Travis Richardson | Noria Corporation
CONTAMINATION CONTROL & LUBRICANT RECONDITIONING Factor: C2P
Particle Breathers vs. Desiccant Breathers: Which Will Keep Your Oil Contaminant-Free?
More about this
ASCEND™ Factor
Factor:
C2P – Contaminant Removal
Level:
Platform (P)
Stage:
Contamination Control & Lubricant Reconditioning
About:
A focused and consistent contamination removal strategy ensures that contaminants are eliminated as quickly as possible, optimizing machine performance.
Learn More: noria.com/ascend/
W hen it comes to managing the headspace of a machine or machine component, many different breathers can be used, such as desiccant breathers, particle breathers, dry instrument air and expansion chambers. In this article, we will discuss the difference between the first two methods mentioned: the particle breather and the desiccant breather. However, before we dive into the differences between these two types of breathers, it is important to understand headspace management and the purpose of breathers. The headspace of a lubricated sump is the area between the top of a lubricant and the top of the sump itself. The size of this space can fluctuate as a machine exhales and inhales. There is not much emphasis put on the air that is leaving the machine. However, when a machine breathes in, there is a chance that harmful contaminants such as water and dirt can ingress and potentially
20 | January-February 2022 |
www.machinerylubricationindia.com
cause harm to the lubricant and the machine. For this reason, it’s important that we control what comes in with the air as it enters the machine.
Particle Breathers
can allow water to easily find its way inside our machines, just like the coffee filter. These filters usually come threaded and spun into the top of machines such as gearboxes, hydraulic units and pumps.
Simply put, a particle breather is similar to the filters used to make coffee. Just like a coffee filter is used to keep the coffee grains out of the coffee pot, particle breathers are used to keep particles out of lubricated sumps. One downside of particle breathers is that they
Generally, the particle breathers that come on most OEM equipment are not sufficient to properly protect a machine’s headspace. Think of the typical breather that comes on a hydraulic unit — they will usually have a
