You will find two types of transformer oils in the market, i.e. paraffin based transformer oil and naphtha based transformer oil. There are plants intended by engineers that perform transformer oil purification in efficient way.

1. You will find two types of transformer oils in the market, i.e. paraffin based transformer oil and
naphtha based transformer oil. There are plants intended by engineers that perform
transformer oil purification in efficient way. When we compare both the transformer oils, we
discover that paraffin oil is less oxidized. However, oxidation product like sludge in naphtha oil
is highly soluble than paraffin oil.
This is why sludge present in naphtha oil is never precipitated at the bottom of the transformer.
So, it enables oil circulation, and also let transformer to perform normally. Paraffin oil has lower
oxidation rate as compared to Naphtha oil.
Quality transformer oil offers ideal insulation in an electrical power transformer and absorbs
heat (works like coolant). Moreover, it helps preserve the core and windings of the system.
Other than these oils, mineral oil is also used for transformer since 18th century. Let’s overview
the purification process of petroleum:
 Crude petroleum

2. Crude oil is being extracted from crude petroleum. It has long chains of carbon compounds and
smaller content of nitrogen and sulphur, accumulated over millions of years under high pressure
inside earth’s crust. Hydrocarbon molecules classification is:
 Paraffin
 Cycloalkanes
 Aromatics
Refining petroleum – This crude petroleum needs to be refined to classify petroleum products
like gasoline, LPG, lubricating oils, kerosene oil, etc. Refining is done inside the vacuum
distillation tower known as fractionating tower where multiple catalysts and distinct
temperatures are used to classify the range of products.
Transformer oil or insulating oil is extremely refined mineral oil that is obtained from fractional
distillation process with crude petroleum processing. You can classify transformer oil
parameters in following categories:
 Electrical parameters- dielectric strength, specific resistance, acidity, water content.
 Physical parameters- Viscosity, flash point, inter facial tension, etc.
Moisture and dissolved gases- enemies of transformer oil
Moisture or water content is a serious contaminant that put adverse effect on insulation of the
transformer. Moisture makes the transformer oil less thick and the content is directly
proportional to transformer oil aging.
Dissolved gases are other contaminants that degrade transformer oil quality.
This story is shared by experts performing transformer oil purification everyday inside their
service center using latest tools and technologies. The purpose of this post is to let the readers
know about transformer oil range used by industries for their installed transformers.
This Article is Originally Published on:
http://royaltransformers.kinja.com/can-you-tell-distinct-types-of-transformer-oils-used-in-1785334384