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

火灾是对地下矿山安全的一种无处不在的威胁，既有对人员和设备的直接危险，也有烟雾在矿井中的传播。火灾风险的一个来源是使用矿物油为基础的液体作为液压油或润滑油的设备。虽然常规流体的闪点相对较高，但高压泄漏造成的液体雾化喷雾会为火灾创造条件。降低这种火灾风险的方法之一是使用耐火液压油(FRHF)。虽然这些液体很容易被航空航天和钢铁生产等行业接受，但它们有许多限制，阻碍了当地矿业公司的采用。其中一个事实是，这些液体可能与盐污染(即钾盐)不相容。一些FRHFs的水基化学物质可以使盐溶解，从而破坏过滤、降低润滑性和促进气蚀，严重降低它们的抗磨性能，并导致泵和阀门过早失效。1986年，美国S流体动力实验室进行了一项彻底的研究，发现当时可用的水基FRHFs不适合在可能存在钾盐污染的地方使用[Szafron，1986]。然而，从那时起，各种各样的新流体被开发出来，它们对盐污染的抵抗力在很大程度上是未知的。我们提议研究新一代FRHFs在萨斯喀彻温省矿山使用的适宜性。

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.