GrindClean
Synthetic Grinding Coolant
Frequently Asked Questions.
What is the correct dilution ratio?
What is the correct Refractometer setting?
When
should I use a refractometer?
How should I
top off coolant?
Do I need to use
de-ionized or distilled water?
How
should I dispose of spent coolant?
Will the
coolant work with my centrifuge and filter paper?
Do I need to
monitor the temperature of my coolant?
Why is my coolant turning pink in color?
What should I
do if my coolant is foaming or sudsing?
When
should I change my coolant?
How much coolant do I
need for initial fills?
I followed your instructions, but still have problems with my coolant. What
should I do?
What is the correct dilution
ratio?
The ideal range is 20:1 (5% GrindClean, 95% water) to 10:1 (10% GrindClean,
90% water). You should start out with a ratio of 20:1 for initial tank fills.
Use clean, soft water if possible.
If you have very hard water with lots of minerals, then increase the
percentage of GrindClean to 15:1 or 10:1.
What is the correct
Refractometer setting?
Using the Brix scale, the ideal setting is between 1 and 2. A reading of over
2 is too rich, while under 1 is too lean. A fresh batch of 20:1 coolant should
read 1.0, while a fresh batch of 10:1 coolant should read 2.0.
Over diluting or too lean a mixture will decrease GrindClean’s corrosion
protection and cause rust. Too strong or rich a mixture will make the fluid
stickier and foamier. It will also have a strong chemical odor, and could cause
irritation of the skin (especially if it sticks to the skin). A strong mixture
does not improve coolant performance.
When should I use a
refractometer?
Refractometers work best with fresh coolant. Do not rely on a refractometer’s
high reading after the coolant has become dirty with grinding contaminants. The
reading may appear to be higher than normal, since the refractometer is now
measuring all the oils and other grinding contaminants that have been added to
the mixture. In this situation, an operator may think that the coolant needs
more water, since the Brix reading is > 2; however, by adding too much water,
the operator is actually diluting the overall
percentage of GrindClean in the mixture.
You can still use a refractometer with dirty coolant to make sure that you
don’t go lower than the recommended Brix reading of 1.0. If your reading is
below 1.0, then it’s time to add more GrindClean to the mixture. A manual or
digital refractometer that measures the Brix scale from 0 to 10 is recommended.
How should I top off coolant?
Due to evaporation of water in the coolant mixture, you should not top off
the tank at the same dilution ratio that was used to fill the tank with fresh
coolant. A good rule of thumb is to use one-half the amount
of GrindClean when topping up. If you start a fresh batch of coolant at a
ratio of 20:1, then top off with a ratio of 40:1 (Brix reading of 0.5).
Do I need to use
de-ionized or distilled water?
Most users will not need to use de-ionized or distilled water. Locations with
especially poor quality water or very high evaporation rates could switch to
de-ionized or distilled water to see if that lengthens their coolant life.
How should I dispose of
spent coolant?
Users that are switching from another brand of synthetic coolant to
GrindClean should be able to use the same company to haul away their spent
coolant.
Lookup "waste disposal & recycling service" in your local Yellow Pages
for help in finding a company to haul away your spent coolant. Many industrial
areas will have recyclers that reclaim metal particles from spent grinding
coolant.
Spent grinding fluid or coolant should never be disposed of into a septic or
sewer system. Contact your appropriate local or state agencies for additional
information.
Will the
coolant work with my centrifuge and filter paper?
GrindClean works well with centrifuges (no problems with foaming or suds) and
can be used with filter cartridges or paper designed to remove particles down to
0.5 microns.
Do I need to
monitor the temperature of my coolant?
If the ambient temperature in your grinding facility is very high, then use
deionized or soft water to help prevent excessive evaporation. It is not
necessary to chill GrindClean coolant.
Why is my coolant turning
pink in color?
If your coolant is turning pink and you grind a lot of carbide, then you are
probably leaching cobalt. Switching to GrindClean synthetic coolant should
dramatically reduce this problem. While no coolant will completely eliminate
cobalt leaching, laboratory analyses of various brands of coolant consistently
show GrindClean to have the lowest concentration of cobalt. Excessive cobalt
leaching will decrease the life of the carbide tool, diamond grinding wheel, and
the coolant. The dissolved cobalt can also be a health and disposal concern.
Coolant can also turn pink due to excessive minerals in the water or due to
highly contaminated coolant. Maintaining proper GrindClean dilution levels
should prevent this problem. Mixtures that are turning rancid can also turn pink
in color. If this happens, then it’s time to change your coolant.
What should I
do if my coolant is foaming or sudsing?
GrindClean is specially formulated not to foam. In the rare case where
foaming is a problem (typically due to too rich a mixture or the addition of
foreign particles not normally associated with grinding), then contact Eagle
regarding the purchase of a defoamer or biocide.
When should I change my coolant?
Coolant that is maintained at the correct dilution ratio AND properly
filtered by a centrifuge and/or filter type cartridge/paper should last for up
to 12 months. Note the translucent green color of a fresh batch of GrindClean
coolant. Unlike other brands of coolant, properly maintained GrindClean coolant
will keep its original color even after 6 months of use.
Grinders that have a small coolant tank (e.g., 20 gallon tank with
inexpensive paper filter) will need to have their coolant changed more
frequently (e.g., every 60 days), especially if grinding solids are continually
re-circulated through the pump due to poor filtration.
In general, coolant life will depend upon:
• How well you filter the coolant
• The quality of your water
• How well you maintain the dilution ratio and volume of coolant in
the tank
How much coolant do I
need for initial fills?
First, calculate the volume of your tank. Do this by multiplying the Length X
Width X Depth to get the tank’s total cubic feet. Multiply the total ft3 by 7.5
to convert to gallons. Then divide the total gallons by the dilution ratio to
obtain the total amount of GrindClean to add in the coolant mixture. The
following example shows how to calculate the amount of GrindClean to add.
Tank width: 24" or 2 ft
Tank length: 36" or 3 ft
Tank depth: 12" or 1 ft
Total cubic feet: 2x3x1 = 6
Total gallons: 6 x 7.5 = 45
Dilution ratio: 20:1
Amount of GrindClean to add: 45 / 20 = 2.25 gallons
I followed your instructions, but still have coolant problems. What should I do?
If you are still having problems with your coolant, then send us a sample of
your coolant in a small leak-proof bottle. We will analyze it for cobalt
leaching, rust, bacteria, etc., and provide recommendations to enhance coolant
life and increase performance (proper dilution ratio, top off rates, water type,
etc.).
