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Contamination Control in Highly
Contaminated Environments
By: David Kolstad, Porous Media
Abstract
The iron, coal, precious metal, and mineral mining industries are
among the most challenging environments in which lubrication and
hydraulic systems are required to operate. These mining facilities
subject L&H systems and components to extreme levels of
contamination that are rarely seen in other manufacturing
environments. In addition, the massive scale of the processes
ensures that every instance of lost production, scheduled or
otherwise, results in great material and labor expense as well as lost
revenue. Finally, as these processes continue to grow older while
simultaneously being pushed harder, the cumulative wear and tear on
equipment is reaching a critical stage.
In one situation that we will describe, an iron ore processing
facility was shown to be able to reduce the material and labor
expenses associated with replacing lube oil pumps by more than
$2.3MM annually. Remarkably, the one-time cost associated with
upgrading the oil conditioning equipment was less than $200K,
resulting in a first year annualized savings of over $2MM.
In this paper, we will present details of this application as well as
others in which it has been shown that even highly contaminated
environments can be economically upgraded through the proper use
of high performance fluid filtration solutions. Other examples:
Concentrator bearing lube oil systems were originally designed
using fifty-five resin bonded, nominally rated filter elements
(2.5 by 30). As a result, element life, fluid quality, and
changeout efforts were less than optimal. These systems are
being upgraded to utilize seven high capacity pleated elements,
significantly extending element life and reducing changeout time
and effort without any existing housing modifications or
process changes.
Obsolete screen type filters that had been requiring custom built
filter elements (the original manufacturer had ceased production
some time back) have been replaced with substantially smaller,
high performance technology. The result is a significant
reduction in equipment footprint as well as overall
improvements to the fluid condition while simultaneously
reducing operating costs.
Nominally rated and bypass prone duplex filtration systems have
been replaced with high capacity, Beta rated simplex filtration
systems, resulting in ISO cleanliness code improvements of 2-4
classes and the elimination of filter bypass.
In an underground mining application, small volume, splash
lubricated gear boxes that have never had in situ fluid
conditioning have been upgraded using panel mounted kidney
filtration systems that remove both particulate and moisture
/ Contamination Control
contaminants, significantly extending fluid and equipment life
and eliminating unnecessary maintenance shutdowns.
Introduction
For years, original equipment manufacturers, lubricant
manufacturers and suppliers, educators, and other industry
specialists have advocated the use of high efficiency fluid filtration
and conditioning devices to protect high performance bearings and
machinery. In support of this effort, there has been a significant
volume of data generated, documenting that the investment in
upgrading these critical processes is worthwhile. As a result,
substantial improvements have been made in the conditioning of the
lubrication and hydraulic fluid used in many high speed or close
tolerance applications.
At the same time, lower speed, lower tolerance processes are
often overlooked or ignored when strategic planning determines
which processes and equipment would benefit most from improved
fluid conditioning practices. Historically, there are a number of
reasons given as to why these processes should be omitted from
fluid conditioning upgrade plans:
The process and/or environment is too highly contaminated
The cost and frequency of element changeout would be too high
if filtration was improved
The existing filtration systems are too old
The gearbox is so small; the oil can be dumped when it gets dirty
The clearances in the machinery are so large; better fluid
conditioning is unnecessary
In reality, improvements to these types of processes can also
result in significant bottom line value while simultaneously improving
equipment reliability. With properly sized filtration technology and
attention to the mitigation of contaminant ingression, most processes
are not too dirty, and the changeout frequency and cost are not
necessarily prohibitive. In other cases the machine clearances and
loads may be extremely large and particles in the sub-50 micron
range may not be thought to be particularly harmful to the primary
equipment, but when pumps, control valves, etc., are also given full
consideration, the overall cost of contamination in these processes
may still prove to be very high.
Contamination
The most common method for assessing the condition of L&H
fluids is bottle sampling. In many cases, bottle samples are sent to
an outside lab periodically. This can be performed monthly, quarterly,
or annually, depending on the size of the system and how critical it is
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Figure 1: ISO Classes
Figure 2: ISO Cleanliness Reporting
Figure 3: ISO Cleanliness Reporting
to the overall process. The results are then monitored for significant
changes over the course of time. For particulate contamination, the
most common method of reporting these results is through the ISO
Cleanliness Code.
The results are reported as either a 2 or 3 number classification.
The classification would generally be in the form of 18/16/13 or in the
short form as 16/13. The numbers represent the ISO Class (Figure 1)
for particle counts in the sizes ranges of 4 m and larger / 6 m and
larger /14 m and larger or just the 6 m and 14m classes for 2
number results.
Based on the example for ISO results of 18/16/13, the actual
number of particles per size range is shown in Figure 2. One aspect
of this method of cleanliness classification that should be recognized
is that each time a sample moves up one ISO Class, the level of
contamination can potentially be doubled. For example, if the ISO
class for any one number in the code increases by just one point (i.e.
from 18 to 19) the allowable contamination level doubles. In Figure 3
the particle counts for an ISO classification of 19/16/13 are shown.
As can be seen in the data, the number of potential particles in the 6
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Figure 4: Life Extension Factors for Gear Boxes
and 14 micron size range remain unchanged, but the allowable
number of particles in the 4 micron range has doubled.
Equipment life extension is a useful tool for assessing the long-
term value to a specific process that would be associated with
improved fluid conditioning methods. Different types of life extension
tables have been printed in a number of Noria publications. In Figure
4, we have reprinted the data from one of these tables, which is
applicable to heavy mining equipment such as gear boxes.
As shown in the data, even moderate improvements in fluid
condition can have a significant impact on the useful life of the type
of equipment commonly used in the mining industry. This, in turn,
can have a measurable impact on plant throughput (less downtime)
as well as maintenance expenses (reduced labor and materials). For
example, equipment normally operating at ISO 24/21 would be
expected to last twice as long if the fluid was maintained at ISO
19/16, and three times as long at ISO 17/14.
Example 1: Eliminating Pump Failures
At one iron ore mining facility, the circulating oil pumps in the
concentrating area of the plant had a long history of failure after only
a short time in service. The process was comprised of 16 zones,
each with 3 lubrication circuits, for a total of 48 lines. The pumps in
this application were typically lasting just a few weeks, resulting in
an annual replacement cost of $48,000 per line or $2,300,000 total
per year.
A review of the historical oil analysis revealed that all of the lube
oil systems were almost constantly in a highly contaminated
condition. Continuous operation with this level of contamination was
thought to be the root cause behind the history of excessive pump
failure. Examination of the process indicated that:
1. The nature of the manufacturing environment ensured that high
rates of contaminant ingression were likely to continue.
2. The filters being used were of a nominally rated style or sock
filter style (Figure 5). In this application, the filters had a
tendency to surface load with contamination, causing the
elements to have a limited dirt holding capacity. As a result, the
pressure bypass around the filter housing would generally be at
least partially open.
3. The housing design relied on a compression nut on the element
to create the element seal. This type of sealing mechanism
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Figure 5: Sock Filters
made fluid bypass at the upper and lower element sealing
surfaces quite likely, further limiting the filtration effectiveness.
Following the process review, it was concluded that the best way to
minimize pump failures would be to make significant improvements to
the overall fluid conditioning methods. Making these upgrades with the
existing housing design did not appear practical; as a result the customer
opted to replace the old style sock filter housings with new housings that
would be better suited to the application. The new housings (Figure 6)
had several features that were going to be beneficial:
Each line would have a single housing with a single element,
6.5 by 38 long
The elements had a pleated configuration,
offering an extended surface area to
maximize the overall dirt holding capacity
The element sealed into the housing using
an O-ring seal, preventing fluid bypass
The housing used a quick-opening clamp
style closure to make element changeout
less time consuming
Multiple filtration grades are available: 25
micron filtration was chosen as a starting
point with the potential to lower the rating
to 12 or 6 micron in the future.
Initial results indicate that the lines that have
been upgraded are maintaining very high levels
of fluid quality. The primary mills have seen
contamination ratings of ISO 15/13/11 and the
secondary mills are at ISO 18/15/12. At the 14
micron particle size range, this equates to a
contaminant reduction of 99.9%. Most
importantly, they have been able to operate the
upgraded lines for over a year without pump
Figure 6: New
failure.
Filter Housing
/ Contamination Control
The associated costs of the upgrade have been minimal. The cost
to purchase and install the filter housing: less than $4,000, with an
annual filter usage of $1,000-$2,000. Based the original annualized
maintenance cost of $48,000 per line, the upgrade is projected to
achieve a first year savings of more than $40,000 per line (or
$1.9MM overall).
Example 2: Reducing Element Consumption
At another facility, the bearing lubrication systems were designed
with slipstream filtration and cooling circuits. Each of the nine
reservoirs has a circulation system consisting of a pump, duplex
filtration housing, and a water cooled exchanger. The fluid is pumped
from the reservoir through the filters and the cooler and back into the
reservoir.
Operating Conditions: ISO 220 or 320 Oil
Reservoir Volume 1,200 gallons
Reservoir Temperature 80-110 oF
Circulation Rate 135 GPM
Each of the filter housings was 24 in diameter and held a total of
55 nominally rated, resin bonded filter elements (2.5 by 30).
Depending upon how rapidly the elements fouled and how quickly the
flow was switched from the on-line to the stand-by housing, element
change-out could require anywhere from 4 to 12 hours of
maintenance labor. Furthermore, during system upsets, situations
had occurred where a single filtration circuit consumed over 600 filter
elements over a 2-3 day period.
Review of the system revealed the following:
1. During element change-out, maintenance had to insert a cup
and spring assembly into the top end of each element and then
carefully close the cover on the vessel. If any of the springs
were dislodged or askew, the element would not seal.
2. If elements were allowed to run too long before switching to the
stand-by housing, they could collapse onto the support bars.
When this happened, the support v-bars had to be removed and
each element manually cut off of each bar.
3. The elements were 2.5 by 30 depth style elements. With 55
elements, the system was limited to 86 square feet of media
surface area. At 135 GPM, this creates an element flux rate of
1.6 GPM/ft2.
4. Due to high contamination levels, oil samples were not tested
for particulate contamination.
5. During system upsets, maintenance efforts needed to be
completely focused on changing filter elements, preventing other
necessary maintenance tasks from being completed.
The objectives of the project upgrade were to protect the
lubricated equipment through improved fluid quality, extend the life of
filter elements, and to make element change-out quicker and easier
for maintenance. In order to improve fluid quality, the plan was to
upgrade the housing using elements based on high performance
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Figure 7: Filter Vessel
microfiber media technology, which were Beta rated at x=1,000. In
addition, all internal seals would be positive O-ring style seals,
preventing potential fluid bypass.
To make change-out quicker and easier, the number of elements
would be reduced from 55 to 7, each significantly larger at 6.5 by
28 long. Each element would have a handle for ease of removal and
the need for springs and sealing cups has been eliminated.
Finally, since the new elements were of an extended area, pleated
configuration, the surface area of each element was increased to 46
ft2, resulting in a total surface area of 322 ft2, resulting in nearly 4
times the usable filtration area and a more appropriate 0.4 GPM/ft2
flux rate.
The process was accomplished in the following manner:
All of the filter elements, v-bars, and seat cups were removed
(Figure 8)
A machined 2 high spacer ring (23.5 diameter) was positioned
at the bottom of the housing
A new tube sheet (Figure 9) with semi-permanent element
support cores (Figure 10) was placed on top of the spacer ring
Compression bars were installed to secure the tube sheet and
spacer ring in place as well as ensure proper sealing of spacer
ring O-rings
The new elements were installed and the vessel put into
service (Figure 7)
The first systems placed into service indicate that the upgrade has
successfully achieved the projects goals. The filter elements have
achieved a 4 month service life and are maintaining excellent fluid
quality. Oil analysis indicates contamination ratings of ISO 20/15/13,
a substantial improvement over the initial ratings of >ISO 24. Based
on the life extension table shown in Figure 4, this would be expected
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Figure 8: V-bars & Seat Cups
to extend the life of the processing machinery by 4-5 times.
The one-time capital cost for upgrading each of the systems was
less than $4,000 per vessel. Operationally, with an element life of 4
months, on-going operating costs will be less than $6,000 per year,
per system. While the resin bonded cartridges were quite
inexpensive (< $4 each), after all materials, labor, and the higher
frequency of change-out are factored in, the operating cost of the
system with improved fluid quality will be equal or less than the
original system.
Example 3: Obsolete Equipment
The gearboxes on the primary crushing stage at an ore mining
facility were originally equipped with a large serial filtration system.
The system was comprised of two 24 diameter filter vessels in
series. The ISO320 lubricant was pumped from the reservoir, through
the filters the first housing held 32 wire screen elements, the
second held 32 pleated paper style elements. Downstream of the
filters, the fluid went directly to the gearbox. In order to prevent any
potential for oil starvation to the crusher, an external bypass line was
also installed around the housings. If the combined filter differential
pressure became too high, the bypass was intended to allow
uninterrupted flow to the gearbox.
Even with the original filtration system in place, the oil in the
system would continuously buildup excessively high levels of
contamination. As a result, once a month, maintenance would need
to bring a portable filter cart to each of the 3 lines to provide
additional fluid cleaning.
The root cause of the continuous contamination buildup appeared
to be due to the systems spring loaded bypass valve (Figure 11)
being open nearly all of the time, allowing a significant amount of the
fluid to remain unfiltered. Initially, the set point of the bypass was
increased to prevent it from being open at all times. This, in turn
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Figure 9: New Tube Sheet
caused the filters to see the entire system flow and contamination
load, and as a consequence, they required change-out more
frequently than operation would like. As a result, the valve was
returned to the original setting.
At the same time, the original manufacturer had stopped
manufacturing the screen style elements. Another manufacturer had
agreed to custom manufacture a replacement element, but after a
short period of time ceased production as well.
Examination of the pleated paper style elements indicated that they
may be unsuitable for continued use as they did not provide high
contaminant holding capacity, particularly with the high viscosity fluid
being used in this application.
The potential for upgrading the filters in both housings was
evaluated. The plan was to eliminate the screen filters as they were
too coarse. Secondly, they wanted to upgrade the pleated paper
style elements with a synthetic media to get more consistent
filtration efficiency and higher dirt holding capacity. After additional
discussions with the maintenance technicians and engineers, it was
felt that the space constraints within the work area made continued
use of the large housings impractical. The original filtration system
required a 3 by 6 floor space and overhead piping interfered with the
ability to easily change filter elements.
Preliminary fluid sampling indicated that if they were able to
continually keep a fluid filtration system in service and without
bypass that it should be possible for a new filtration system to keep
up with the rate of contamination ingression. With that in mind, the
existing filtration systems were completely removed and discarded.
Since the new systems would use quick-opening v-band closures,
element change-out could be accomplished quickly and without tools.
/ Contamination Control
Figure 10: Filter Elements
With this in mind, a target element change-out frequency of once
every 2 months was chosen as an acceptable rate.
New triplex full-flow filtration systems, with a significantly smaller
footprint (approximately 18 by 30), were installed (Figure 12). An
integral manifold on the new systems enabled the flow to be evenly
split between three housings, each with a single 6.5 by 38 filter
element. The GenesisTM glass microfiber filter elements provide high
dirt holding capacity and are rated for 25 micron solids removal. In
addition, the elements have an optimized deep pleat configuration
that allows for extra life.
Knowing that the systems were already highly contaminated,
flushing equipment was brought in to clean the fluid prior to starting
operation of the new triplex filtration units. In operation, the
upgraded system has been able to maintain acceptable fluid quality
(ISO 20/16/14) as well as meeting the target change-out frequency of
every other month.
Economically, the cost per change-out has been reduced from
$1,869 to $1,020 per line. Based on 3 lines, each requiring 6 change-
outs per year, the new systems are projected to reduce operating
expenses by $15,282. The payback cycle for the capital equipment
upgrade will be approximately 18 months.
Example 4: Nominally Rated Filters
OEM equipment manufacturers often select filtration equipment
based on the least costly technology that will attain an acceptable
equipment life. In many cases, the primary goal is to simply get
through the warrantee period. Within lubrication and hydraulic
systems, one way to do this is to minimize the physical hardware
being used to house the filtration elements. As a result, it is not
uncommon for filtration systems to be subjected to excessive flux
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Figure 11: Bypass Valve

rates and/or nominally rated filter media, either of which can limit the
users options for improving fluid quality.

Elements operating at high flow rates per unit surface area (flux
rate) can limit system performance in several ways. In aggressively
sized applications, a significant portion of the filter surface area may
be required to simply maintain fluid flow, making it impractical to
increase fluid filtration efficiency. If an attempt is made to increase
filtration efficiency while continuing to use the same style filter media,
the element life may become too short for sustained operation.
At the same time, nominally rated elements can create limitations
as well. In one particular application, the OEM equipment consisted
of a set of two filter housings in series, each containing a single 6 by
28 bag style filter (Figure 13). This type of filter element is
comprised of a single layer of polymeric media with a very open pore
structure. Since it is a single bag, the element surface area is limited
to less than 4 ft2 per element, limiting the overall dirt hold capacity of
the element format. Even if a bag was manufactured from more
efficient filter media, the high flux rate would cause element life to
become prohibitive.
In operation, it was found that the nominally rated filter elements
would initially begin to build differential pressure very quickly. Once
the differential pressure began to rise, operations would generally
partially open a bypass line (bypassing both filtration stages). As a
result of contamination, it had become necessary to drain, discard,
and replace the lube oil several times per year. Over recent periods,
it had become necessary to do so an average of 5 times per year.
With each system containing 200 gallons of oil and more than 40
systems total, this resulted in the consumption of 40,000 gallons of
oil. At $4-$5 per gallon, the material cost alone would be $160,000
to $200,000 per year.
Figure 12: Triplex System
In order to increase oil life, it was necessary to increase filtration
performance while at the same time obtaining a suitable filter life and
overall operating cost. To do so, the duplex filter assemblies were
removed and replaced with a single filter assembly. The new
assembly utilized a high capacity pleated style filter element, with
microfiber media and wire screen support for use with high viscosity
lube oil (Figure 14).
A manual bypass line was also installed so that element change-
out could be performed without needing to shut down the entire
process. However, the original pressure bypass line was removed to
prevent unwanted filter bypass.
Since being upgraded, periodic oil samples have shown that the
fluid quality is now being properly maintained. Average ISO
Cleanliness codes range from 19/17/13 to 18/15/12, compared to
21/19/14 prior to upgrading. This cleanliness improvement reflects
the elimination of approximately 75% of all contaminants from the
system. Since the elements were designed for long life and the oil
circulation rate is low, the system flux rate is also low. As a result,
they have been able to limit filter changes to approximately 4 element
changes per year. At $340 per element, the total operating cost of

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was going to be a benefit

Since there was no oil circulation system, a dedicated pump
was integrated into the assembly
The systems were installed on each of the gear boxes as a kidney
loop filtration circuit (Figure 15). Using a 1 GPM gear pump,
designed for continual operation, oil is drawn from the reservoir,
through a 3 micron filter element, followed by a water absorbing filter
element. The clean oil is then returned to the reservoir.

Following installation, all of the facilitys oil reservoirs have been

able to maintain ISO cleanliness levels of 16/14/12 with no moisture
contamination being detected. Going forward, it is expected that this
improved fluid conditioning will ensure a long life for the lubricant as
well as minimize the potential for gear box failures.

Figure 13: OEM Duplex
each system becomes $1,360 per year ($54,400 for 40 systems).
At the same time, they have been able to reduce the frequency of
oil replacement dramatically, now averaging 1-2 changes per year.
This amounts to a total oil consumption of 8,000 to 16,000 gallons
per year or, based on the previous cost of oil, oil expenses are
reduced to $32,000 to $80,000. If the filtration costs are also
considered, the total operating cost has been reduced by $65,000 to
$114,000 per year.
Summary
These examples illustrate some of the different strategies and
technologies that can be applied to lubrication and hydraulic systems
that are situated in environments prone to high levels of
contamination. And, more importantly, they have enabled operations
and reliability teams to significantly increase the quality of lubricant
and hydraulic oil conditioning within their facilities, ensuring better
machinery life as well as extending fluid life.

Example 5: Gear Box Upgrades

On small volume systems such as gear boxes, it is not uncommon
for manufacturers to eliminate on-line filtration altogether. In these
situations, when the oil becomes contaminated, the users are advised
to drain the fluid and refill with new oil. Unfortunately, it is often
difficult to fully drain the system, especially if the system is designed
with any sort of external piping. When this happens, the condition of
the new oil is immediately diminished through mixing with the highly
contaminated old oil.

In a particular deep mining application, the maintenance requirements Figure 14: Simplex Upgrade
and lost operating time associated with maintaining a number of small
gear boxes became an issue. The location of the systems made routine
service very difficult, and there was resulting concern that this could
lead to very serious and costly equipment failures.

Evaluation of the application led to the outlining of several key

design parameters.
Space was constrained, so an overall size envelope of 10 by
20 by 20 (including element change clearance) was requested
For ease of installation, the unit was to be designed to mount
directly on the side of each of the gearboxes
On occasion trace moisture could enter the system, so water
absorbing elements were required along with particle filters
The ambient environment had the potential to damage spin-on
canisters or plastic housings, so rugged aluminum construction
Figure 15: Panel Mount Duplex

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