Advice for darkening hydraulic fluid

Hydraulic Fluid Darkening

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On January 22, 2003 we asked ... Tips™ to more than 45,000
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"After pulling a fluid sample from a hydraulic system you notice the to reserve your FREE
hydraulic fluid has become darker. Concerned, you rush the sample to a subscription?
lab for analysis.
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The results of the fluid analysis appear normal: acid number, viscosity
and FTIR-Ox (oxidation) have all remained stable. Format HTML Version
Machinery Lubrication
A quick inspection of the hydraulic system reveals that the hydraulic ✔ Lube-Tips Newsletter
valves have turned goldish in color. What would you do?"
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Winning Answer by Dave Lander, PdM Technician, Temple-Inland
✔ Reliable Plant Mail
Forest Products:

The goldish color on the valves is varnish, which you will likely also find
on all surfaces of the tank, piping, valves and the sight glasses. We never share, rent
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We recently we went through the same problem. Our lab reports were
all normal and the only indication of a problem was the oil’s dark color
and a change in its smell.
Practicing Oil Analysis

We found that the problem was due to thermal stressing of the oil, as
opposed to straight oxidation. After an investigation we discovered that
a valve had failed on a subsystem, forcing oil through a small orifice,
causing it to over heat. Because it was a small localized hot spot in a
large tank and oil cooler, the high temperature was never detected as a
rise in bulk oil temperature. Our first indication of a problem was the
change in the oil’s color.

My suggestion is confirm this suspicion with further oil analysis and if

proven, drain, flush and clean the system with a solvent or an oil that is
compatible with the current operating oil. Also you should check with
Reliable Plant your lube representative or supplier for recommendations and
compatibility. There are also companies out there that will come in and
drain, flush and refill your system. Case Studies

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Oil life extended from six
months to three years.
The fact that the acid number, viscosity or FT-IR-Ox have not changed
indicate that oxidation is not taking place in the hydraulic oil. However,
the golden residue on the valves is a clear sign that varnish is
Squeeze Every Last Cent
precipitating out of the fluid. Since varnish is composed of fluid
degradation by-products, what could be the cause of the fluid From Your Oil
deterioration if it is not oxidation? The answer is thermal degradation Dozens of tips for extending
which occurs in the absence of oxygen. Left untouched, this varnish will lubricant life
impact the valves capability to function properly.

The cause of thermal degradation is heat. Two of the most common How to Reduce Motor
sources of extreme temperatures in a hydraulic system are; a hot spot Bearing Failures
caused from an external heat source in close proximity to the lube Modifying your lubrication
system, or the implosion of entrained bubbles as the bubbles flow from
the reservoir into higher pressure zones like the pumps or valves.
program can improve
reliability.
I would do three things to address this problem before performance

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Advice for darkening hydraulic fluid

issues started occurring.

First, I would confirm that thermal degradation is indeed the source of

the problem. I would ask the laboratory to provide the FT-IR curve, and
instead of looking at the wavenumber region where oxidation levels are
measured (1714 cm-1), I would look for a peak in the nitration region
(1630 cm-1). If so, my theory of thermal degradation would be
substantiated.

Second, I would perform a root cause analysis to investigate the source

of the heat in the system and determine if it is a system design flaw or if
there is a solution that could be engineered to remove this heat source.
If the problem appears to be entrained air, there are technologies
available to remove bubbles from the hydraulic fluid to solve this
problem.

Third, if it is determined that the thermal degradation is a result of

system design, I would utilize a separation technology to remove the
thermal degradation byproducts from the fluid, providing a permanent
band-aid to the varnish formation until system redesign can be
accomplished. Greg Livingstone, Team Leader, Clarus Technologies

Editor's Note: Thanks to everyone that responded. You sent a LOT of

responses to this Readers Challenge and there were a lot of right
answers. We could have picked a lot of winners. Here are just a few of
the responses we received:

In regards to the darkening hydraulic fluid it seems like there has been
excesive heat build up and the darkening of oil is the result of fine
carbon silt in the oil. I would send a sample out for a RBOT test and
view the results for oxidation stability and thermal failure. Using the
results of the RBOT test would give me the justification to change the
hydraulic oil or not.
Butch Shaw, CBM Coordinator, Millar Western Forest Products

There is enough information to start trouble shooting, but I would like to

know a lot more. If the viscosity is stable and the test shows no water,
or oxidation has not gone up, the reservior temperture is probally still
not too hot. I would like to know the size of the reservior, what kind of
cooling system does it have, operating pressure, kind of oil, are there
any signs of intrained air or foaming, and patrical count. I would begin
gathering this information. With out it though, I can only assume that
the oil has air and is starting to implode under pressure and is leaving
deposits on the valve parts and reservior walls. So my answer to the
question it gather the other information needed, analyze the whole
picture to determine the root cause. Jeff Tucker, Lubrication Analyst,
International Paper

Color alone is not a measure of the condition of hydraulic oil. Since

hydraulic oil is hydroscopic and the challenge did not indicate that a
moisture test was done, I would check the moisture level of the fluid and
change if off specification. Moisture in the fluid is probably the most
destructive characteristic, as it will cause an accelerated corrosion of the
hydraulic system components. The oil may also have overheated at
some point which would account for the color and component
discoloration. I would try to determine if the system is functioning
properly, or if indeed there was some malfunction or abuse of the
system that may have resulted in overheating. Warren Heidt, Manager
Technical Services, Coors Brewing Company

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Advice for darkening hydraulic fluid

I would suspect thermal degradation due to aeration. Adiabatic

compression of air bubbles in contact zones can cause extremely high
localized temperatures, leading to sludge, varnish and deposits of the
sort indicated by the newly formed "goldish color" on the hydraulic
valves. The absence of a change in viscosity and the acceptable TAN
value supports this theory, since the overall system would not
necessarily be oxidized by these localized extreme hot spots. In certain
cases, extreme high temperatures can actually lead to a thinning of
viscosity due to molecular cracking, or to no change at all in viscosity.

I would verify that the system had been filled to the proper level, since
over- or underfilling can cause aeration. I would drain the system and
inspect the pump, internal seals, etc., for any sources of leaks that
might cause aeration. I would then refill the system, taking care to fill to
the correct level. To the extent possible, I would observe temperature
readings throughout the system to monitor potential localized hot spots.
I would continue to monitor and inspect until the root cause of aeration
is identified and corrected.
David Krause, Commercial/Industrial Sales Manager, Parman Lubricants
Corporation

I think that the darker color of the hydraulic oil and the goldish color of
the valves indicates varnish accumulation originating from thermal oil
degradation. Oxidative oil degradation does not appear to have taken
place yet due to the satisfactory results of the FTIR-Ox test. All oil
should be drained from the system including the reservoir. The oil
reservoir should be cleaned by confined-space tank cleaning. Filter the
oil back into the reservoir through a high density sieve absorption filter
and an electrostatic oil cleaner. Richard Hill, Mechanical Engineering
Tech, Norfolk Naval Shipyard

Hydraulic valves turning goldish in color could be a sign of varnishing,

despite the oil analysis indicating no problems with the lubricant.
Varnishing could be the result of very high operating temperatures/
pressures. One might look at hydraulic system pump pressures, cooler
functionality if applicable, and check to ensure bypass/pressure reducing
valves are working properly. Because varnishing is related to oxidation,
it would be prudent to change the oil and add new oxidation inhibitors;
especially if it is a small hydraulic system. If the problem persisted and
valves did not turn "brownish," a total system flush would be needed to
stop the oil darkening. Brian Groff, Maintenance Supervisor, Cargill Salt

There is no problem. The oil will change color with age and the staining
is from the oils color at this time. What was the particle count reading?
What type of valve and its material structure? How long has the fluid
been in the system? Did the fluid color change overnight? These are
questions that also need to be answered. Scott Golomb, Maint Tech.
Lubes and Vibes, Northampton Generating

Any time oil is used, the color will gradually darken slightly. If the oil
properties all appear within the normal ranges, I would smell the oil and
check the temperature gauges. If the operating temperatures exceed
140 degrees f. the cooling fan may not be working to its capacity. Larry
Young, Maintenance Planner, Florida's Natural Growers

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Advice for darkening hydraulic fluid

I found a similar situation in a hydraulic power unit used on our main

rubber mixer. Closer scrutiny found the filter on the heat exchanger oil
loop, was in need of changing. The poor flow caused the oil to overheat.
The subsequent discoloration looked very suspicious. Oil analsys
revealed no other negative problems. Joe McLinden, Senior
Manufacturing Mechanic, Callaway Golf Company

Given the background of the problem with varnishing on the valves but
no other oil degradation evident, I would review the infrared spectrum
for indication of nitration in the oil. If the spectrum has spikes in the
1600-1700 wavenumbers (cm-1) region then the oil has probably been
exposed to either micro-dieseling or an extremely hot spot within the
equipment. The root cause of the problem could be pumping aerated oil
or the oil being exposed to an external or an internal heating source
over 400 degrees F. Brian Knoke, Engineer, BCHydro

Recently we went through the same problem. Lab reports were all
normal the only indication of a problem was the dark color and the smell
of the oil had changed. The goldish color on you valves is varnish, which
you will find on all surfaces of the tank, piping, valves and the sight
glasses.

What we found to be the cause of the problem was thermal stressing of

the oil. We had a valve fail on a sub system forcing oil through a small
orifice and over heating the oil. Because it was a small localized hot spot
along with the size of our tank and oil cooler the high temp was never
detected. Our first indication of a problem was the change in color of the
oil.

My suggestion is to drain, flush and clean the system with a solvent or

oil that is compatible with your systems and operating oil. Check with
you lube rep. or supplier for recommendations and compatibility. There
are also companies out there that will come in and drain, flush and refill
you system. Dave Lander, PdM Tech., Temple-Inland Forest Prod.

The collapsing of entrained air bubbles under extreme pressure

generates enough heat to cause accelerated oxidation of hydraulic fluid.
I would install baffle plates just below the return piping to reduce
agitation. An air ejector to remove air and non-condensable gases from
the reservoir will also help.

Finally, I would initiate a slow side stream filtration through an Ion-

Exchange media while I recirculated the fluid in the reservoir through a
vacuum dehydration unit with an attached 2-micron-or-less partical
filter. Initially, the Ion Exchange media will create quite a bit of water
but don't worry about it, the water will actually act as a solvent and help
remove the varnish that has plated out in the system and then be
removed by the vacuum dehydration unit or re-absorbed by the Ion-
Exchange media.

This process will also increase the resistivity of the fluid and keep the
TAN at or below .1. Randy Norton, Plant Maintenance Optimization
Coordinator, Tucson Electric Power Company

1. Resample and submit to lab for verification of previous results.

2. Request additional testing to identify abnormal levels of carbon

insoluables (fine patch 0.2 micron membrane, pentane insoluables

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Advice for darkening hydraulic fluid

ultracentrifuge, blotter spot test, FTIR for nitration). Check test results
indications of additive depletion. Check for increases in specific gravity.
Look for grease like suspensions or sludge formation in the oil.

3. Inspect the hydraulic system. Look for low reservoir levels, plunging
returns or long vertical drops into the reservoir. Use ultrasound to
identify any suction leaks in the system. Use infrared to find operating
temperatures of all components of the system.

4. Depending on results from 1,2 & 3, make repairs/corrections to the

system, replace oil, contact lubricant and equipment manufacturs to
ensure proper product is being utilized. Monitor to verify corrective
measures are adequate. David Richardson, Predictive Maintenance
Technician, Allied Services

It sounds to me that what is going on is a combination of oxidation and

nitration. Since this is the initial form of oxidation it would probably not
show up with analysis yet. It appears this oil is on the borderline, and
when it fails, like most hydraulic oils, it will fail rapidly. The valves are
turning goldish because of deposits being left on them from the oil.

The valves are acting sort of like a filter, and if they're not sticking yet it
will only be a matter of time before they start. If I was not having any
machine problems from this like sticking valves I would just change the
oil and filters. If I was having machine problems like sticking valves I
would run a flushing agent through the system for approx. 24 hours to
dissolve the deposits.

Next, I would try to determine the cause of the problem. If the oil had
been in the system for awhile then it could just be time for an oil
change. If the oil had been in for a short time I would start looking for
hot spots in the system like snub valves on pressure gages stuck open
or oil coolers not functioning / dirty etc. It could also be that the oil type
being used is not of a high enough quality to meet the performance
requirements of the equipment. Clifford Robinaugh, Engineering
Coordinator, Honda of America Mfg.

Even though the oil analysis showed oxidation to be stable, there is

something causing a small amount of oxidation that is creating the
varnish that has darkened the oil and discolored the valves.

This source of oxidation needs to be corrected or preventative measures

must be in place to maintain equipment reliability. A possible source of
oxidation could be air getting into the system. As this air passes through
the pump and compression cycle it becomes hot, oxidizing the small
amount of oil surrounding the air bubble.

Check pump suction lines, turbulence in the tank and other ways that air
might become introduced into the system. Regardless of the cause of
the varnish, a good preventative measure would be to install an
electrostatic separator.

This will remove the varnish particles before they can build up on the
valves and create sluggish response and other performance problems.
The result will be a reliable system and the oil life will be extended.
Robert Niehoff, Supervisor, Plant Services, Iowa State University

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Advice for darkening hydraulic fluid

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