What causes lubricating oil to become turbid?
author: Leila
2024-09-03
We all know that normal lubricating oil should be bright and transparent. If the transparency of lubricating oil changes, it indicates that some changes have occurred in the lubricating oil itself. We need to find out the reasons and deal with them in time. What causes lubricating oil to become turbid?
Reasons for lubricating oil to become turbid:
The most common reasons for lubricating oil to become turbid are these three types of substances: carbon deposits, bubbles and water (liquid water, water vapor). In addition, there are some other reasons that can also cause lubricating oil to become turbid.
1. There is water in the lubricating oil: If there is less water mixed in, the oil will become turbid and look gray, a bit like the gray-yellow toffee color. If there is more water, the lubricating oil will become a whitish emulsion like milk. In this case, find the source of water immediately.
2. Incomplete dissolution of additives: Lubricating oil generally contains additives. In some cases, additives will precipitate, which is a normal phenomenon. For example, at low temperatures, some oils will have this problem. However, the turbidity caused by this situation should only be a little turbidity, and sometimes it is a very small amount of precipitation, which is the precipitated additive.
3. Additive decomposition products: In normal use, the additives of lubricating oil will also decompose, and some white flocculent substances will be produced. Since it is produced by normal use, this change of lubricating oil should occur gradually with use.
4. There is salt in lubricating oil: It does not necessarily refer to table salt, of course, it also includes table salt. After the lubricating oil is mixed with salt, the minerals will not evaporate and remain in the oil, causing the color of the lubricating oil to become turbid, darken, and the glossiness to deteriorate. The greater the concentration of the mixture, the greater the impact on the transparency and appearance of the lubricating oil, making the lubricating oil turbid.
5. Lubricating oil becomes turbid at low temperatures: At low temperatures, lubricating oil may become turbid and precipitate white substances. These white substances are paraffin, floating on the upper surface of the lubricating oil, or mixed in the oil, affecting the transparency of the oil and making the lubricating oil look turbid.
6. Other substances mixed into lubricating oil: Sometimes, lubricating oil turns white, becomes turbid, or has other color changes. It may also be mixed with other substances, such as other oils, antifreeze/coolant, grease, etc., which make the lubricating oil turbid.
What to do if lubricating oil becomes turbid:
If the cause is found, how to further deal with it? If the lubricating oil is water-infiltrated, water removal equipment can be used, such as vacuum oil filter equipment to remove water (including water vapor) and mixed air. If the environment in which the lubricating oil is used inevitably contacts water, appropriately increasing the oil temperature will help the water evaporate. For example, in a paper mill, the oil temperature can be kept at around 60 degrees. Too high a temperature can easily cause the lubricating oil to deteriorate faster. If particulate impurities have entered, a filter element with higher precision can be used (but note that it will clog faster when it is first replaced). If conditions permit, it should be sampled and processed in the laboratory first, and after processing, it can also be determined whether the lubricating oil after remedial treatment is still suitable for use. For situations where additives are not well dissolved, the lubricating oil can be slightly heated to promote the dissolution of additives.
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