×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Oil Evaporation from Aluminium Surface.

Oil Evaporation from Aluminium Surface.

Oil Evaporation from Aluminium Surface.

(OP)
Hi,

   We are a user of stamped metal parts. The parts must be supplied clean with no wet oil residues, so an evaporating oil is used.

On steel parts we have no probems, the oil evaporates within minutes in ambient condiitons as the part travels down a conveyor to be packed by our supplier.

However we have recently started using an Auminium part and the same oil does not fully evaporate - even after a week.

Our supplier states the reason as the oil becoming 'embedded' in the Aluminium surface but can not explain this further. Please can anyone explain the mechanism that is causing this on the Aluminium part ?

Thanks Chris

RE: Oil Evaporation from Aluminium Surface.

What's the surface condition of the aluminum ? Oxides can be porous and hold oil.Can it be some reaction between oil and aluminum ?

RE: Oil Evaporation from Aluminium Surface.

Is there a chance that the flash point of the lubricant is too high for your application?  Aluminum tends to stay cool in a shop environment.  If you have a thermal requirement for your evaporation, you might not be seeing that with the aluminum.

Extruded aluminum can also have an "open grain" condition.  Would require reasonably sophisticated analysis to determine grain embedment by oil, though.

RE: Oil Evaporation from Aluminium Surface.

Pursuant to Ron's questions, have you tried to evaporate the oil with different temp/time combinations?  Aluminum thermal conductivity is 3 to 4 times that of steel.

TTFN

FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources