A Review of Lubricant Chemistry for Use in Ammonia Refrigeration Systems

摘要

Ammonia is one of the oldest, continuous technologies for vapor compression refrigeration. Historically, solvent refined naphthenic mineral oils have been applied to traditional systems. Advances in lubricant technology have lead to several improvements in lubricant durability, cleanliness and life. These advances have allowed system engineers to further advance system design, producing lower temperatures through the use of direct expansion evaporators. The physical properties and resulting behavior of each lubricant type can be attributed to specific chemical characteristics of the lubricant. This paper will outline how the chemistry of each lubricant basestock influences the system behavior. Specifically, it will outline how contaminants, functional groups, branching and additives play a role in the behavior of a lubricant in an ammonia system.