The main differences between synthetic hydraulic oil and a mineral based hydraulic oil are that mineral hydraulic oils are derived from crude oil whereas synthetic hydraulic oil is manufactured in a lab.

Hydraulic fluid is the medium by which energy is transferred to all hydraulic systems. However, the tasks performed by hydraulic fluid go much further than the transfer of power. Although it is the core purpose of hydraulic fluid, it is also valuable in four secondary functions: transferring heat, removing contaminants, sealing and lubrication.

Transferring Heat

Hydraulic machines produce a huge amount of additional heat during regular operations, often caused by the components themselves, such as pumps and motors. Without a way to carry heat away from these components, they could easily overheat which could result in damage to seals and internal components. As engine oil makes its way back to the reservoir, it often travels through a cooler to help maintain optimum temperature ranges before it is pumped back out to the system. Equally, hydraulic fluid can carry heat into a system during cold starts, when needed.

Removing Contaminants

If hydraulic systems with closed-loops didn’t bleed off fluid at a precise rate, contamination would quickly build to critical and harmful levels. Due to the damage heat can cause, it can be considered a form of contamination, but as well as transferring heat, hydraulic fluid also carries particles and water away from sensitive components through filters or other conditioning devices. This can then be cleaned up and returned to the circuit. Oil without a driving force would remain within sensitive components, allowing essentially trapped contamination to slowly destroy its surroundings.

Sealing

Although most would consider hydraulic oil as being a fluid that the pieces of hardware seal against, hydraulic fluid (especially oil) actually provides sealing within areas such as pumps, valves, and motors. For example, a spool valve has a seal at each end that stops oil from escaping the valve, but each notch on the spool is sealed from the adjacent cavities by only the tight metal-to-metal tolerances and the oil’s surface tension and resistance to shearing.

Lubrication

Lubrication is needed in the majority of hydraulic components to protect internal parts from wearing or damage as a result of metal-to-metal friction. Oil provides full-film lubrication between moving parts, such as the slippers and lens plate of a piston pump. Without the lubricating properties of the oil, hydraulic systems would be incredibly inefficient and unreliable.

Hydraulic oil is made with other important properties, but these tend to be common regardless of brand, viscosity or application. Hydraulic oil has a package of chemical additives for helping the performance of both the oil and the components of the hydraulic system. These additives can improve a number of functions including the foaming resistance of the oil, corrosion/rust resistance, and the water-retention properties. The additive package separates low and high-quality fluids, and additives will also improve the viscous properties of the oil.

Hydraulic fluid is the life-blood of many mobile and stationary machines. It is difficult to overemphasize the care that should be taken to maintain this precious medium. It is equally important to remember that while a quality fluid has been engineered and designed to perform challenging tasks, it cannot compensate for a system with an undersized reservoir or a motor with an excessive shaft load. If the hydraulic components are properly specified and the overall system is well designed, a good quality hydraulic fluid will serve the critical function that ties the pump and the actuator together, along with all components in between.

Enfields Oil supplies the latest high-performance hydraulic oil. This general purpose hydraulic is oil designed for use in a broad range of applications including vane and piston pumps. This high-quality hydraulic oil is manufactured from solvent refined, high viscosity index base oils, incorporating modern additive technology. To find out more, contact Enfields Oil today!

Used oil is extremely harmful to the environment – with one litre of used oil being capable of contaminating one million litres of water. Used oil finds its way into the environment through irresponsible disposal – by being thrown down storm water drains, onto the open ground or thrown into landfills.

Used oil is the lubricating oil that is drained from machinery, engines, gearboxes, hydraulic systems, turbines, and air compressors. The various types of used oils include:

• Used lubricating based oil that has deteriorated and degraded to acids.
• Used oil that is contaminated with wear debris.
• Used oil in which the additives have decomposed into other chemical species.
• Used oil that is contaminated because process fluids, de-greasers, and solvents have mixed into it.

If used oil is thrown down a drain or onto the ground, it can seep into groundwater systems. If used, unprocessed oil is burnt in furnaces, harmful toxic components are emitted into the atmosphere damaging and polluting the air that we breathe. For this reason, it is illegal to dump used oil or to burn it without processing it first.

Used oil contains components that are very damaging to the environment in a number of different ways, as it tends to accumulate in soil and water as toxic gases and harmful metallic dust particles. Once the used oil enters the waterway, it biodegrades slowly as it hampers oxygen access to the microorganisms that would otherwise assist in breaking it down. The best method of dealing with used oil is to either recycle it or to safely dispose of it.

The law requires the responsible storage, collection and recycling of used oil within the strict compliance requirements of the Waste Act. Used oil is generated by a wide variety of sources including industrial machinery, motor vehicles, mining equipment, and agricultural equipment. It is very important that used oil is collected and responsibly disposed or recycled, including the smaller amounts that are generated by DIY mechanics, farmers, and small industry.

The process of recycling oil involves taking used engine oil and adapting it for different purposes, the most common example entails burning it as a fuel source. The used oil is recycled by making use of commercial filtration systems in order to remove insoluble impurities; however, this does not remove the soluble contaminants.

Used oil that is not suitable for recycling should be disposed of correctly and safely, by a company that specializes in oil disposal, such as Enfields Chemicals. The operators that manage the oil disposals are correctly trained in spillage, Hazchem, first aid and firefighting, enabling them to work safely with old oil which can be dangerous.

The used oil is pumped into 1000 litre and 600-litre tanks on a specialized vehicle that is used for oil disposals. At Enfields Chemicals, a full paper trail for each load of oil is kept and the seller of the old oil is issued with a safety disposal certificate. This certificate will state the seller of the used oil, the transporter of the oil and the waste management company that purchases this oil. All old, unusable oil is converted to bunker fuel after blending.

Being environmentally friendly is crucial in today’s society and people are encouraged to properly dispose or recycle used oil correctly. Enfields Chemicals specializes in oil disposal and other oil-related services and guarantee the safest, most professional disposal of all used and old oil.

Used motor oil becomes like sludge and you can even see the sludgy oil floating on the surface of the water. It looks like a thick layer of scum on the top. This scum can prevent sunlight and oxygen reaching the water, causing marine plants and fish to die off. It can also kill other animals that commonly live along the surface of the water like frogs. One litre of used oil can contaminate 1 million litres of water! That is once scary ratio. Can you imagine what is happening to our water supply when millions of litres of used oil is unaccounted for yearly? In addition to this, burning used oil even at low temperatures can be hazardous to people and animals, especially their lungs.

What can you do to help reduce the negative impact that used oil is having on our environment?

There is good news however; used motor oil can be recycled. Once recycled, the oil can be repurposed for industrial use. This is because the oil is not damaged, just dirty. The recycling process involves cleaning the oil, re-refining it and finding environmentally friendly ways to use it again. If the oil is in fact usable, recycling companies dispose of the oil in a manner that is not harmful to the environment or any living organism. By recycling oil millions of litres of harmful oil is prevented from draining into lakes and rivers, thereby contaminating and clogging sewers and storm drains as well as contaminating the soil and landfills. It means we have purer drinking water and less chemicals in our environment.

You may be wondering which companies are responsible for collecting and recycling old oil. There are many used oil collectors like the Rose (Recycling Oil Saves the Environment) Foundation in Durban and across the country. They are dedicated to oil recycling in South Africa and their mission is to reduce environmental pollution from used motor oil. They collect the oil from you or you can drop off. In addition to this, there are also a number of other oil recycling companies in South Africa. They collect and recycle motor oil and sell it back into industry ensuring that it is reused in an environmentally responsible manner. While recycled used oil prices are not much cheaper in South Africa than using new oil, the benefits to the environment are worth it. In addition to this, it is perfectly safe to use for many applications after it has been recycled and the sludge has been removed. The recycling process is quite costly but there are still many organisations in South Africa that recycle used oil. It is important to note that used car oil disposal and recycling is the ethical thing to do. It costs money to actually dispose of used oil in the correct manner as specific service providers are required. Why do this when there is a far better way. If you do not want the hassle of handling the recycling process yourself, you simply have to find a mechanic that can recycle your oil and fill re-refined oil for your next oil change or call one of the many oil recycling companies in your area. If you are not using virgin oil for your oil change ensure that the oil has been API certified. This is a regulatory mechanism put in place to ensure the oil used will work the same as virgin oil. Recycled used oil can be reused in engines, in the shipping industry and to run generators and machinery in the industrial sector. If you are a major generator of used oil then it is especially important for you to put channels in place for recycling.

For many years South African legislation had not been updated to keep up with this growing environmental concern. Recently, this was rectified and generators of used oil and waste in general are now required by law to ensure that their waste is disposed of in a responsible manner. Previously, due to the discrepancy in legislation, non-profit organisations like the Rose Foundation actually paid people to recycle oil so that there was some kind of incentive to ensure oil was being recycled. This actually created a major problem later on as individuals started using it as an income generation model and escalated the prices of used oil to unsustainable levels. While this is still a concern, it is hoped that the new legislation will rectify this imbalance as used oil becomes an obligation to recycle rather than a commodity. It is important to note that recycling used oil is an ethical consideration and should not be for economic purposes. Companies that collect larger amounts of waste oil should not look at it as a means to earn a few bucks but a responsibility to the environment and society to dispose of correctly. The small payout that some organisations offer is meant as an incentive to individuals to encourage recycling and benefit the environment. If you are an individual that does your own oil changes, many local garages also have a collection point for used oil which is then picked up by oil recycling companies.

Tips for waste oil recycling in South Africa

• Ensure you use a secure container to hold the oil so that it does not harm you or anyone that handles it.
• Try and use rubber gloves or protective gear when handling used oil.
• Make sure the container you use to store the oil is clean and leak proof.
• Do not mix the oil with anything else.
• Do not heat the oil.
• Ensure it is labeled and kept in a secure place, particularly if you have children or pets around.
• The oil is flammable so it should also be kept away from any area where it could potentially cause a fire.
• Once you have collected enough oil, call any of the oil recycling companies that are listed below to collect. You can also drop off or find a local garage that has a collection point for used oil.
• Be wary of selling to individual used oil buyers in Durban or anywhere else who are not compliant with government legislation or the Rose Foundation recommendations as the recent escalation of used oil prices is actually detrimental to the recycling process.

This post was brought to you by Enfields Chemicals, a leading new and used oil refinery, based in Durban. We are passionate about the environment and reducing the impact of oil on it by recycling used motor oil so that it can be reused.

But what exactly is hydraulic oil?

Hydraulic oil, also known as hydraulic fluid can be either synthetic based or mineral based. Hydraulic oil is a non-compressible fluid that is used to transfer power within hydraulic machinery and hydraulic equipment.

More commonly used in the process of transferring power within hydraulic equipment, hydraulic oil can also be used as a sealant, coolant and also as a lubricator in hydraulic equipment.

The main differences between a synthetic hydraulic oil and a mineral based hydraulic oil, is that mineral hydraulic oils are derived from crude oil where as synthetic hydraulic oil is manufactured by man in a lab.

The primary use of hydraulic oil is to transfer power within various hydraulic systems. When a force is applied to the non-compressible hydraulic fluid, usually through a piston within a cylinder, the oil is pushed through the hydraulic system and essentially produces a force on another part of the hydraulic system. The result of the force is generally a movement or some other sort of action.

An interesting fact is that all fluids are non-compressible whereas gas is compressible.

Hydraulic oil/hydraulic fluids are used in various applications around the world, to give you a rough idea as to the variety of its uses, here are some examples of hydraulic powered equipment that utilize hydraulic fluids.

Hydraulic Oil for a Forklift – The hydraulic system found within a forklift and stackers are important aspects that help power the incredibly strong forks which are used to lift heavy goods.

Hydraulic Oil for Automotive Lifts – Car lifts (often seen in mechanical repair shops) require hydraulic oil to aid their impressive power! This type of machinery depends heavily on reliable hydraulic oil for safety as well as performance. Hydraulic oil used in car lifts tend to have a higher viscosity grade for the higher pressure required.

Hydraulic Oil for Snow Ploughs – Snow Ploughs blades require hydraulic fluid to assist in the lifting, tilting and angular movements that are required from it to clear out snow. Due to extreme cold weathers associated with the use of a snow plough, the hydraulic fluid used in snow ploughs are blended with antifreeze to ensure that parts are not jammed due to freezing of the hydraulic fluid.

Hydraulic Oil for Aircrafts – Hydraulic oil is used within the aviation industry for a variety of machines and aircraft components. Components such as an aircrafts tail utilise hydraulic fluid when turning. Hydraulic oil is also used within aircraft hangar doors and aircraft jacks.

Hydraulic Oil for Air Tools – Air tools and air compressors require high-pressure hydraulic oil which contains anti-wear additives for protection.

Hydraulic Oil for Tractors – Tractors require the use of hydraulic oil to assist with a tractors hydraulic brakes and other hydraulic systems on the agricultural machinery. For your own hydraulic tractor oil supply, you want to ensure the use if a reputable oil manufacturer such as Enfields Chemicals to make sure your expensive machinery components are kept safe and functional.

Tractor hydraulic oil is necessary for the operation of hydraulic brakes and hydraulic systems on agricultural vehicles and machinery. For your hydraulic oil tractor supply, you may want to use a reputable manufacturer such as Enfields Chemicals to ensure your expensive machinery and vehicles are well looked after and protected.

Hydraulic Oil for Cruise Ships and the Marine Industry –  Hydraulic oil is used aboard many marine applications for stability. The stabilisers reduce the amount of roll, which can affect the ship’s balance and cause you to experience unfriendly sea-motion sickness, as well as in other control units aboard the marine vessels.

What is it made of?

Hydraulic oil is made up of a variety of chemicals, however the compounds found in mineral hydraulic oil differ to that of synthetic hydraulic oil.

Hydraulic Mineral oil contains: Esters, Glycol, Silicone, Ethers, and Esters amongst other various chemical compounds. For different applications, oil manufacturers will blend the hydraulic oil with other additives for it to be able to perform in varying conditions. Hydraulic oil properties can easily be altered depending on which additives are used, however typical characteristics tend to be of a high viscosity index and incompressible allowing for proper use of hydraulic fluid.

Enfields Chemicals is a hydraulic oil supplier with excellent hydraulic oil prices, located within the Durban area and seen as a highly reputable hydraulic oil supplier in Durban, Enfields Chemicals is sure to meet any and all of your hydraulic oil requirements across multiple varying industries.

Oil that we cook with, oil that we use in our vehicles as hydraulic fluid, transmission fluid and motor oil, as well as industrial oils and such, can all be recycled by us at reasonable rates. You might be wondering why your seemingly small or large amount of oil can impact the environment. We’re going to explain why you should recycle your oil and dispose of it properly and what it’s beneficial to do so.

So, oil collection and waste oil removal, why is it so important? Well, consider how often your actions impact the world’s carbon footprint. When you’re buying from a store and you use a reusable bag or when you recycle paper you positively impact our planet. So why are we so careless when it comes to oil by-products? Well, many people do not realise that the oil in their cars can be recycled, this means that it’s often disposed of wrongly and in hazardous ways. These toxic oils aren’t suitable to be plainly thrown into the trash. If they are they could end up in landfills where they pollute water channels, bays and oceans as well as the ground. they also contribute to soil erosion which damages our natural fertile land. It is against the law to dispose of toxic oils carelessly which means that if you dispose of your own oils you need to make sure it is either recycled or properly disposed of.

If you are planning on recycling your oil at home make sure that you do not spill it and place it in a leak-proof container. After an oil change, you should recycle your motor oil since it does not necessarily get oil, it just gets dirty. It can be cleaned and refined and used again. Refined and reused oil can be put to use as lubricating and hydraulic oil. Used motor oil can be hazardous because it picks up contaminants when it is used in engines and transmissions. These hazardous contaminants can contain lead, chromium, dioxins, polycyclic aromatics, benzene and even cadmium, if it isn’t disposed of properly it can harm humans, animals as well as plants, fish and shellfish so taking care of your oil properly not only gives you piece of mind but helps protect the environment around you.

Pouring used oil down drains can lead to it being sent to streams, lakes or rivers. The oil does not absorb or dissolve once it is in the drain, it’s important to make sure you never pour oil down drains either since just 1 litre of oil can contaminate 1 million litres of water.

Harmful oil also disrupts the food chain which can take a long time to recover and can coat and kill the organisms in the ground which are necessary to maintain the environmental balance. Oil spills or many people disposing of oil in a negligent way can disrupt water supply and make it undrinkable.

If you run a company that disposes of oil then it’s even more integral that you get oil insurance and dispose of the oil responsibly since it is a criminal offense to illegally dispose of oil.

You should recycle oil for many reasons, some stated above and others including the fact that oil is slow to degrade and is a major source of oil contamination of waterways and water sources. Another reason is that contaminated oil is not a good sign for your car. Your used oil can contain metal particles, water and dirt that makes it less effective in protecting the mechanics of your vehicles. When you get your oil changed, you can take out your dirty oil and replace it with new, clean oil. When your oil is recycled it goes through a process to remove all of these contaminants. It gets filtered, demineralized, de-asphalted and other process depending on what type of oil it is and what the best way to treat it is.

The same customers and businesses that use regular oil also can use re-refined oil, since re-refining simply re-processes used oil into new, high-quality lubricating oil. In some case, recycled oil can outperform virgin oil.

So now that we’ve equipped you with all the information you might need to know about why used oil recycling, we’re happy to offer our help with any of your oil disposal and oil waste needs at reasonable rates with professional staff. You can rest easy knowing that you’re making a conscience and positive contribution to the protection of the environment and keeping your car in good health.