Static Electricity in Oil
During the delivery, transportation, and filling of oil, friction between oil molecules and between oil and other substances generates static electricity. The voltage increases as friction intensifies. If not promptly dissipated, when the voltage reaches a certain level, sparks (i.e., static discharge) can occur between two charged bodies, causing the oil to explode or ignite.
The higher the static electricity voltage, the easier it is to discharge. The voltage level, or the magnitude of the static electricity charge, is primarily related to the following factors:
1. The faster the oil flow rate. The more intense the friction, the higher the static electricity voltage generated.
2. The drier the air, the less likely static electricity dissipates from the air, and the more likely the voltage to rise.
3. The greater the distance between the oil pipe outlet and the oil surface, the more intense the friction between the oil and the air, the more agitation and impact the oil flow causes on the oil surface, and the higher the voltage.
4. The rougher the pipe wall and the more elbows and valves the oil passes through, the higher the static electricity voltage generated. When oil contains moisture during transportation, the voltage generated is several to dozens of times higher than when it does not contain moisture. 5. Non-metallic pipes, such as canvas, rubber, asbestos, cement, and plastic, are more likely to generate static electricity than metal pipes.
6. The denser the mesh of the oil filter installed on the pipe, the higher the static voltage generated. Silk felt filters generate even higher static voltage.
7. Static electricity is most likely to be generated when the atmospheric temperature is high (22-40°C) and the relative humidity is between 13% and 24%.
8. Under the same conditions, light fuel oil is more likely to generate static electricity than lubricating oil.
We recommend using our static eliminator to effectively reduce the harm caused by static electricity.