Choosing a Fire-Resistant Hydraulic Fluid

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By罗纳德·克尼切特（Ronald Knecht）, Global OEM Manager – Hydraulics & Lubricants, Quaker Houghton.

当润滑剂在压力下运行时，会有很小的泄漏风险，并且润滑剂被雾化为空气。如果在有点火源或在高温下运行的设备附近的区域中基于矿物油的润滑剂发生这种泄漏，则泄漏可能导致灾难性火灾。本文着眼于HFC和HFDU液压流体的主要好处，以及它们的个人优点和局限性。

While both HFC and HFDu hydraulic fluids reduce fire risk, improve operation safety, and enhance environmental performance, significant differences exist. Standing at 50-55% market adoption, HFC is a water-based fluid for industries in which there is a major risk of fire. In contrast, HFDu is a water-free fluid that’s designed to replace anti-wear mineral-oil-based hydraulic fluids and has a market adoption of 20-25%.

虽然两种流体的关键作用是防止火灾和申请停机时间造成的金融损失，而选择采用的主要损失主要取决于应用程序的特定需求。例如，在存在工人（例如死亡铸造）的应用中，通常会喜欢HFC的毫不妥协的火力阻力。尽管在没有任何人类存在的应用中，例如爆炸炉，但HFDU提供的增强系统可靠性通常会推动决策。

尽管有将应用程序从HFC转换为HFDU的范围，但该过程的昂贵，需要大量的冲洗和测试。因此，重要的是要了解哪种液压液从一开始就从安全性，成本和环境角度来看，以优化提高生产率，降低停机时间和增强工作安全的相关优势。

The case for HFC

HFC, or water glycol fluids, are the most widely used fire-resistant hydraulic fluids because of their cost effectiveness and their combination of excellent fire-resistant properties with good lubrication performance. Widely used in steel making, die casting foundries, pressure molding applications, and the automotive industry, HFC remains the market standard.

In addition to offering uncompromising fire resistance, other factors for choosing HFC include its OEM endorsements and comparable pricing with mineral oil. Unlike HFDu, HFC is also miscible with process water, which remains a key environmental consideration. However, some compromises do exist with HFC that need to be taken onboard.

Ongoing maintenance of HFC is essential, with regular sampling and analysis required to protect against costly component damage. A properly maintained HFC-operated system can behave very reliably.

The impact of neglected maintenance will often be a period of unplanned downtime, which needs to be meticulously scheduled to minimize the associated inconvenience and revenue losses. However, with an effective maintenance plan in place, the long-term cost efficiencies and safety benefits of HFC are beyond question.

尽管他们的防火凭证令人羡慕，但水基液体可能会导致由于忽略维护时腐蚀和空化而导致组件的使用寿命较短。在压力限制，镀锌管和油箱内的油漆方面，液压设计的局限性也存在。就流量和压力的限制而言，可以通过引入HFDU来解决这一问题，但是相关的成本可能使HFDU成为更可行的长期选择。

Argument for HFDu

Widely acknowledged as the best fire-resistant alternative to mineral oil despite being more expensive, HFDu fluids are designed to replace anti-wear, mineral-oil-based hydraulic fluids used in applications where fire hazards exist. Additionally, they can be used in environmentally sensitive hydraulic applications without compromising the overall hydraulic system operations and design.

HFDu fluids are based on high-quality, synthetic, organic esters and carefully selected additives, and do not contain water, mineral oil, or phosphate ester. HFDu fluids deliver excellent and reliable hydraulic fluid performance. While initial fluid investments may be higher, HFDu fluids generally result in a total lower cost of ownership due to reduced downtime from maintenance and better lubrication, resulting in less energy consumption. Additionally, HFDu products have a long fluid life, can perform at higher pressure, and enhance system reliability.

Some compromises do exist however, as HFDu is two to three times more expensive than mineral oil. Its fire resistance meets international standards like Factory Mutual but is also not equal to its water-based alternatives, which is why HFDu fluids are often chosen for applications in which there is less risk to human life, such as blast furnaces.

Finally, HFDu is not miscible with water and as such doesn’t mix with wastewater. It can be skimmed off, which can have an impact on chemical oxygen demand, and more positive environmental and regulatory consequences. As ever, one needs to take a holistic view when weighing up the relevant benefits of water-free and water-based solutions.

It’s clear both HFC and HFDu hydraulic fluids offer a wealth of benefits. Deciding which makes the most sense to use ultimately comes down to what’s best for the specific application. Therefore, fire resistance, environmental impact, thermal stability, fluid maintenance, system reliability, the total cost of ownership, and price all need to be given serious consideration.

Quaker Houghton在防火液压液方面的专业知识可以提供清晰，指导和世界领先的耐火液压液品牌。HFC的Houghto安全包括出色的腐蚀抑制，出色的润滑和低热量释放。尽管HFDU Quintolubric具有强烈限制火灾传播，减少环境影响并降低总运营成本的特性。

通过提供一流的HFC和HFDU产品，Quaker Houghton可以在他们的建议中完全是客观的，从而使每个应用程序的独特要求和挑战都可以。

有关更多信息，请访问https://fireresistantfluids.com/.