Emulsifying oils are water-soluble oils that have many advantages due to this capability. In addition to lubrication, these products are also responsible for cooling and washing. Other features such as creating effective protection against corrosion for parts and machines, maintaining the floor in a controllable state, the durability and longevity of the emulsion, being compatible with human skin and the environment, and the ability to separate and dispose easily after the period of use, There are characteristics that are expected from this category of lubricants.
Compliance with some rules and instructions when using this category of oils can greatly improve the performance of these products and increase the lifespan of the emulsion, prevent possible problems and optimize the use of the product. Some of these cases are mentioned below.
1- Washing and preparing the tank
The useful life of emulsifying oils is highly dependent on how the system is flushed before charging the product. Achieving the desired useful life is achieved only when the tanks are properly washed and disinfected. For this purpose, it is necessary to use a suitable detergent to wash different parts of the device, emulsion transfer path, ducts and inaccessible parts. For this purpose, Kimiagaran Behazit company has produced Behizit 1202 product and offered it to customers. In addition to cleaning external contamination from different parts, this detergent has antiseptic properties and causes the destruction of microbial contamination.
A complete and proper process of washing the tank is as follows:
- Before draining the previous liquid, add Behzeest 1202 at a ratio of 2 to 3% of the existing liquid volume and circulate it in the system for 24 to 48 hours.
- Empty the tank.
- Clean the shavings and dirt inside the tank.
- Prepare an emulsion of 1 to 2 percent of the product to be charged, in an amount that can circulate in the system and circulate in the system for 12 to 24 hours.
- Empty the tank and charge the new emulsion.
It should be noted that the process mentioned above can be changed according to different conditions in the systems, but compliance with the above-mentioned items as much as possible will result in more favorable conditions.
Also, during the time when the detergent is added to the primary emulsion, it is possible to continue the production of the part in the devices that do not need a high surface smoothness, but for parts with a high surface smoothness, it is better to stop the production because this detergent reduces lubrication. It becomes an emulsion.
2- Mixing emulsifying oils with water
There are different methods of mixing, which are listed below in order of priority:
2-1- Use of jet mix device
The best way to mix emulsifying oils with water is to use a jet mix machine. This equipment is very useful at the same time as it is simple and it prepares a uniform and stable emulsion. This device has water inlet, oil suction pipe and emulsion outlet. The oil suction pipe is placed inside the barrel and water is connected to its inlet with a pressure of at least 2 bar. As a result of the negative pressure created in the barrel, the oil is sucked through the pipe and forms an emulsion in the water path and exits from the outlet.
Next to the device, there is a concentration adjustment valve that can be used to determine the concentration of the output emulsion.
Jet Mix and its components
2-2- Use of compressed air
In this method, you must first pour water of the right quality into a separate tank and create the necessary turbulence by placing the compressed air outlet inside it. Then the oil is slowly poured into the turbulent area and the aeration continues until all the oil dissolves in the water.
2-3- Using a mechanical stirrer
You should first pour water of the right quality into the tank with agitator and create the necessary turbulence by activating the agitator. Then, like the previous method, oil is slowly added to the turbulent area and the mixing continues until all the oil dissolves in the water.
Note: It is mandatory to follow this rule, adding oil to water and not the other way around. If water is poured on oil, inverse emulsion will occur and mixing will not be done with the formation of stable waxes.
3- The quality of water used to prepare emulsion
The quality of the water used is of decisive importance in determining the properties of the emulsion. The appropriate and recommended ranges for different water components are listed in the following table:
Hardship | 100-150 ppm |
Electrical conductivity | 200 – 400 µs |
Clever |
30 – 50 ppm |
PH | 5.7 – 5.6 |
Salts in water are monovalent like sodium and divalent like calcium. Monovalent salts have an adverse effect on emulsifiers and cause emulsion instability and ultimately separation of oil from water. Divalent salts also react with the fatty acids in the emulsion and produce insoluble salts in water, which can be seen in the form of lords on the surface of the liquid.
With the formation of these lords, the protection against corrosion is reduced, the stability of the emulsion is reduced, and with longer use, salt residues are formed on the components of the device. Water hardness also affects the foaming behavior of emulsions. If soft water is used for mixing, foaming problems may occur.
The presence of high electrical conductivity and chlorine in the water used is also the most important factor in the rusting of parts and equipment. Especially in processes where the liquid is in contact with two or more metals, the high electrical conductivity of the liquid can cause galvanic corrosion. The recommended temperature for drinking water is between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius. Low temperature can cause problems in emulsion mixing.
4- Maintenance emulsion
In order to keep the emulsion for a long time, it is recommended to observe the following points.
4-1- Visual inspection and control
The first and simplest condition in emulsion maintenance is the daily inspection of the tank and emulsion, which can be done by the machine operator or relevant experts. The level of the liquid in the tank, the color and smell of the emulsion, the creation of foam, lard or the accumulation of wandering oils on the surface of the emulsion, the lack of smoothness of the surface on the part, the change in the color of the part and the tool, and other possible problems are things that are easily visible and should be the reasons for creating They will be checked.
4-2- Concentration control
The concentration of the emulsion must be within a certain and constant range. The amount of concentration is usually determined by the consumer and according to the work process. The recommended concentration for most products of Kimiagaran Behazit Company is 5% and the minimum allowed concentration is 3%. There is no limit for higher concentration values in certain processes. A refractometer is used to control the emulsion concentration. The important point in using this equipment is to calibrate it at certain intervals and consider the refractometer coefficient for different products.
4-3- control pH
One of the most important components that is examined in the evaluation of emulsion health is its pH. The normal range of pH in emulsifying oils is 8 to 9. With the drop of pH in the water environment, the conditions are suitable for the growth of bacteria, and especially with the growth of anaerobic bacteria, the emulsion gets rancid and spoils. To prevent the growth of bacteria, the pH of the liquid should be kept within the mentioned range. Installing an aeration system in the tank, performing circulation when the machine is stopped, and regular oil overflow are effective factors in controlling microbial contamination.
Behazit 2030 antimicrobial product is designed and produced for times when the growth of bacteria occurs in the emulsion and to stop and eliminate them, this product is added to the tank. The required proportion of this antibacterial varies according to the pH value of the emulsion, but usually it can be added to the tank at the rate of one liter per thousand liters.
If, due to reasons such as excessive use of antimicrobials or other alkaline additives, the pH has increased beyond the permissible limit, there is a possibility of causing skin sensitivity when the skin comes in contact with the emulsion. In these cases, it is better to add 0.5% emulsion to the system and reduce the concentration, bring the pH to the normal level and avoid adding acidic substances to the tank.
To measure pH, you can use litmus paper, a portable pH measuring device or a digital device.
litmus paper
Portable pH measuring device
Digital pH measuring device
4-4- Electrical conductivity control
Another important factor that has a great impact on the optimal performance of the emulsion is the electrical conductivity of the liquid. Electrical conductivity increases due to various factors such as the accumulation of metal shavings in the emulsion and the use of water with unfavorable quality and leads to corrosion and rust in parts and equipment. Another effect of this factor is to reduce the stability of the emulsion and create two phases in it. The easiest way to measure electrical conductivity is to use a portable conductivity meter.
4-5- alkalinity control
Another method of determining concentration is titration, which is often done through colorimetry or continuous pH measurement. In the colorimetric method, a color indicator is added to the emulsion, which changes the color of the liquid. By adding an acid as a titrant and measuring the amount of acid used until the color of the liquid returns to its original state, the alkalinity of the substance is measured. By comparing the obtained value with the alkalinity declared by the manufacturer in a certain concentration, the concentration of the liquid can be determined.
6-6- Temperature control
For better performance of the emulsion in terms of lubrication, cooling and reducing consumption, it is necessary to control the working temperature of the emulsion. The ideal working temperature for emulsions is 25 to 35 degrees Celsius. A suitable chiller can be used to control the temperature of the liquid.
4-7- Filtration and collection of wandering oils
During the period of using the emulsion, a lot of pollution enters it. These pollutions include shavings from machining, oil leaking from the machine and other environmental pollutions that must be removed from the system. To separate solid pollution, you can use suitable filters such as metal filters, pitchers, conveyors, centrifuge filters, filter presses, etc.
The accumulation of shavings causes many problems, the most important of which is the increase in the electrical conductivity of the liquid and the formation of rust in the system. Oil skimmers and vacuum pumps can also be used to collect stray oils. Stray oils are very harmful for the durability of the emulsion, as they accumulate on the surface of the emulsion and prevent air from reaching the emulsion.
As a result, they provide a suitable environment for the growth of anaerobic bacteria and by acidifying the emulsion environment, they spoil it.
Oil skimmer
4-9- periodic replacement of emulsion
The time to change the emulsion depends on the customer’s maintenance conditions and work process. However, it is recommended to wash, dredge and recharge the tanks according to the instructions at intervals of 6 months or at most one year.
5- You have a warehouse
In the storage of emulsifying oils, it is necessary to consider the following:
- Barrels should be placed on a suitable base.
- Barrels must be stored in a covered warehouse.
- The best temperature for oil storage is 10 to 40 degrees Celsius.
- The best usage time for emulsifiable oils is 6 months from the date of production in the mentioned conditions.
- It is better to separate different groups of products in the storage of different products and store each group separately.