This article is to introduce when to PFPE oil for an oil-sealed rotary vane vacuum pump.
There’s no problem to use an oil-sealed rotary vane vacuum pump to displace air with 21% oxygen concentration.
In some cases, the oil-sealed pump is used to displace pure oxygen or oxygen concentration greater than 25%. The mineral oil produces oil mist during pump operation and it becomes explosive with combination of pure oxygen. If the pump has no explosion-proof design, there’s a simple solution to solve such problem: to fill the pump with PFPE oil.
Perfluoropolyether fluids (PFPE Oils) are synthetic fully fluorinated materials used as lubricants and coatings in the most extreme & critical lubrication applications. (Source: PFPE Fluorinated Oils – IKV Lubricants)
Here’re the features of PFPE oil:
- Non-flammable, chemically inert and thermally stable
- Excellent lubrication
- Low vapor pressure
- Long service life
The disadvantages however, are as clear as its features:
- Extremely expensive
- The oil contains fluoride, which may form toxic compounds to cause serious accidents.
- Costly to dispose of the used oil as hazardous waste
When handling PFPE oil, keep it away from open fires. During thermal decomposition at temperature over 290°C, toxic and corrosive gasses will be released.
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