Thermal Oil and Heat Transfer Fluid Resources

Many facility operators often overlook the startup and shutdown of their heat transfer system and its effect on the heat transfer fluids. The proper operation of a heat transfer system is critical for fluid longevity, overall heat transfer efficiency, and maintenance cost reduction. In this article, we present several good practices applicable to the startup and shutdown...

(Part I) Even under the best conditions, a heat transfer fluid will eventually degrade. Commonly this happens over time due to a process known as oxidation — the chemical reaction that takes place between a fluid and oxygen. It’s an inevitability that ultimately brings the fluid’s useful life to an end. But it also happens due to contaminants, overheating and numerous...

Problem: Thermal Cracking Thermal Cracking or degradation occurs when a fluid is heated above the maximum bulk temperature causing the covalent Carbon-Carbon bond to disintegrate into electrovalent bonds. This leads to the formation of molecules with lower molecular weights than the original molecule. Thermal cracking causes a reduction in viscosity, flash point, fire...