Hydraulic Fluid Properties

Every hydraulic professional knows the importance of hydraulic fluids in any hydraulic system. The basic requirement for a hydraulic system is fluid. Fluids can be categorized into petroleum-based and fire-resistant types. The key functions of hydraulic fluids are power generation, lubrication, heat removal, and sealing. Fluids are selected for a particular application depending on the hydraulic fluid properties.Hydraulic fluid properties can be subdivided into physical properties and chemical properties. Physical properties include those required for normal system operation and chemical properties include those required for providing stability for continuous operations. A wrong selection of hydraulic fluid will cause severe system failures. But, it is impossible to select a fluid that satisfies all the properties. So, what we can do is select a hydraulic fluid that suits your hydraulic system. Certain additives like. pour point depressant, viscosity index improvers, defoamers(anti-foam additives), oxidation inhibitors, etc.. can be added to the fluid to obtain more stability. Some of the basic hydraulic properties are listed below