Hydraulics & Pneumatics

MMC 209
Units – 3
Hydraulic Oils
Instructor: Dr. Ajit Kumar

Department of Mining Machinery Engineering

IIT (ISM) Dhanbad
18-02-2022 1
Objectives
• Describe the various functions a hydraulic fluid performs in a fluid power
system.
• Identify and explain the general properties of a liquid that would make it
suitable as a hydraulic fluid.
• Name and describe the general categories of materials that are commonly used
as hydraulic fluids.
• Explain the terms used to describe the basic characteristics of hydraulic
fluids.
• Explain procedures to follow for the selection and performance monitoring of
hydraulic fluids.
• Describe appropriate procedures for handling, storage, and disposal of
hydraulic fluid.
Introduction
• Hydraulic fluid is a medium to transfer power in the
system or the machinery. Hydraulic fluids play a very
important role in the developing world.

• The fluids are classified on the basis of their viscosity,

which makes a chart which is useful for the industries to
select the fluid for the particular function.

• The classifications ranges from a simple ISO

(International Organization for Standardization) to the
recent classification ASTM D 6080-97 (classifying
based on viscosity).
 Contd…
• Fluids used in mobile and stationary machinery must be effective
in the transmission of power from the source to provide
consistent and reliable response, safe operation, and optimum
efficiency.
 Why a good hydraulic oil?
• Most new machines operating today are more demanding and precise,
hence pump configurations have changed:
― Systems demand more accuracy.
― Filtering at much finer measures.
― System designs are getting more compact.
― Bearing designs and quality have improved. Hence they are getting
smaller (small is cheaper to make), yet carrying more load and
subjected to higher speeds and temperature.
 Contd…
― To meet these needs, pumps are upgraded for higher flows and pressures.
― Some piston pumps can cost over lakh of rupees.
― Downtime in a plant can cost several thousand rupees per minute.

=
Functions of a Hydraulic Fluid
• Hydraulic fluid performs the following primary functions:
― Power transmission (pressure and motion transmission).
― Signal transmission for control.
• Secondary Functions:
― Lubrication of rotating and translating components to avoid friction
and wear.
― Heat transport, away from the location of heat generation, usually
into the reservoir.
― Transport of particles to the filter.
― Protection of surfaces from chemical attack, especially corrosion.
 Contd…
In a nutshell, the functions of a hydraulic fluid can be
categorised into four primary jobs:
• Transmission of power.
• Lubrication of moving parts.
• Sealing of clearances between mating parts.
• Dissipation of heat.
Hydraulic Fluid Requirements
• Functional
– Good lubrication characteristics
– Viscosity should not depend strongly on temperature and pressure
– Good heat conductivity
– Low heat expansion coefficient
– Large elasticity modulus
• Economic
– Low price
– Slow ageing and thermal and chemical stability ⇒long life cycle
 Contd…
• Safety
– High flash point or in certain cases not inflammable at all.
– Chemically neutral (not aggressive at all against all materials it
touches).
– Low air dissolving capability, not inclined to foam formation.
• Environmental friendliness
– No environmental harm.
– No toxic effect.
Properties of a Hydraulic Fluid
• The essential properties of a hydraulic fluid are as follows:
― Good Lubricity
― Stable Viscosity Characteristics
― Large Bulk Modulus
― Good Heat Dissipation
― Flash Point
― Low Foaming Tendency
― Low Volatility
― Low Density
― Fire Resistant
― Prevent Rust Formation
― Non-toxic, Easy to handle & Available
 Contd…
 Good Lubricity
− Lubricity is the ability of an oil to lubricate
hydraulic components with adequate clearance
to run a substantial lubrication film.
− The component in a hydraulic system contain
many surface which are in close contact and
which move in relation to each other. The
hydraulic fluid must separate and lubricate such
surfaces.
− Protection against wear is a principal reason for
selecting a fluid having good lubrication
characteristics as a hydraulic medium.
 Contd…
 Good Heat Dissipation
− An important requirement of the fluid is
to carry heat away from the working
parts.
− Pressure drops, mechanical friction, fluid
friction, leakages, all generate heat.
− The fluid must carry the generated heat
away and readily dissipate it to the
atmosphere or coolers.
− Therefore, high thermal conductivity and
high specific heat values are desirable in
the fluid chosen.
 Contd…
 Flash Point
− The flash point of a hydraulic oil is
defined as the temperature at which
flashes will be generated when oil
is brought into contact with any
heated matter, e.g., a heat stick.
− Low flash point oils are not use as
Hydraulic Oil.
 Contd…
 Low Foaming Tendency
− Foam results from air or other gases becoming entrained in
the hydraulic fluid. Air enters a hydraulic system through the
reservoir or through air leaks within the system.
− A hydraulic fluid under high pressure can contain a large
volume of dissolved or dispersed air bubbles. When this fluid
is depressurized, the air bubbles expand and produce foam.
Because of its compressibility and poor lubricating properties,
foam can seriously affect the operation and lubrication of
machinery.
− Proper foam inhibitors modify the surface tension on air
bubbles so they more easily break up.
 Contd…
 Fire Resistant
− Fire resistance is one of the properties that is optional
in a good usable hydraulic fluid.
− The commonly used hydraulic liquid are petroleum
derivative, and consequently they burn vigorously
once they pass the point.
− For critical application, artificial or synthetic hydraulic
fluid are used which have high fire resistances.
Various grades of fluids with high water content are
also available now a days for oil hydraulic system.
 Contd…
 Stable Viscosity Characteristics
− Viscosity is a measure of a hydraulic fluid's resistance
to flow. It is a hydraulic fluid's most important
characteristic and has a significant impact on the
operation of the system.
− When a hydraulic oil is too thin (low viscosity), it does
not seal sufficiently. This leads to leakage and wear of
parts.
− When a hydraulic oil is too thick (high viscosity), the
fluid will be more difficult to pump through the system
and may reduce operating efficiency.
− All hydraulic fluids must be able to retain optimum
viscosity during operation in cold or hot temperatures,
in order to consistently and effectively transmit power.
 Contd…
 Prevent Rust Formation
− In many systems, water can enter as
condensation or contamination, and mix with the
hydraulic oil. Water can cause rusting of
hydraulic components.
− In addition, water can react with some additives
to form chemical species which can be
aggressive to yellow metals.
− Hydraulic oil formulations contain rust and
corrosion inhibitors which prevent the interaction
of water or other chemical species from attacking
metal surfaces.
 Contd…
 Rust & Corrosion Protection
− Corrosion is a chemical reaction between a metal and a
chemical – typically an acid.
− Extremely difficult to keep air and moisture out of hydraulic
systems.
− Both rust & corrosion contaminate the system & increase
component wear. Increase internal leakage past the affected
parts causing high temp. Cause components to seize through
heat & closure or running clearances with debris.
− Particular care: Operating & cleaning equipment to prevent the
contamination of the hydraulic system with water or cleaning
solvents.
 Contd…
 Rust & Corrosion Inhibitors
− Rust inhibitors typically coat metal parts so natural air &
moisture do not interact with the metal to form oxide
compounds.
− Corrosive elements are often created through oxidation.
− Care must be exercised whenever the hydraulic system is
exposed to atm. To min. the introduction of incompatible
elements that may react with the fluid chemistry.
− Some materials such as alloys containing magnesium, lead
and zinc are very oxidize Should be avoided in hydraulic
systems.
 Contd…
 Non-Toxic, Easy to Handle & Available
− These characteristics refer to the interaction of the fluid with
people who repair, handle, use or pay for hydraulic system
fluid.
− Obviously, it is desirable that the fluid be as simple to handle
and as available and cheap as possible.
Classification of Hydraulic Fluid
 Most of the fluids used are classified with ISO standards. The ISO standard
fluids are mainly classified based on the kinematic viscosity at 40°C. The fluid is
mainly taken at 40°C which is taken as a reference temperature between the
maximum operating and the ambient temperatures. The ISO classification is
done on 18 main fluids based on their viscosity grade. E.g. ISO VG 32, ISO VG
68 etc.
 Types of Hydraulic Fluids: According to ISO there are three different types of
fluids according to their source of availability and purpose of use.
− Mineral-Oil based Hydraulic fluids.
− Fire Resistant Fluids (FRFs).
− Environmental Acceptable Hydraulic Fluids (EAHF).
 Other types of Fluids:
− Biologically degradable Fluids.
− Electrorheological Fluids (in development).
 Contd…
 Mineral-Oil based Hydraulic Fluids
• As these have a mineral oil base, so they are named as Mineral-oil-Based
Hydraulic fluids. This kind of fluids will have high performance at lower
cost. These mineral oils are further classified as HH, HL and HM fluids.
− Type HH fluids are refined mineral oil fluids which do not have any
additives. These fluids are able to transfer power but have less
properties of lubrication and unable to withstand high temperature.
These types of fluid have a limited usage in industries. Some of the uses
are manually used jacks and pumps, low pressure hydraulic system etc.
− Type HL fluids are refined mineral oils which contain oxidants and rust
inhibitors which help the system to be protected from chemical attack
and water contamination. These fluids are mainly used in piston pump
applications.
− HM is a version of HL-type fluids which have improved anti-wear
additives. These fluids use phosphorus, zinc and sulphur components to
get their anti-wear properties. These are the fluids mainly used in the
high pressure hydraulic system.
 Contd…
 Fire Resistant fluids
• These fluids generate less heat when burnt than those of mineral oil based
fluids.
• As the name suggests these fluids are mainly used in industries where
there are chances of fire hazards, such as foundries, military, die-casting
and basic metal industry.
• These fluids are made of lower BTU (British Thermal Unit) compared to
those of mineral oil based fluids, such as water-glycol, phosphate ester
and polyol esters.
• ISO have classified these fluids as HFAE(soluble oils), HFAS(high water-
based fluids), HFB (invert emulsions), HFC (water glycols), HFDR
(phosphate ester) and HRDU (polyol esters).
 Contd…
 Environmental Acceptable Hydraulic Fluids (EAHF)
• These fluids are basically used in the application where there is a risk of
leakage or spills into the environment, which may cause some damage to
the environment.
• These fluids are not harmful to the aquatic creatures and they are
biodegradable.
• These fluids are used in forestry, lawn equipment, off-shore drilling, dams
and maritime industries.
• The ISO have classified these fluids as HETG (based on natural vegetable
oils), HEES (based on synthetic esters), HEPG (polyglycol fluids) and
HEPR (polyalphaolefin types).
 Contd…
Classification of Hydraulic Fluids
Fluid Properties & Comparative Performances
• While selecting a hydraulic fluid one has to be aware of hydraulic fluid properties
and its effect on hydraulic system. Generally the hydraulic fluids have many
properties and some of the important properties are explained in detail below.
 Density 𝝆 : Density is expressed as mass occupied in a unit volume. The density is
inversely proportional o temperature. The SI unit of density is 𝑘𝑔Τ𝑚3 .
 Viscosity: The most important property of the hydraulic fluid to be considered is
viscosity of the fluid. The main selection of fluid for the system depends on the viscosity
of fluid. Viscosity is the measure of resistance of fluid flow that is inverse measure of
fluidity. For example honey is very thick that means it is more viscous than water.
Viscosity is directly related to system (especially pump and motor) wear, leakage, and
most important efficiency.
− Measure of the oil’s resistance to flow.
− Viscosity affects the fluid’s ability to be pumped, transmitted through the system, carry
a load and maintain separation between moving surfaces.
 Contd…
 Viscosity too low (fluid is too thin)
• Increased internal leakage.
• Excess wear, seizure, particularly of pumps, could occur under
heavy load because of a breakdown in lubrication film between
clearances of moving parts.
• Decreased pump efficiency due to increased leakage &
possible cylinder blow-by. This could cause increased cycle
times or slower machine operation.
• Internal leakage causing an increase in operating temperatures.
• Most hydraulic systems run with oil (150–300 SUS or SSU) with
the typical ISO viscosity grade (22–68).
 Contd…
Viscosity too high (fluid is too thick)
• High resistance to flow.
• Increased energy consumption due to increased friction,
increased input torque requirement at the pump.
• High temp. created by power loss to friction.
• Increased pressure drops due to increased resistance to
flow.
• Slow or sluggish operation/actuation.
• Inefficient separation of air from the oil in the reservoir.
• Pump cavitation.
 Contd…
Dynamic Viscosity or Absolute Viscosity 𝝁
• Coefficient of viscosity, dynamic viscosity, absolute viscosity, or simply the
viscosity of the fluid. (Same)
• It is the resistance encountered when moving one layer of liquid over another.
• Viscosity measured under force induced flow that is force per unit area (shear
stress) required to move one surface over another in a second is called dynamic
viscosity.
• The SI unit of dynamic viscosity is 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅(𝑷𝒂 𝒔) where;
𝑷𝒂 = 𝑵/𝒎𝟐
• The cgs unit of dynamic viscosity is
𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆 (𝑷) = 𝟎. 𝟏 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅 (𝑷𝒂 𝒔)
• The common usage and ASTM standard of dynamic viscosity is
𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒔 (𝒄𝑷)
𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆(𝒄𝑷) = 10−2 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆(𝑷) = 10−3 𝑵𝒔/𝒎𝟐
 Contd…
Kinematic Viscosity 𝝂
• Generally kinematic viscosity is used for measurements. K.V. is the most
common way of measuring viscosity. It is measured by the amount of time
needed for a fixed volume of oil to flow through a capillary tube. Viscosity
measured under gravity induced is called kinematic viscosity.
• It is the ratio of dynamic viscosity and density.
𝝂=𝝁/𝝆
• The SI unit of 𝝁 is 𝑵𝒔/𝒎𝟐 and ρ is 𝒌𝒈/𝒎𝟑 . Therefore the SI unit of 𝝂 is
𝒌𝒈
𝑵𝒔/𝒎 ൗ 𝟑 = 𝒎𝟐 /𝒔
𝟐
𝒎
• The cgs unit of 𝝂 is 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒔 (𝑺𝒕) = 𝒄𝒎𝟐 /𝒔 = 𝟏𝟎−𝟒 𝒎𝟐 /𝒔
• But, the general usage of 𝝂 is 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒔 (𝒄𝑺𝒕) = 𝒎𝒎𝟐 /𝒔 = 𝟏𝟎−𝟔 𝒎𝟐 /𝒔
 Contd…
Viscosity Index 𝐕𝐈
• Viscosity index is an arbitrary number that characterizes the
variation of viscosity of a fluid with variations of
temperature. It indicates the temperature range with in
which the fluid can be used. It is a unit less value.
• The higher the VI better the stability of viscosity of fluid. If
the VI of the fluid is low, the viscosity of fluid becomes
very high at low temperatures and vice versa.
• Fluid with a high viscosity index exhibits a small
change in viscosity with temp. Fluid with a low
viscosity index exhibits a large change in viscosity with
temperature.
• The standard method to calculate viscosity index of Effect of improved Viscosity Index
petroleum products is ASTM D2270 or ISO 2909:2002.
There are some limitations in this method as it is used to
calculate the viscosity index of the fluids where the
kinematic viscosity is above 2 cSt at 100°C.
 Contd…
Viscosity & Temperature
• Hydraulic oils is directly and sometimes adversely affected by changes in
temp.
• For this reason, machinery should not be put into high speed or heavily
loaded operation until the system fluid is warmed up to operating
temperatures to provide adequate lubrication.
• Common industrial fluid power systems require fluid with viscosities in the
range of ISO grades 32, 46, or 68 or the kinematic viscosity ranges for such
fluids.
 Contd…
B𝐮𝐥𝐤 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐬 𝛃
• It is defined as the substance resistance to uniform compression, which is simply
defined as change in volume by change in pressure. Bulk modulus is a
measure of compressibility. It is denoted by β. Mathematically, it is defined as;
∆𝑃
β = −𝑉.
∆𝑉
where, 𝑉 is the original volume, Δ𝑃 is the change in pressure, and Δ𝑉 is the
change in volume.
• The term bulk modulus usually means the reciprocal of compressibility. Thus, the
bulk modulus is a measure of resistance to compressibility of a fluid.
• Higher the bulk modulus, the less compressible or stiffer is the fluid. The
hydraulic fluids require low compressibility that means high bulk modulus
which is useful for high pressure transmission and low power losses.
• The fluid with low bulk modulus acts as damping material for hydraulic
system, but for poor bulk modulus the line sizes should be increased to
compensate for the lower stiffness.
• The SI unit of bulk modulus is 𝑷𝒂𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒍 (𝑷𝒂) = 𝑵/𝒎𝟐
 Contd…
• Ensures responsiveness of actuation or
“stiffness” in a hydraulic circuit, even under
high pressure.
• With the dynamics of loads in industrial
machinery, slight decompression or
compression can occur and affect actuation
slightly.
• Petroleum-based fluids are virtually
incompressible, for example.
− 0.4% at 1000 psi and upto 1.1% at 3000 psi
operating pressure.
− At a constant operating pressure the oil
remains compressed at a given value. Compressibility of fluids
 Contd…
• Temperature and bulk modulus
 Temperature is important because a fluid compresses as its temperature rises. As the temperature
rises, the fluid attempts to expand, which, in turn, creates additional pressure. This can occur rapidly or
slowly. Compressing the fluid very slowly allows generated heat to dissipate. This bulk modulus is
called isothermal (constant temperature) bulk modulus. Adiabatic or isentropic bulk modulus
occurs by compressing the fluid rapidly and measuring the pressure — even though it results
from both compression and thermal expansion.
 Because we are concerned with rapidly moving, tightly controlled systems, most hydraulic applications
are considered isentropic.

• Effect of air on bulk modulus

 Designers should be cautious before using published bulk modulus values. The values usually are
determined by laboratory methods that take special precautions to de-gas the fluid before it is trapped
and compressed.
 However, hydraulic fluids typically become aerated in use. Aeration has a significant effect on bulk
modulus because air is much more compressible than oil. The solubility of air in fluids increases with
pressure. Air dissolved in a fluid at high pressure can form bubbles when pressure drops — a
phenomenon that can cause cavitation.
 Contd…

Physical parameters of kinematic viscosity, bulk

modulus, and operating temperatures
 Contd…
Lubrication Properties
• All hydraulic systems have components with moving parts
that have the potential to come in contact with each other.
Components need a lubricant to prevent excess wear and
the production of excess heat. The hydraulic fluids should
carry away the heat and it should protect the system from
wear.
• The fluid with high VI shows better lubrication properties.
• During high working temperatures, if VI is low, the fluid
becomes thin and wear occurs especially in pumps and
motors.
• By adding VI improvers, the anti-wear properties of the fluid
can be improved. Comparative performances based on
natural lubrication and anti wear
• Generally the vegetable oil have good lubrication properties
compared to basic mineral oil.
• The table shows the natural lubrication anti-wear
performance of different types of hydraulic fluids.
Environmental Adaptability
Now-a-days the usage of environmentally acceptable hydraulic fluids is increasing. Not all the bio lubricants are
vegetable oil but they are synthetic too. Three main criteria are considered while selecting the effect of hydraulic fluids
on environment.
− Toxicity
− Biodegradability
− Bioaccumulation
 Toxicity
It is very important to take into account the environment and safety of the people while selecting the hydraulic fluids.
Although many precautions are taken it is important to be considered during spills and leakages. When there is a
compulsory use of toxic fluid, safety measures are must. The different standards for labelling bio lubricant are
− Swedish Standard SS 15 54 34
− ASTM standards in USA

 Biodegradability
The importance of biodegradability is increasing day by day globally, mainly in the areas of offshore drilling, harbour
maintenance, forest machinery and snow removal. The trend for the use of biodegradable fluids started from Europe.
There are two types of biodegradation tests primary and ultimate.
• Primary: It is the minimum change in the identity of substance.
• Ultimate: It is complete conversion of substance into carbon dioxide, water, inorganic salts and biomass.
Stability of Hydraulic Fluids
The stability of the hydraulic fluid is also an important factor while selecting the fluid because of its operating
conditions. Below table shows the comparative performances of hydrolytic, thermal and oxidation stabilities of
different types of hydraulic fluids.

Comparative performances based on thermal,

oxidation and hydrolytic stabilities
Cost of the Fluid
• Beside all the properties cost is the important factor both for fluid manufacturers
and hydraulic machine producers.
• Biodegradable hydraulic oil costs three to four times higher than the mineral oil
but when longer oil change intervals is considered bio lubricant is equal to
mineral and sometimes less because of maintenance of the system.
• When spill cost is considered mineral oil costs very high for cleaning where no
cost for the cleaning the spill of biodegradable hydraulic fluid because the
substance is biodegradable.
Selection of Hydraulic Fluid for the System
• Effect of viscosity on system performance
The performance of pumps and motors are the important
parameters for the overall efficiency of the system. There are
two types of hydraulic efficiencies. One is mechanical
efficiency and other is volumetric efficiency of the system.
Mechanical efficiency relates to frictional losses in
system and volumetric efficiency relates to flow losses
in the system. Both of these depend on the viscosity of the
fluid.
• As shown in the below, viscosity of fluid is directly
proportional to volumetric efficiency and inversely
proportional to mechanical efficiency of the system. So
Viscosity-efficiency plot
fluid should be selected satisfying both these efficiencies
for the maximum overall efficiency of the system.
 Contd…
• Viscosity selection criteria
The most common method for selecting hydraulic fluid is
Temperature Operating Window (TOW) method. Based on
experimental results majority of the pumps and motors provided
satisfactory performance with a minimum of 13 cSt under
operating conditions and maximum of 860 cSt during start-up of
the system. The below fig is based on calculated temperature for
the mid range ISO VG (between 13 cSt to 860 cSt) at 100 VI.
While selecting hydraulic fluid by TOW method, determine the
lowest ambient temperature and the highest operating
temperature of the system. Then select the fluid that falls in this
range of temperature.
For example if a hydrostatic transmission is considered, assume
that the starting temperature is 0°C and the maximum operating
temperature is 50°C. For this range of temperature the suitable TOW plot
ISO VG is 32 VG and 46 VG. Thus any of these viscosity grades
can be selected for the hydrostatic transmission.
Standard Test Methods for Hydraulic Fluids
It is important to know the specification of the fluid while selecting the fluid for the hydraulic system. Here are some of
the important specification and their standard test methods in brief.
• Viscosity
This test determines the kinematic viscosity of the hydraulic fluids and liquid petroleum products both opaque and
transparent. There are different standards like ISO 3104, ISO 3105, ASTM D445, ASTM D446, IP 71, DIN 51366, BS
188 to measure kinematic viscosity. All these standards uses nearly same method to test kinematic viscosity. For this
test method glass capillary viscometer is used to determine the kinematic viscosity. In this the time is calculated for the
fluid to fall under it’s own gravity from one point to another at constant temperature and then it is multiplied by
viscometer constant to get kinematic viscosity in centistokes. The viscosity is measured minimum at two different
temperatures mostly at 40°C and 100°C, so that viscosity index of the fluid can be calculated.
• Total Acid Number (TAN)
Total acid number is the presence of milligrams of potassium hydroxide (KOH) per gram of sample. This TAN indicates
the potential of corrosion problems. ISO 6618, ASTM D664 and ASTM D974 are some of the standard methods. In
ISO 6618 ‘colour indicating titration’ method is used to measure the acid number where an appropriate pH colour
indicator is added to the sample. The volume of colour titrant that is added to change the colour of the sample
permanently is used to calculate acid number.
 Contd…
• Flash point
Flash point is the minimum temperature at which the fluid vaporize to form ignitable mixture in air when fire is
brought over this mixture. The standard methods are ISO 2592, ASTM D92. In these two standards ‘Cleveland
open cup method’ is used to determine flash point. For this the Cleveland apparatus is filled with fluid and
then it’s temperature is increased rapidly at first and then slowly till it reaches it’s theoretical flash point. Then a
small fire is brought over the apparatus, therefore the minimum temperature at which the mixture ignites is
considered as flash point. Fire point is the temperature at which the fluid vaporizes rapidly enough to support
combustion.
• Pour point
The pour point is the minimum temperature at which the fluid becomes semi-solid and loses its fluidity. It
is the ability of a fluid to flow when cold. There are different test standards for different types of fluid, for
example ISO 3016 for the petroleum products. Other standards are ASTM D97, ASTM D 2500 etc. The general
procedure for petroleum products is the fluid is cooled to form paraffin crystals. Then the temperature is
maintained at above 9°C above the expected pour point. For every subsequent 3°C temperature the apparatus
is tilted to check the surface. If there is no movement in fluid then the apparatus is kept horizontal for 5
seconds. If the fluid does not flows then it is considered as pour point. Pour point is important in cold weather.
 Contd…
• Water content
This test is used to determine the water content in the fluid. Water in fluid is the main problem that decreases viscosity
and forms rust. So the user has to check whether the fluid is suitable for the machine with that water content. Some of
the standard tests are ISO 12937 and ISO 6296 which uses ‘Karl Fischer titration method’ to find water content.
• Air release
Air release property is important parameter to be considered mainly in the systems where residue time is short because
the air flows with fluid causes pressure losses in the system. Some of the standard test methods are ISO 9120, ASTM
D3472, IP 313 and DIN 51381 where air is blown into the fluid and the time taken by the air to decrease it’s volume by
0.2 % at constant temperature is considered as air release time.
• Low temperature fluidity
This test determines the highest possible viscosity of fluid at very low temperature for a certain period of time. This is
useful for the system when it is stand still for long time at low temperature. The standard test method is ASTM D2532.
• Elements by ICP
This test is used to determine the additive elements in the fluid. This test provides wear indication of the hydraulic
machines by testing used oil. ‘Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Atomic Emission Spectrometry’ is used to determine
the elements and it can measure the elements down to 0.1 parts per million. ASTM D5185 and ASTM D4951 are the
standard tests.
 Contd…
• Oxidation stability
This test is used to determine the oxidation stability of the fluid. The standard tests are ASTM D943 and DIN 51554-
3. In DIN 51554-3. 70 ml of oil is kept at 95°C for 35 days in atmospheric oxygen and it is stirred with glass stirrer
connected to copper strip at a speed of 24 stirs per minute. Then the viscosity, acid number and other parameters
are measured for every week.
• Hydrolytic stability
There are more chances of fluid to get contaminated with water which decreases viscosity, forms rust that decrease
the performance of the system. So it is important to know the hydrolytic stability of the fluid. The ASTM D2619 is the
standard test method where 75 g of fluid, 25 grams of water and a copper strip is sealed in vessel and stirred at 5
rpm for 48 hrs at 93°C. Then the acid number and viscosity is measured to find the hydrolytic stability.
• Thermal stability
The effect of temperature on the metals is also an important factor. The ASTM D2070 is the standard test method in
which copper and steel rods are placed in the oil at a temperature of 135°C for one week. Then the condition of the
metal specimens is noticed and viscosity of fluid is also measured.
• Shear stability
This test is used to evaluate the shear stability of the hydraulic fluid in terms of permanent loss of viscosity of the
fluid by irradiating a sample of fluid by using sonic oscillator. ASTM D5621 – 07 is the standard test method.
Handling & Maintaining Hydraulic Fluids
• Proper handling and maintenance of hydraulic fluids reduces system operating cost.
− Extends the service life of fluids,
− Reduces the amount of maintenance time spent in cleaning and flushing systems and replacing
system fluid.
• Storing new, unused hydraulic fluids is an important consideration.
− Store drums in a cool, clean, dry place,
− Place drums on their sides to reduce chances of contamination,
− Carefully clean drum tops before removing bungs,
− Use clean fluid-transfer equipment.
• Store drums on their sides and clean the tops before opening the bungs.
• Reservoir and cylinder rod areas are especially susceptible to foreign materials entering the
system.
− Seal around pipes entering the reservoir,
− Filter air that enters the reservoir,
− Use piston rod wiper rings or boots to prevent dirt from entering through the cylinder rod seal.
 Contd…
• Cylinder rod boots help keep dirt out of the system on rod retraction.

• System operating temperature is a major factor in the service life of hydraulic fluids.
• Normal operating temperature of reservoir fluid is typically between 110°F and 140°F.
• Factors causing system fluid to operate above the recommended temperature are:
− High ambient temperatures,
− Reservoir is too small,
− Reservoir inlets and outlets too close,
− System pump has excessive flow capacity,
− Higher-than-required relief valve setting,
− Slower-than-necessary circuit sequencing.
 Contd…
• A well-designed reservoir helps maintain proper fluid temperature.
 In the next Chapter, we will be dealing with the
Hydraulic Pumps

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