Contamination is all foreign particles or processes that should not be present in the engine components. As the main ingredient to drive the engine, lubricants and fuel are the components most often affected by contamination. If not treated immediately, the machine can be damaged.
Types and Causes of Contamination
In general, there are two types of causes of contamination: particles and chemical processes. Particles that are often found in oil and fuel are metals and dirt. This can be caused by unclean sources and friction that occurs in the system.
Second, contamination can come from chemical processes that inadvertently make oil or fuel mixed with water or air. The entry of water or air into the lubricant can occur due to leakage in the engine system. As a result, oil looks milky white, not as clear as normal.
In addition, a drastic change in temperature can also be said as contamination because it changes the oil and fuel properties. If it is too hot, the engine temperature can go up and become overheated. At a certain temperature point, the engine can suddenly shut down.
While based on size, there are two types of contamination with the following characteristics:
1. Invisible
- Can be seen or felt with fingers
- Measuring 40 microns or larger
- Can be in the form of welding chips, paint, or metal powders
2. Invisible
- Not easily seen
- Measuring smaller than 40 microns
- Can be in the form of silica, dust, rock powder
Because of different characteristics, not all contaminations are easily found. You need to monitor it regularly so that the problem can be resolved as early as possible. If it is already disrupting engine performance, it seems you should immediately bring the machine to a qualified technician.
Periodically Testing the Level of Contamination
To test whether the lubricant in your engine is contaminated, special equipment and expertise are indeed needed. For this reason, the team of analysts from the Hyprowira Adhitama Laboratory is willing to conduct on-site tests and provide advice on the condition of the lubricants and fuels being used for your engine.
At least, controlling the level of contamination periodically is done every two months. When replacing the lubricant, also pay attention to whether the old oil is completely drained before replacing it using new oil.
