“Oil vapour” in ambient air: Where does it come from?

In this white paper, the effect that ambient oil vapour levels can have on downstream compressed air quality and what to consider when looking for ‘Technically Oil-Free’ compressed air to ISO8573-1 Class 0 or Class 1 for total oil is discussed.

If you asked someone to describe oil and where it comes from, most people will describe a thick, black liquid, drilled from deep in the earth, pumped out and shipped around the world in large tankers.  And if you asked the same question relating to oil in a compressed air system, you will most likely be given a description of a thick black liquid coming from a lubricated air compressor.

Unbeknown to many, the ambient air around us, the air we breathe (and which the air compressor also “breathes”) also contains oil, but not in the thick, black, liquid form we normally think of, but in a vapour (gaseous) phase which we are unable to see.

To understand how oil vapour ends up in our ambient air (and ultimately in our compressed air systems), we must understand what “oil” is, where it comes from, how it is processed and what happens to it when it is used.

For the complete white paper provided by Parker Hannifin: Read more