If you don't know HLB, you don't know cutting fluid
October 18, 2022
Emulsifiers are surfactants, but not surfactants can be used as emulsifiers in cutting fluids. Only those surfactants that have an effective stabilizing effect on the emulsion system and do not affect other components of the emulsion system can be used as emulsifiers in cutting fluid production.
At present, water-based emulsifiers are widely used by cutting fluid manufacturers at home and abroad, mainly as follows: 1. Alkyl phenol polyoxyethylene ether: such as NP, OP series. 2. Fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether: such as MOA FAE series. 3. Sorbitol polyoxyethylene ether; For example: SPAN, TWEEN series. 4. Fatty acid amide, fatty acid salt: such as T704, tall oil salt, castor oil salt series. 5. Sulfonate: such as T701, T702. Generally, after selecting the surfactant and determining the ratio of various surfactants through the HLB value, the cutting fluid prepared according to this is still a little turbid or layered or turbid after being placed for a period of time. At this time, it is usually necessary to add some long-chain aliphatic alcohols, ethers and other co emulsifiers to the Metal Working Fluid, and adjust the HLB value of the cutting fluid through the co emulsifier to make the HLB value of the cutting fluid reach the optimal value, On the one hand, it can improve the emulsification performance of the surfactant, on the other hand, it can improve the stability of the metalworking fluid, and it will not become layered and turbid after being placed for a long time.
Specific applications include: when there is a basic formula of cutting fluid, some functional additives such as lubricant, extreme pressure agent or antiwear agent may be added to meet different metal processing requirements. When additional functional additives are added, the original HLB value of the metal processing fluid is often changed, making the improved metal processing fluid layered or turbid. At this time, functional additives such as alcohol ether need to be added, Make the HLB value reach the best value again and present transparent liquid. The specific addition amount needs to be adjusted repeatedly in the laboratory, taking into account its addition amount comprehensively. If it is directly used without adjustment, the components of the metalworking fluid will not give full play to their original functions, which will seriously affect the performance of the metalworking fluid. Therefore, functional additives such as alcohol ether are particularly important in the research and development of metalworking fluid, and are widely used in the improvement of original formula and the research and development of new formula.
