Practical analytical research in a production environment

A transformer fluid must perform for a minimum of forty years. For Ergon Refining, Inc., to guarantee the endurance of its transformer fluid (brand name Hyvolt), various and extensive analytical research must be carried out. To ensure regulatory compliance for the European Union an FTIR is ran on Hyvolt. The results of FTIR showed no added oxidative inhibitors by ISO 60666 and BS 5984 methods. Through flow changes and a new temperature program the GC method of test for PCBs in Hyvolt ASTM D 4059 demonstrated an improvement. The chemist tested Sodium borohydride as a potential reducing agent to remove high color in Hyvolt. The chemist studied FTIR spectra using butyl hydroxy toluene (BHT) according to ASTM D 2668. The research of the new oxidative inhibitor DBDS (Dibenzyl Disulfide) in Hyvolt included its solubility, saturation, precipitation, and quantization.;This research successfully proved no foreign additives are present in Ergon Refining Hyvolt, therefore ensuring Hyvolt meets all regulatory compliance issues and is saleable in the EU. The use of sodium borohydride is found by the chemist not to be applicable to Hyvolt because of the insolubility of the polar borohydride in the non-polar transformer fluid. The reproducibility study indicated the ASTM D 2668 method of testing at Ergon's Laboratory to be 50% superior to the published ASTM method.;The research of DBDS solubility in Hyvolt is at a concentration one hundred times greater than the anticipated added concentration. The solubility of DBDS rapidly increased as the temperature increased. The saturation point is not reached with a concentration of 2.92 wt. % at 140°F. Precipitation of DBDS with a 2.92 wt. concentration began at approximately 40°F.;The chemist decided the best peak to quantize DBDS in Hyvolt using FTIR is at 700 cm-1. A six-point calibration curve from 100 ppm wt. % to 800 ppm wt. % is created with an R2 = 0.9975. The path length used is 1 mm. The accuracy is found to be 80 ppm wt. %, which is deemed to be too high. However, it is likely the accuracy could be straightforwardly improved by means of a new calibration curve and by utilizing a longer path length cell.