Can You Mix 32 and 46 Hydraulic Oil? | Things You Must Know
Every hydraulic machine requires hydraulic oil to work correctly. You can’t obtain the machine’s full potential without good quality oil. So people mix 2- types of hydraulic oil, the most mixed oil it the 32 and 46 hydraulic oil. It’s a commonly asked question; can you mix 32 and 46 hydraulic oil?
Yes, one can mix 32 and 46 hydraulic oil. Before we get to mixing 32 and 46 hydraulic oil, you need to understand what hydraulic oil is. Hydraulic oil is a water-based oil. It consists of 99 % water base stoke and 1 % additives. Sometimes, its base stokes contain silicon stoke or polypropylene glycol stoke.
What are the differences between 32 and 46 hydraulic oil?
Almost all the hydraulic oil consists of the same base stoke; water and additives are its main materials. But there are a few factors that create differences between this oil. Such as 46 hydraulic is medium, and 32 hydraulic oil is thick.
Grade and viscosity also create a difference; both 32 oil and 46 oil contain the same viscosity. It’s of those reasons that one can mix both of this oil and use them for better performance.
What will happen if you mix 32 and 46 hydraulic oil?
Mixing hydraulic oil with different additives is not recommended because the machine will face severe damage if the mixing fails. Water is the base substance for hydraulic oil, and an additive makes the difference. While mixing hydraulic oil, one must have a similar additive in both hydraulic oil.
The 32 and 46 hydraulic oil have the same additive, so they are safe for mixing. 32 hydraulic oil is thinner than 46 hydraulic oil; the mixer obtains more thick characters once you mix them. This mixer will improve the performance, but it can also compromise the performance of the mixing process that goes wrong.
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What is the meaning of 32 and 46 in terms of hydraulic oil?
Hydraulic oil contains base stock and additives. These substances determine the viscosity of hydraulic oil. At the same time, viscosity stands for the ability of thickness in different temperatures. According to the temperature, hydraulic oil changes its thickness to make the working process more fluent. 32 and 46 determine the viscosity of hydraulic oil.
This lighter 32 hydraulic oil has a viscosity grade of 85 at 20 degrees Celsius, 15 at 60 degrees, and 32 VG at 40 degrees Celsius. Also, the 46 hydraulic oil is a bit thicker than 32 hydraulic oil. Its viscosity grade is 140 at 20 degrees Celsius, 20 at 60 degrees, and 46 at 40 degrees Celsius.
The process of mixing 32 and 46 hydraulic oil
Hydraulic oil contains many kinds of chemicals. These chemicals work to improve the performance of a hydraulic machine. Different types of hydraulic oil contain different chemicals, and mixing them can start an unwanted chemical reaction. That would bring disaster for your machine, so people don’t recommend mixing hydraulic oil. But you can mix hydraulic oil with the same additive, such as 32 and 46 hydraulic oil.
Follow these steps to mix these oils.
Step 1: First, take out both 32 and 46 hydraulic oil. Then look at the label to ensure the same viscosity. If you see the same additives in both oils, those oils are safe to mix.
Step 2: then, take an extra bucket, start pouring the 32 oil, and add the 46 oil into that bucket. Remember to add the oil slowly because it takes time to adjust.
Step 3: Mix both oils properly, and steer them for a while. It will help them to mix properly.
It is a homemade process for mixing these two hydraulic oils. You can find more machines that help to mix them faster. Be sure to take precautions while mixing the oil.
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What are ISO and AW defined in hydraulic oil?
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) makes sure every mechanical oil contains recommended quality. ISO provides a standard chart that every oil manufacturing company must follow. For hydraulic oil, ISO provides Viscosity grade. Viscosity defines how thick or light hydraulic oil is and determines its characteristics.
Anti-Wear (AW) is also a characteristic part of the oil. AW, hydraulic oil contains an antioxidant, rust resistance substance. It defines the viscosity index and also helps you to identify its workability.
What are the differences in hydraulic oil?
There are 2-types of hydraulic oil. One is synthetic oil, and the other one is mineral-based oil. Synthetic hydraulic oil consists of many chemicals, and mineral-based oil consists of natural oil elements. They produce mineral hydraulic oil from crude oil. For this reason, it provides better performance than synthetic oil. Besides these, some hydraulic oil is thinner, and some are thick. You can also see differences in viscosity.
Are hydraulic fluid and hydraulic oil the same?
No, hydraulic fluid and hydraulic are not the same, though they are similar. One can consider hydraulic oil hydraulic fluid, but you can call it hydraulic fluid. Because hydraulic fluid contains many chemical bonds, and water is its main base element. On the other hand, hydraulic oil comes from crude oil; also, it can take more heat than hydraulic fluid.
Final Verdict
Hydraulic oil is the essential element for a hydraulic machine. This oil increases the performance. Most of this oil contains water bases and additives, but some include other stoke-based elements. The ISO determines their grade through their viscosity. Viscosity allows you to understand its nature, and it also tells you where you can use that oil. People tend to mix oil for better performance, but there is some restriction to mixing different oil. People get this question; can you mix 32 and 46 hydraulic oil? Here we tried to shear as all the information on this topic.
