Product category:
Electrostatics, lightning and earthing
News Release from: Associated Octel | Subject: Octostat
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 08 September 2005
Anti-static additive saves thousands
Literally a few drops of an innovative additive designed to eliminate static build-up in fluids is saving a major utility provider tens of thousands of pounds in lost production and maintenance costs
Literally a few drops of an innovative additive designed to eliminate static build-up in fluids is saving a major utility provider tens of thousands of pounds in lost production and maintenance costs Higher maintenance costs stemmed from a need to provide regular maintenance to bearings within a fan unit at an independent power generator site, where static build-up within the lubricant was eroding the surface of metal bearings
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 15 Jun 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Able Instruments to supply new Buzzard development
Able Instruments and Controls have been awarded the contracts to supply miscellaneous nucleonic level controls and allocation metering to the Buzzard field development in the North Sea
Applied Weighing lightens loads for Castle Cement
Applied Weighing, the UK's leading manufacturer of weighing systems, has developed an innovative control and instrumentation system for the UK's second largest cement producers, Castle Cement
The fan, which operates 24/7, 365 days a year, serves the boiler which supports the steam turbine and is therefore a critical item of plant.
Slough Heat and Power, which provides renewable energy for the largest industrial estate in Europe, had tried various methods, such as brushing, to tackle the problem of premature bearing failure in its power station.
The static induced pitting damage was reducing bearing life to just two months instead of the expected minimum industry standard of two years.
Further reading
Applied Weighing solve sticky problem at DSM
Applied Weighing won the task of providing the total weighing and filling solution at the new DSM plant in Cheshire to manufacture a product to reinforce the rigidity of domestic baths
Process Control with Fibre Optic Spectrometry
Inco is using a fibre optic spectrometer from AstraNet Systems to control a Palladium refining process, which involves stripping out a Palladium complex from a solvent
Bearing failure was becoming a common occurrence, causing a considerable amount of additional maintenance intervention and lost productivity - with imaginable consequences on costs and income.
In this case 1000 ppm of Octostat - a fluid developed by Octel Performance Chemicals, was added to the bearing lubricant increasing its conductivity sufficiently to allow the electrons to flow through the oil safely to earth, instead of containing them and causing a build-up of sparks.
Static build-up and discharge is now included in ATEX regulations, but it is often the fluids which have low conductivity that can present problems.
Such fluids in industrial processes, including lubricants and hydraulic fluids are capable of building and holding static electricity.
Within an enclosed system, this can, as in this case, mean that repeated sparking against metal surfaces will cause surface damage and cause equipment failure.
Significantly, this can happen even where the equipment is earthed.
Octostat, which is a non-metallic static dissipator additive, works by increasing the conductivity of fluids to a level where the static electricity can be safely controlled and discharged through a proper earth connection.
Mike Anderson, the Slough Heat and Power mechanical engineer, said: "We have tried other methods, such as brushing, but Octostat has been the most successful method with no bearing failures since we started using it.
It also has the benefits that it is very easy to implement and only a small amount is needed.".
• Associated Octel: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Processingtalk email newsletter
• Processingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
