Previous attempts to solve the fog issue

Many attempts have been made over the last several years to resolve the problems associated with the use of rock drill oils, most notably the tendency of most lubricants to generate small aerosol particles commonly referred to as "fog".

Most of these approaches were examined by Pneuma-Tool, and the following observations were made:

Increasing Viscosity

By increasing viscosity, some reductions in fog generation were achieved, for example by substituting the recommended grade of rock drill oil for a higher viscosity, or by switching to a liquid grease. Viscosity should be carefully matched to the application to ensure that excessive drag is not created by the lube, resulting in hotter running tools, which can lead to tool life deterioration. At the other end of the spectrum, cold weather performance of the higher viscosity lube can result in labored startup, and inadequate initial lubrication, also potentially resulting in reduced tool life.

Addition of Tackifiers

Tackifiers have been employed extensively to reduce fog generation, and have worked moderately, at best. The problem with most tackifiers is that they have poor shear stability, which means that they lose their effectiveness rapidly under the high heat and mechanical action produced in many types of pneumatic equipment.

TM

Patent Pending