Water In Oil, Whats the Big Deal?
Water can be present in lubricating oil in three different forms, dissolved water, emulsified water and free water. Dissolved water refers to water that has been chemically absorbed into the oil. Emulsified water is water that maintains its chemical integrity, but is held in suspension in the oil by additives and contaminants. Free water describes water that is present in the oil, but not held in suspension. Effects on Lubrication In general, water is a poor lubricant. Proper lubrication is dependant on the formation of an oil film to separate opposing friction surfaces. When pressure is applied to an oil film, the oil’s viscosity will increase proportionally to maintain protection. Water does not exhibit this tendency and will cause boundary lubrication to occur where full fluid film lubrication would otherwise be present. Alarm Limits Water is considered to be among the most detrimental of possible contaminants. Studies have shown that water present at any level can reduce bearing li
