Oil Balls in non-combustion environments

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Hello.

I've read about how coolant can react with oil to form "oil balls" in the oil. The few examples I've found were all in diesel crankcase applications, and it implied that this reaction took place in the hot areas near the combustion.

I have an gearbox application that does not have a high temperature (everything is under 100C). Is it possible to form oil balls in this environment?

What testing method should I request to determine if my oil sample contains some kind of oil balls? (Something reasonable - the results will not be going into a tribology journal)

1/21/094:29 AM

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robertcMember

As far as I know, oil balls are a glycol reaction product.

Never gave any thought to temps required.

So your answer is simple, no glycol, no oil balls. As far as testing for them, FTIR for Glycol should raise an alarm, although Hydrazine can give a false positive, so watch cooling water chemistry.

I have a filter patch on my desk from the results of a glycol leak. Nasty, looks like beach sand under magnification.

1/23/095:42 AM

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dgeesamanMember

Thanks for the response.

I am not ruling out the possibility of glycol getting into the oil.

Do oil balls tend to float or settle?

1/24/0911:29 AM

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robertcMember

No idea, I just know that you can filter patch them out and then wash the oily parts off, leaving abrasive residue.

What the lab used, I have no idea.

1/29/0910:45 AM

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micbialMember

Just a guess but I would think they would hover on top. Kind of like fireball lightning produced in the lab or water balls observed floating on top of water. Another example is if you take heated oil and pour some water on top of it. Normally the water would sink to the bottom (oil floats), but the water bounces around on the surface of the oil in the form of little balls as it boils and turns into a vapor. Might be a similar phenomenon.

1/30/0912:56 AM

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