal surfaces

• Wrong viscosity oil can cause foam or air

Bearing damaged because it
entrainment used oil with too low
viscosity

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Contaminants – Other/Wrong Oil – EP Additive

• EP gear oil additives can corrode copper, bronze or brass at

elevated temperatures
• Sulfur is a tasty food for bacteria that destroy additives
• Sulfur promotes oxidation that shortens the life of the oil
• Leads to sludge, varnish, staining and carbon particles that
darken and dirty the system
• Particles coat and clog oil feed lines
• EP additives cause back stops to slip
Contaminants – Other/Wrong Oil – Other Additive

• Detergents can prevent water from settling out

• Mixing a hydraulic oil with an engine oil could cause
additives to drop out
• Mixing incompatible oils can cause rust, foam and
equipment wear
• Many other possible effects ABILITY OF AN OIL
TO SEPARATE FROM
WATER
GOOD OR BAD?

• Detergents are necessary to keep engines clean. Engines get hot enough
to boil off the water.
• Industrial systems typically have larger sumps and do not get as hot.
Water in oil should drop to the bottom of the sump where it can be
drained off.
Holistic Lubricant Management

Handling & dispensing In-service cleanliness

• Dispense with filtration • Desiccant & non-desiccant breathers
• Prevent ingression • Filtration units & vacuum dehydrators
• Upgrade system filters

Receiving & Application Oil Sampling

Storage • Utilize proper transfer • Sample port fittings
• Develop QA equipment • Sampling systems
procedures • Modify application • Sampling
• Filter new oil points for advanced procedures
• Prevent ingression application techniques
How Clean is New Oil?

With few exceptions, new oil is

never clean enough for common
applications. New oil must be
filtered before installation to
provide any reasonable level of
cleanliness.

New Oil is Dirty!!!

What are contaminants?
Where do contaminants come from & how do they affect equipment?
Which processes prevent contamination?
Scenarios
Your Questions
Outdoor Storage

If drums must be stored

outdoors, they should be
covered.
If water is allowed to stand on
drums it will end up in the oil.

Water is more damaging to new

oil than particles.

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Storage and Handling Essentials

Essential Components for World-Class

Storage and Dispensation Systems
Climate control

Separate fluid handling for each product

Filtration….Filtration….Filtration
Quality tank breathers

Product tagging to prevent cross-contamination

Quality assurance procedures including

new oil testing

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Stationary Dispensing

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Oil Transfer Containers

High Quality Top-Up Containers Should be:

Mobil SHC 600 Competitive Synthetic Oil Conventional Oil
• Made of plastic

• Marked for product type

• Sealable
Increasing
• temperature
Cleaned periodically

• Filled with pre-filtered oil

• Stored off the floor in a reasonably clean

manner

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Funnels

Avoid using them

Conventional Oil
If you must use sealed or disposable
funnels and store them in a clean
manner

Good quality top up containers

eliminate the need for funnels in
most applications
Lubricant Identification

Which lubricant goes

where?
Conventional Oil
Color-coded lubricant ID tags are an
essential practice for avoiding cross-
contamination and are an OSHA
requirement for all liquid containers.

An ID system should be applied to all

tanks, top ups, funnels, grease guns and
application points.

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Mobil LubeGuard Disposable Desiccant Breather Filters

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Controlling Contaminants

Grease
• Keep containers sealed when not in use.
• Grease guns / nozzles should be labeled with the product
they are used to dispense and the amount they dispense per
pump.
• Wipe off grease fitting prior to attaching the grease gun
• Wrap grease gun tip with provided cap or a zip-lock bag to
prevent airborne contaminants from sticking

57

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Lubricant Shelf Life

Do lubricants have a shelf life?

Sometimes. Lubricants stored for more
Conventional Oil
than 1 year may need to be tested before
use.

Factors that affect shelf life

• Additive type and concentration
Grease thickener type
• Increasing
Temperature and humidity
• temperature
• Storage type (bulk or package)
• Lubricant quality
• Base oil type (solvency / aniline point)
• Cleanliness of storage location

Lubricants usually have a shelf life of 3 or more years.

With proper inventory levels and stock rotation

principles, shelf life should not be an issue.

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Inventory Rotation

Packaged lubricants should be stored in such a way as to allow access to the

oldest product. It the older containers are in the back, they will stayConventional
there. AvoidOil

excessive inventory to make it easier.

6 3 4 3 3 3 3
Increasing 2 2 2 2
8 2 6
temperature
6 3 4
8 2 6 6 6 6 6
6 3 4 8 8 8 8
8 2 6
6 3 4 4 4 4 4
8 2 6 6 6 6 6
Commissioning New Equipment

All new lubricated equipment should be filtered or flushed after the break in period

Hydraulics require rigorous flushing before being put into

service

1. Flush system with lighter than normal

viscosity
2. Consider portable filtration to speed the
process
3. Use jumpers to bypass critical component
such as valves.
4. Test oil to ensure the particle count is below
the limit before bringing the system on line.

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Filter Performance Specifications

The Beta Rating is the ratio of particles,

at a given size, upstream of the filter Vs.
downstream of the filter.

100 particles in (5 microns or greater) Efficiency = (β-1) x 100% (100-1) x 100% = 99%
= β5 ≥ 100
1 particle out (5 microns or greater) β 100

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Portable Filtration

o Offline Decontamination Efficiency when removing 1,000,000 particles

o Flushing during commissioning
o Oil transfers
Beta Rating Efficiency single pass 2 passes 5 passes 10 passes
o Dispensing to top up
containers
o Flushing hoses / other 1000 99.9% 1000 1 0.0 0.0
equipment 200 99.5% 5000 25 0.1 0.0
o Power flushing small systems
100 99.0% 10000 100 1.0 0.0
o Periodic decontamination
75 98.7% 13333 178 2.4 0.0

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Water Removal Summary

Water Phase Polymer Filter Coalescing Filter Centrifugal Vacuum

Separator Dehydrator

Free Water
X X X X

Emulsified Water
X X X X

Dissolved Water
X

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Magnetic Chip Collector

Chip collectors installed in the bottom of a sump can

prevent ferrous metals from recirculating

Iron based Chip

debris collector

© Des-Case Corporation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Develop a Contamination Control Strategy

1. Set targets for classes of machines or individual assets

2. Identify the most likely measures required to achieve
targets
3. Implement successive measures until targets are met, or,
you have exhausted available, cost effective techniques.
4. If targets are not met, change the targets.
What are contaminants?
Where do contaminants come from & how do they affect equipment?
Which processes prevent contamination?
Scenarios
Your Questions
Scenarios – Now what?

• You open a brand new drum of hydraulic oil and use a labeled container to transfer
some to a hydraulic unit. You test the oil for cleanliness and results show an ISO
cleanliness code of 19/16/12. Is this acceptable?

• A drum in your storage room has been sitting in the back and no one knows when it
was received or how old it is. Is this acceptable?

• Grease or oil is being stored underneath/right next to a machine for easy access. Is
this acceptable?
Scenarios – Part 2

• The pumps here sound abnormally high-pitched and whine loudly, almost like
they’re pumping tiny marbles. What type of contamination could be impacting the
equipment and oil?

• I can see oil dripping from my press unit, probably a quart a day. What type of
contamination could be impacting the equipment and oil?

• Oil analysis reports indicate high levels of copper and water in my oil analysis
sample. What type of contamination could be impacting the equipment and oil?
What are contaminants?
Where do contaminants come from & how do they affect equipment?
Which processes prevent contamination?
Scenarios
Your Questions
Your lubrication concerns?

• Do you have the equipment you need to lubricate effectively?

• Are plant lube points, oil cans, grease guns well labeled with the product they dispense?
• Are the lube storage areas effective, clean, safe?
• Additional training needs?
• Have you established an oil analysis program and understand it?
Question 1

How can you tell if it is water vs air?

A B C

Let it separate. Do the “crackle test”. None of the above.

Water goes up, air If it crackles, there is You have to send it
goes down. water. to a lab to know.
Question 2

At 1000 ppm water, your bearing life will be cut by:

A B C D

Shut down the

25% 50% 75% equipment because
the bearing will fail
any minute now.
Question 3

What part of your equipment will first show you that you have water in your system
(without oil analysis?)

A B C D

Engine Cylinders Desiccant breather Return lines

Question 4

New oil is clean enough to run in hydraulics with servo vales?

A B C

Yes No, but your No, it is more than

equipment filters can 10x to dirty. Filter
clean it quickly. before filling.
Question 5

Which type of air is expected in every oil?

A B C

Foam Entrained air Dissolved air

Question 6

Can sealed drums breathe?

A B

Yes No
Question 7

What should be on a grease gun?

A B C D

Grease name Pumps per oz. Last time grease gun a&b
(calibration) was filled
Question 8

Can oils be a contaminant?

A B

Yes No
Certificate of completion

Congratulations!
You have successfully completed your Contamination Control training.

Participant’s name: E

Participant’s signature:

Facilitator's name:

Facilitator's signature:

Date:
Certificate of completion

Congratulations!
You have successfully completed your Contamination Control training.

Participant’s name: E

Participant’s signature:

Facilitator's name:

Facilitator's signature:

Date:
Thank you!
Additional Resources from Mobil

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