Causes, effects, and prevention
The impact of moisture on lubricating oil
Moisture exposure during oil storage
Lubricating oils are often purchased in containers or barrels and stored outdoors. While they are usually placed under a shelter to protect them from rain, they are still exposed to significant temperature fluctuations. As the air inside the barrels warms up, it absorbs more moisture. When the temperature drops again, condensation forms inside the barrels. This effect is becoming more common and more intense due to climate change.
What happens if moisture enters the container?
The water will enter the container as ‘free water’ on top of the oil and sink down due to the difference in density. As this water no longer has the ability to dissolve in the oil, it gets the chance to chemically attack the oil. The oil degrades, which reduces its desired properties, can cause foaming and reduces its lifespan by more than half.
How to prevent moisture?
To prevent this degradation of lubricating oil, on the one hand, it is possible to store the oil under conditioned conditions. After all, with constant temperature and humidity, there is no condensation or sweating of the drums. As this is not an option for many companies, Interflon recommends keeping stocks small. Leave the responsibility for conditioned storage of lubricating oils with the manufacturer and order only what is needed and not based on available storage space.
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