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Tramp oil is a term that describes any unwanted hydrocarbon-based substance that contaminates machine coolant. This issue occurs mostly metalworking and manufacturing industries. Tramp oils can lead to numerous problems that affect work environment safety, production efficiency, and the cost control abilities.
What causes Tramp Oil?
How do these hydrocarbon-based substances find their way into a coolant sump?
There are a few different avenues.
Machining centers employ various linear motion and rotary motion components such as bearings, slides, ball screws, and spindles that require lubrication to function efficiently. Over time, these lubricants can find their way to the machining center platform where they mix with cutting fluid or coolant.
Another source of contamination is from the materials being processed in the machining center. Most stock metals have a corrosion prevention coating which is typically oil based. If the oil based coating is not removed prior to machining, it will end up mixing with the coolant.
Problems Associated with Tramp Oils
Tramp oil contaminated coolant causes a variety of problems if not separated and removed.
First, the coolant’s performance ability suffers. This is because oil in coolant reduces the coolant fluid’s ability to reduce temperatures effectively. Any oil that is present in the cutting fluid will promote heat generated by the tool, which can shorten tool life considerably.
Another consequence of oil coming in contact with a hot cutting tool is smoke. At high temperatures, the oil can become hot enough to burn. This can create unsafe working conditions.
When left alone, tramp oils that settle in coolant become breeding grounds for anaerobic bacteria. The oil essentially prevents oxygen from mixing with the coolant, which can promote the growth of anaerobic bacteria. Workers who come in contact with these bacteria are susceptible to contact dermatitis. The bacteria can also generate hydrogen sulfide gas, which emits an unpleasant rotten egg odor.
Removal & Separation Solutions
There are two common methods for removing tramp oils from coolant. These are coalescers and oil skimmers.
Coalescers consolidate small oil particles into larger droplets. Filters or baffles are then gather larger droplets for removal. Coalescers are a good option for larger area applications as they have greater collection area than skimmers.
Skimmers utilize the differing specific gravities between oil and coolant/water to remove tramp oils. A motor driven belt that is typically constructed of an oleophilic, or oil attractant material, is placed into a coolant sump or reservoir. As the belt moves through the coolant, it attracts tramp oils. The oil is scraped off by a wiper and deposited into a container.
To learn more about oil skimmers, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400 or visit our website: www.abanaki.com
Waste oil recovery is critical to any application for a multitude of reasons. Many companies try, or should be trying (tsk tsk if you’re not), to recover their used oil in order to stay in compliance with government standards and regulations. No one wants to pay a massive fine or even worse, donning the orange jump suit with silver bracelets, when complying with the law and keeping our environment clean is a simple enough task.
Additionally, recovering used oil has its monetary perks. Reclaimed hydrocarbons can be sold for profit and removing it properly can help extend the life of equipment, waste water, or coolant. All while Mother Earth smiles and the people rejoice. Everybody wins.
Here are the seven advantages of using oil skimmers.
Reduction of Disposal Costs:
The cost of disposing oil laden coolant is more expensive than the disposing of oil.
Recycling Opportunities:
In some instances, companies may be able to re-use the skimmed oil elsewhere or sell it for recycling, choosing to keep their part of the world cleaner.
Extend Coolant Life:
Having oil free coolant can also extend its usefulness and effectiveness, reducing the expense on maintenance and coolant replacement.
Esthetic Benefits:
Removing the oil from a machine coolant tank will cut down on the amount of smoke generated from the cutting tool coming into contact with oil laden coolant thereby creating a visibly cleaner workplace.
Extend Tool Life:
Removing floating surface oils while aerating and refreshing coolant will extend tool life as well.
Avoid EPA Violations:
Many machining and metal working shops turn to aqueous parts cleaning because of limits imposed by the EPA on the discharge of emissions and wastes.
Hygienic Benefits:
Keeping coolant oxygenated and oil-free reduces the “rotten egg” odor and bacterial levels are lowered resulting in a cleaner work environment.
Oil Skimmers: Simple Solution to Serious Issue
Oil skimmers are very simple pieces of equipment that can help you tackle a very serious wastewater issue. They are a low-cost and environmentally sound solution to waste oil recovery. They are by no means high-maintenance or difficult to use, but do require some routine work every now and then and a little tinkering here or there. Bottom line is, replacing a wiper blade system or belt on an oil skimmer beats having to pay a fine to your respective government environmental agency. If you are not sure about the laws are regarding wastewater in your area, we have a handy database of environmental links indexed by location for you to use.
To learn more about oil skimmers, please contact our experts at 440-543-7400 or visit our website: www.abanaki.com
Our newest generation of products continues to set the industry standard for performance, productivity, and pollution control for oil removal.
To learn more about the Abanaki oil skimmers, please access and view the attached video.
Abanaki Corporation Oil Skimming Division
17387 Munn Road
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
Phone: (440) 543-7400
Email: skimmers@abanaki.com
Fax: (440) 543-7404
ISO 9001:2015 Certified Company
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What is Tramp Oil? | Abanaki
What is Tramp Oil?
Seven Advantages of Using Oil Skimmers | Abanaki
Seven Advantages of Using Oil Skimmers