Be careful the clogged filter

BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene) is a widely used antioxidant. Many lubricants use this additive. It can absorb free radicals, which can cause base oil oxidation. Under normal circumstances, BHT is dissolved in the engine oil and should not be visible or precipitated, but some situations do cause it to separate from the oil.

1) Storage time is too long:

There are many reasons why additives precipitate from the engine oil. Some additives with larger particles, such as extreme pressure additives (EP), antifoaming agents, and some anti-wear agents, will separate themselves after being stored for a long time. For antioxidants, separation during storage is relatively rare, but when storing lubricants, it is important to note that they should not be stored for a long time, especially oils like engine oil that have a lot of additives added. The shelf life is relatively short. If stored for a long time, additives are easy to precipitate. Therefore, when managing lubricants, pay attention to the "first in, first out" principle and try not to store them for a long time.

2) Oil contamination:

Other impurities mixed into lubricants (including engine oil) can also cause additives to precipitate and precipitate. Most additives are polar substances, so they will attract other polar substances, and then form particles or clumps around impurities. Impurities, water, other oils (other lubricants, fuel, etc.) and metal chips are all polar substances that will attract additives. In short, do not mix other impurities into the lubricating oil. This is a major principle that must be paid attention to when using oil.

3) Additive particles are large and filtered out:

Some additive particles are large, such as anti-foaming agents. If the filter hole of the filter element is very fine, the additives will also be filtered out and adhere to the filter element.

4) Pressure or temperature changes:

In addition, temperature and pressure changes will also affect the dissolution of additives, resulting in the inability of additives to fully dissolve and separate from the oil. In addition, when the oil flows through the throttle tube, because there is a relatively narrow section of the tube, the oil flow will experience pressure changes. When it passes through that narrow section, the pressure it is subjected to will suddenly decrease, causing the solubility of the additive to change, resulting in precipitation and adhesion to the surface of the tube and filter element.