How to choose a suitable vacuum oil filter based on oil characteristics

1. Analysis of oil characteristics

Impurity type and content

Solid particle impurities:

Many oil products will be mixed with solid impurities such as metal wear particles and sand during use. For example, the lubricating oil used in the mechanical processing industry will contain metal particles such as iron filings and copper filings due to the wear of the equipment. If the content of solid particle impurities is high, it is necessary to select a vacuum oil filter with a higher filtration accuracy. Generally speaking, for oil products containing a large number of tiny solid particles (such as particle size less than 10μm), an oil filter with a filtration accuracy of 5μm or even smaller should be selected to effectively intercept these impurities.

For some special oil products, such as grease containing fiber impurities, special filters or filter media may be required to prevent fibers from clogging the filter material. For example, some lubricating oils used in the textile industry may be mixed with textile fibers. In this case, it is necessary to select filter materials with anti-clogging functions, such as filters with oleophobic coatings on the surface, to ensure smooth filtration.

Colloid and asphaltene impurities:

Crude oil and its processed products often contain colloid and asphaltene. These impurities will darken the color of the oil and may precipitate at low temperatures, affecting the fluidity and performance of the oil. For oils containing more colloids and asphaltene, such as heavy fuel oil, it is necessary to select an oil filter with strong adsorption capacity. Some vacuum oil filters that use activated carbon or special adsorption fibers as filter media can effectively remove these impurities, because activated carbon has a rich pore structure that can adsorb colloid and asphaltene molecules.

Moisture content:

The moisture in the oil comes from various sources, which may be moisture absorbed from the air due to poor sealing during storage, or it may be mixed during use. For example, hydraulic oil in a hydraulic system working in a humid environment is easily contaminated by moisture. For oils with a high water content (such as a water content greater than 0.5%), it is necessary to select a vacuum oil filter with strong vacuum dehydration ability. Oil filters with high vacuum (generally the vacuum should reach more than 90kPa) and a large suction rate can remove moisture more effectively. Because in a high vacuum environment, moisture can be vaporized at a lower temperature and then discharged by the suction system.

Gas content:

A certain amount of gas may be dissolved in oil during production, transportation or use. For example, the gas dissolved in transformer oil may affect its insulation performance. For oil with high gas content, a vacuum oil filter with good degassing function should be selected. This type of oil filter is usually more sophisticated in vacuum system design, which can make the gas escape from the oil under vacuum environment and be discharged through the exhaust system.

Oil viscosity

Low viscosity oil:

Low viscosity oils such as gasoline and kerosene have good fluidity. When selecting a vacuum oil filter, the pressure requirement for the filtration system is relatively low. However, since low viscosity oils are prone to leakage, the sealing performance of the oil filter should be good. At the same time, impurities and moisture in low viscosity oils are more likely to disperse during the flow process, and it is necessary to select an oil filter with high-efficiency filtration and dehydration functions to ensure that these pollutants can be quickly removed. For example, for gasoline filtration, a vacuum oil filter with fine filter paper and high-speed centrifugal separation device can be selected. The centrifugal separation device can use the fluidity of gasoline to quickly separate impurities and moisture.

High viscosity oil: High viscosity oils, such as heavy oils and some gear oils, have poor fluidity. During the filtration process, the oil needs to be heated to reduce its viscosity and improve the filtration efficiency. Therefore, for high viscosity oils, a vacuum oil filter with a good heating system should be selected. The heating system should be able to accurately control the temperature. Generally, the heating temperature of high viscosity oils can be set between 60-100℃ according to their specific viscosity and composition. Moreover, since high viscosity oils have high pressure requirements during filtration, the pressure resistance of the pump and filtration system of the oil filter should also be good enough to ensure that the oil can be filtered smoothly through the filter material.

Chemical stability and sensitivity of oil products

Oils with poor chemical stability: Some oils, such as light oils containing unsaturated hydrocarbons, have poor chemical stability and are prone to chemical reactions such as oxidation and polymerization under conditions of high temperature, light or contact with air. When choosing a vacuum oil filter, avoid choosing an oil filter that will cause the oil to be overheated or exposed to strong oxidizing substances. For example, for oil products with poor chemical stability, the heating temperature cannot be too high, and the filtration process should be carried out in an environment that is as air-tight as possible. You can choose a vacuum oil filter with an inert gas protection system to fill the oil with inert gases such as nitrogen during the filtration process to prevent the oil from oxidizing.

Oil products sensitive to impurities:

Insulating oil is very sensitive to impurities and moisture. For example, transformer oil, even if it contains very small amounts of moisture and impurities, will affect its insulation performance. For such oil products that are sensitive to impurities, it is necessary to choose a vacuum oil filter with high-precision filtration and efficient dehydration and degassing functions. The filtration accuracy is usually 1-3μm, and the vacuum system must be able to reduce the water content in the oil to an extremely low level (such as less than 0.01%), and the degassing must be thorough to ensure that the insulation performance of the oil is not affected.

2. Matching of vacuum oil filter types and characteristics with oil products

Vacuum separation oil filter

Features:

This oil filter mainly relies on vacuum separation technology to remove moisture and gas from the oil. Its vacuum system is powerful and can produce a high vacuum degree, generally between 90 - 98kPa. It vaporizes water and escapes gas in a vacuum environment, and then discharges it.

Applicable oil products:

Applicable to oil products with high water and gas content, such as industrial lubricating oil, transformer oil, etc. For lubricating oil with a water content of more than 0.3%, the vacuum separation oil filter can effectively reduce the moisture to a qualified level. For transformer oil, it can remove moisture while degassing and restore the insulation performance of transformer oil. For example, in the power industry, when transformer oil contains a certain amount of dissolved gas and moisture due to long-term use, the vacuum separation oil filter can purify it to meet the use requirements of power equipment.

Precision filtration vacuum oil filter

Features:

The precision filtration vacuum oil filter focuses on the removal of solid impurities in oil products. It uses high-precision filter materials, such as multi-layer filter paper, fine filter mesh or fiber filter materials, and the filtration accuracy can reach 1 - 5μm. At the same time, it also has a certain vacuum dehydration function, but the vacuum degree may be slightly lower than that of the vacuum separation oil filter, generally between 80-90kPa.

Applicable oil products:

Suitable for oil products containing more solid particle impurities. For example, cutting oil and hydraulic oil used in the machinery manufacturing industry are easily mixed with solid impurities such as metal chips during the processing process. The precision filtration vacuum oil filter can effectively remove these impurities and restore the oil to a clean state. For some equipment oils that are sensitive to solid impurities, such as lubricating oil for precision machine tools, this oil filter can also meet their requirements for cleanliness.

Multifunctional comprehensive vacuum oil filter

Features:

The multifunctional comprehensive vacuum oil filter integrates multiple functions such as vacuum separation, precision filtration, heating, and degassing. Its vacuum system can flexibly adjust the vacuum degree as needed, and the filtration accuracy can also be adjusted by replacing the filter material. The heating system can accurately control the temperature according to the viscosity and characteristics of the oil, and the general temperature control range is between 20-100℃.

Applicable oil products: This oil filter has the widest application range and can be used for filtering and purifying almost all kinds of oil products. Whether it is a complex oil product containing a variety of impurities (solid particles, moisture, gas, colloid, etc.), or a special oil product with strict requirements on cleanliness, water content, gas content, etc., such as aviation lubricating oil, special insulating oil, etc., the multifunctional comprehensive vacuum oil filter can play its advantages and achieve effective purification of oil products by adjusting different functional parameters.

3. Actual case analysis

Case 1: Filtration of automobile engine lubricating oil

Oil product characteristics analysis:

Automobile engine lubricating oil will be mixed with solid impurities such as metal wear particles and dust during use, and may absorb a certain amount of water due to the working environment of the engine. Its viscosity is relatively moderate and its chemical stability is good, but it is more sensitive to solid impurities, because solid impurities will accelerate the wear of engine parts.

Oil filter selection and effect: It is more appropriate to choose a precision filtration vacuum oil filter. This oil filter can remove solid particle impurities through high-precision filter materials, and the filtration accuracy can be set to 3-5μm, which can effectively intercept metal particles and dust. At the same time, its vacuum dehydration function can reduce the water content in the lubricating oil to a lower level and prevent the lubricating oil from emulsifying. The impurity content of the lubricating oil treated by the oil filter is significantly reduced, which can extend the service life of the engine lubricating oil, reduce the wear of engine parts, and improve the working efficiency of the engine.

Case 2: Purification of large transformer oil

Oil characteristics analysis:

Transformer oil is extremely sensitive to impurities and moisture. Even a small amount of moisture and impurities will affect its insulation and heat dissipation performance. Transformer oil may dissolve a certain amount of gas during operation, and may be contaminated after long-term use, containing a small amount of solid particles and moisture.

Oil filter selection and effect:

Multifunctional comprehensive vacuum oil filter is the best choice. This oil filter can use its high vacuum separation function to reduce the water content in transformer oil to less than 0.01%, while completely removing dissolved gases. Its precision filtration function can remove solid particle impurities, and the filtration accuracy can reach 1-3μm. The heating system can control the oil temperature in an appropriate range to improve the filtration and dehydration and degassing efficiency. After the purification, the insulation and heat dissipation performance of the transformer oil are significantly restored, which can ensure the safe and stable operation of the transformer.

4. Precautions in the selection process

Clear the main characteristics and purification targets of the oil

Before selecting a vacuum oil filter, the main characteristics of the oil, such as the type and content of impurities, water content, viscosity, chemical stability, etc., should be analyzed in detail. At the same time, it is necessary to clarify the purification target of the oil, such as whether to mainly remove moisture, remove solid impurities, or purify the oil comprehensively. Based on this information, the types of oil filters that meet the requirements are preliminarily screened out.

Considering the performance parameters of the oil filter

Filtration accuracy: According to the size of solid particle impurities in the oil and the requirements for cleanliness, select an oil filter with appropriate filtration accuracy. If the cleanliness requirements of the oil are extremely high, such as insulating oil used for cooling electronic equipment, the filtration accuracy should be selected as 1-3μm.

Vacuum degree and pumping rate: For oil products that need to remove moisture and gas, pay attention to the vacuum degree and pumping rate of the oil filter. The higher the vacuum degree and the faster the pumping rate, the more conducive to the removal of moisture and gas. For example, for oil products with high water content, the vacuum degree should not be less than 90kPa, and the pumping rate should be reasonably selected according to factors such as the oil processing volume and water content.

Heating system: If the oil viscosity is high, you need to choose an oil filter with a good heating system. The temperature control range of the heating system should be able to meet the viscosity reduction requirements of the oil, and the temperature control should be precise to prevent the oil from overheating.

Pay attention to the quality and reliability of the oil filter

Choose an oil filter with a good reputation and brand reputation. You can check the manufacturer qualifications and user reviews of the oil filter. A reliable oil filter has guarantees in terms of the quality of the filter material, the stability of the vacuum system, and the safety of the heating system. At the same time, consider the maintenance cost and after-sales service of the oil filter, and choose an oil filter that is easy to maintain and has convenient accessories supply, so that problems can be solved in time during use.

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