Looking for coolant testing tools

Dave Cross · Feb 25, 2015

Can you guys give me any recommendations for what I will need to measure the following in emulsified soluble oil coolant?

Hardness
pH
Free oil/tramp oil

Our coolant supplier is saying our sump isn't building hardness, and that is why we are having foaming issues. After just shy of two months of running this stuff my coolant is still only at 40ppm hardness. We have really soft water here. They are recommending we add Calcium Acetate to artificially harden the sump. I'd like to make small incremental changes and monitor my results.

This is on a 250 gallon sump that pumps 100g/min. I know the sump is too small, I am working on an addition to double the capacity.

RJT · Feb 25, 2015

hardness ?
ph - get a ph test kit from McMaster or MSC , just some strips and a color chart
to measure oil mix ratio get a profilomoter (sp?) If you can see oil floating on the top of your coolant, you need a skimmer or coalaser (sp?)

Dave Cross · Feb 25, 2015

Hardness/dissolved solids

So I guess there are pH strips that will work with an emulsified coolant?

We are already use a refractometer for concentration, and we have 2 coalescers in that sump to keep it clean. On top of that there is 10 micron filtration on most of the coolant systems that are on that machine.

What I need to know is how much way lube, hydraulic oil etc is getting emulsified in the coolant.

PixMan · Feb 25, 2015

Your coolant supplier should be more than willing to collect and send out test samples of your coolant to their own lab for evaluation, and it should be a week or less turnaround. That would tell you the level and type of contamination. I know of no 'test kit" that can test for dissolved solids.

Dave Cross · Feb 25, 2015

They are, but if I need to use additives I would like to be able to test myself.

Red James · Feb 25, 2015

I agree on becoming your own 'chemist' . . . I thought foaming was from Hard water, not soft. Anyone confirm either way?

RJT · Feb 25, 2015

My bad, yes re fractometer is what you want, not profilomiter.

Dave Cross · Feb 25, 2015

Red James said:
I agree on becoming your own 'chemist' . . . I thought foaming was from Hard water, not soft. Anyone confirm either way?

If you are too far in either direction is can cause foaming. A lot of it has to do with how the coolant is built though. And then filtration can strip out defoamers from the coolants as well. I am told that a sump under 100ppm disolved solids is "too clean, and too soft". I'm at 40ppm right now.

RJT said:
My bad, yes re fractometer is what you want, not profilomiter.

Yep! I need to measure the oil that isn't supposed to be in there though.

Dave Cross · Feb 25, 2015

This is what I get when the sample goes back to Chicago (head office), it is a little more in depth then my local office/lab.

I'd like to be able to test as much of this as I can.

Edster · Feb 25, 2015

You can get a graduated cylinder and let coolant sit in it. Solids will eventually fall to the bottom and tramp oils will eventually separate.

You can also see tramp oils in the refractometer. When the line is fuzzy you have tramp oil in the coolant. Sometimes it will be very fuzzy like you can't even tell the percentage anymore.

Test strips for PH and hardness.

I use DI water for makup and use well water for the initial fill so I have a little hardness in the system.

Carbide processors was giving out coolant test kits a while ago.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/free-coolant-test-kit-285359/

Dave Cross · Feb 25, 2015

Edster said:
You can get a graduated cylinder and let coolant sit in it. Solids will eventually fall to the bottom and tramp oils will eventually separate.

You can also see tramp oils in the refractometer. When the line is fuzzy you have tramp oil in the coolant. Sometimes it will be very fuzzy like you can't even tell the percentage anymore.

Test strips for PH and hardness.

I use DI water for makup and use well water for the initial fill so I have a little hardness in the system.

Carbide processors was giving out coolant test kits a while ago.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/free-coolant-test-kit-285359/

If my dissolved solids are under 100ppm, am I actually going to be able to see them in a 250ml cylinder?

I know how to tell when I have tramp oil in the coolant, I'm just trying to tell how much

Edster · Feb 26, 2015

Dave Cross said:
If my dissolved solids are under 100ppm, am I actually going to be able to see them in a 250ml cylinder?

I know how to tell when I have tramp oil in the coolant, I'm just trying to tell how much

I said solids will fall to the bottom not dissolved solids.

Hardness (dissolved solids) would be tested with strips. Or you can use a conductivity meter.

Free oil / tramp oil (like you asked about in your first post) can be measured with the graduated cylinder after it rises to the top.

If you need to get more technical that that I suggest you find another coolant supplier.

Dave Cross · Feb 26, 2015

Oh I was thinking maybe the dissolved solids would separate. I didn't know you could test dissolved solids on strips, I'll have to look for those, that is sweet.

FWIW, we added some calcium acetate to harden the sump last night, so far very promising. This is the first coolant we have seen that can actually handle our system. We'll see what I think in a couple months though

adamm · Feb 26, 2015

The (potable) water treatment suppliers around here have test kits for hardness where they add drops of a chemical to the water sample. They count the number of drops it takes and look up the hardness on a table. The applications I have seen have all been to size water softeners. I don't know if the chemistry would be affected by the oil in your sample, but your local water equipment suppliers may be a good place to call.

Adam

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