2. As more processes are automated in food production and reliance on machinery increases, there are more pressures on food processors operating with reduced work staff. These companies have higher goals for yields and waste reduction in production facilities while plants and operators are under time pressures with less emphasis on personnel training and education.
LUBRICANTS FOR NATURAL GAS ENGINE
1. natural gas burns hotter than diesel fuel or gasoline, the lubricating oil for natural gas engines can operate under conditions of severe heat stress when temperatures exceed 90 C, particularly in certain areas within the engine such as the cylinder walls, piston under-crowns and valve guides.
2. This is a little too hot for an engine’s long-term health. Oxidation, along with the related process of nitration, must be kept in check to assure that oil can fend off chemical degradation.
3. Compared to diesel fuel or gasoline, which are liquids, natural gas is a dry fuel that needs to be used with lubricating oil that produces oil ash as a byproduct of combustion.
4.In the right concentration, ash will form a deposit on the seating surfaces of exhaust valves that are needed to prevent what’s known as valve recession.
5. Too much ash, on the other hand, can permit excessive deposits to form and cause hot combustion gases to leak around the valve seats, burning them.
6. Overly thick ash deposits also can behave as unwanted insulators that impede the natural flow of heat away from the valves.
7. The classification system used for automobile oils doesn’t apply to natural gas-burning engines. The user must proceed with lessons learned from field experience, along with specifications issued by engine manufacturers.
8. Over the years, oil have been formulated with superior resistance to oxidation and nitration. Ash is derived from metallic elements in the additive package such as calcium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorous.
FOOD GRADE LUBRICANT REGULATIONS
1. Lubricants used in production processes offer the possibility of cross-contamination into food. The growing concern for food-safe lubricants raises questions about whether food safety regulations and standards also apply to food-grade lubricants and how food manufacturers meet operational requirements without introducing new chemical hazards.
2. Hazards can be controlled by having effective Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans and ensuring they are implemented.
3. They also can be controlled by making sure equipment is designed in a way that is sanitary and doesn’t harbor additional bacteria or cleaning agents in areas where they are undesired and by using third-party verified lubricants.
4. In the U.S., products must be formulated in accordance with Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (21CFR) 178.3570. Or the ingredients in the lubricant must be listed as safe in (21CFR) 178.3570 where there is a list of acceptable components including oils, antioxidants, surfactants, etc., along with use limitations.
5. Another option to comply with the regulation could be through an approved contact notification from the FDA.
6. European Union (EU): In the EU the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) provides advice on food safety risks and publishes scientific opinions on certain compounds (e.g., mineral oils). Today there is no formal EU regulation for lubricants like there is in the U.S. Typically the U.S. compliance requirements are accepted in the EU.
7. Canada: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) enforces that country’s regulations. It maintains a list of CFIA-approved chemical compounds but has scaled back the scope of the reviews for the last two years. It used to operate a program similar to the NSF program in the U.S. with similar criteria, but now it applies only to meat processing. It is uncertain whether CIFA will ramp up the scope or scale it back again in the future.
8. China: The Food Safety authority in China is the Food Hygiene Law of the People’s Republic of China. This law ensures food hygiene and protects food products from contamination of harmful substances. It doesn’t cover products themselves but instead covers the premises, processing facilities and environments where products are produced. it focuses more on potential harmful substances being added into the products that could contaminate the final lubricant.
9. Australia: In the past, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) operated a program similar to the one in Canada, reviewing and listing products as compliant and mirroring the U.S. criteria for ingredient review. In Australia lubricants with incidental contact are called Lubricants Type A. Two years ago they also suspended their acceptance review program and are no longer adding products to their list of accepted foods.
10. Asia-Pacific. Several Asia-Pacific countries are strengthening their food safety regulations and expanding laws for food processing. In time more countries in the region may start to focus further on the lubricant sector, but no regulations exist now.
(Source: ulprospector)
