DIATHERMIC OIL : How to deal with maintenance
Degradation of thermal oil is inevitable. What is prolongable, however, is the time required for its deterioration. Understand the common reasons why diathermic fluids degrade, how to extend their useful life, and how to maintain peak productivity of the entire system.
Heat transfer systems are designed to transport thermal energy away from a heat source by means of a heat transfer fluid. Systems are designed and components are sized around the physical properties of a new, uncontaminated fluid. The ability of a system to maintain its performance depends on knowing how to keep the fluid in good condition.
The obvious challenge for operators is that the heat transfer fluid-the lifeblood of the system-is almost as good as new; without proper care, the surfaces where heat exchange occurs will become dirty, thus increasing the energy required to maintain temperature, decreasing productivity.
When fluid degradation occurs, its initial properties will change and continue to change as the severity of degradation increases.
The question then becomes: how to keep the system as efficient and productive as when first filled, with a fluid that will degrade over time?
Although no expert can keep diathermic fluid fresh forever, system operators can certainly prolong the preservation of fluid properties by avoiding common threats of degradation and selecting a better fluid for the application.
We can now proceed to explore the most common threats to the useful life of the fluid (and sometimes the entire system).
1.Thermal degradation
Regardless of the type of thermal oil, thermal degradation generally occurs when fluid molecules receive more heat energy than they can absorb. Excess energy causes molecules to break apart.
Oil selection. Choose a heat transfer fluid with high thermal stability. Mineral fluids formulated with hydro-treated white oils, for example, have greater thermal stability than conventional mineral oils. Most problems associated with localized or temporary temperature excursions are preventable by choosing the correct oil
2.Oxidative degradation
Oxidative degradation, known as oxidation, can occur through the reaction of the heat transfer fluid with oxygen in the air. Like other organic substances, exposure to oxygen causes degradation of the fluid.
Oil selection. Another way to deal with oxidation is to select a fluid that contains the right chemical composition of oxidation inhibitors. The type and number of oxidation inhibitors used and the quality vary widely from product to product. Some fluids use conventional antioxidants, while more sophisticated diathermic fluids use additives designed to better withstand the challenges unique to the plant.
As you realized, in addition to proper system maintenance, one of the most effective control measures an operator can take to maximize fluid life is to select the correct fluid.
There are a myriad of oils on the market, typically synthetic or mineral, each with its own chemical and performance profile that makes it more or less suitable for a specific processing application.
START PURE. FINISH STRONG
Remember that Petro-Canada diathermic fluids are the purest in the world, using the patented HT purity process, we produce a 99.9% pure crystalline base. By removing impurities that hinder the performance of conventional fluids and lubricants, we ensure that our products retain their ” like fresh oil” properties longer so that additives can perform better. Our superiority begins precisely with the purity of the base oil.
