Evaluation of antiwear properties of fire resistant hydraulic fluids with potash contamination

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Fire is an ever-present threat to the safety of an underground mine, both through direct danger to personnel and equipment, but also due to the spread of smoke through the mine. One source of fire risk is equipment which employs mineral-oil based fluid as hydraulic or lubricating oil. Although conventional fluids have a relatively high flash point, the atomized spray of fluid from a high pressure leak can create the conditions for a fire.One method of reducing this fire risk is the use of fire-resistant hydraulic fluids (FRHF). While these fluids have been readily accepted by industries such as the aerospace and steel production sectors, they have a number of limitations that have impeded their adoption by local mining companies. Among them is the fact that these fluids may not be compatible with salt contamination (i.e. potash). The water-based chemistry of some FRHFs can allow for the dissolution of salts which defeats filtration and reduces lubricity and promotes cavitation, severely degrading their anti-wear properties and leading to premature failure of pumps and valves. A thorough study was performed in the U of S Fluid Power Laboratory in 1986 that found that the water-based FRHFs available at the time were not suitable for use where potash contamination was likely [Szafron, 1986]. However, a wide variety of new fluids have been developed since that time, and their resistance to salt contamination is largely unknown. We are proposing to study the suitability of the new generation of FRHFs for use in Saskatchewan mines.