About the ISO 8573-1 standard

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History of ISO 8573
The original version of 1991 (edition1) standard defined 5 classes on
oil concentration
The best Class 1, specifying an
oil concentration of 0,01 mg/m
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at 1 bar(a) 14.5 psia and 20
o
C
(68F)
Conformance to Class 1 was
sometimes called a technically
oil-free solution
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ISO 8573-1 (1991)
Unusually, the standard recommended methods to remove oil from the compressed
air.
Quote Oil may be removed by high efficiency filters
It also cautioned users about using oil-free compressors
Quote The quality of air delivered by non-lubricated compressors is influenced by the quality of the
intake air and the compressor design
Oil vapors, which are not removed by coalescing filters were accorded negligible
importance (when in fact quantity of vapors may be higher than aerosols)
Quote Therefore below approximately 35
o
C (95
o
F), the oil vapor content may be disregarded
In effect, the provisions in the standard were not adequate to assure the purity levels
demanded by the industry and a new edition of the standard evolved: edition 2.
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Forms of oil in pipelines
When oil is present in pipelines, it
is always in these three forms:
Aerosols are partially removed by
coalescing filters and appear as
condensate
Wall flow either appears in
condensate or travels to the process
Vapors are not removed by
coalescing filters!
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ISO 8573-1 (2001)
Major changes:
The standard now spoke about total oil content (aerosol, liquid and vapour)
A standard was introduced on measurement of oil vapour ISO 8573 part 5
A new class (Class 0) was introduced to cover more stringent quality requirements
The clause which recommended ways to remove oil was deleted
Representative samples were asked
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ISO 8573-1 Testing Methods
ISO 8573-1 Part 2
Measurement of Aerosols
ISO 8573-1 Part 5
Measurement of oil fumes and vapors
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ISO 8573-1 Part 2 - Aerosols
Method B1
Measurement of full flow with
membranes.
Measures all aerosols and wall
flow
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ISO 8573-1 Part 2 - Aerosols
Method B2
Sampling probe at the center of the
pipe is used.
Wall flow is not measured
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ISO 8573-1 Part 5 - Vapors
Chemical absorption of oil by use
of activated carbon.
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ISO 8573-1 Temperature factor
Reference Conditions:
The reference conditions are
specified as 20
o
C (68
o
F) and 1 bar
(a) (14,5 psia).
The above conditions are not
representative. Filters receive air
at 4-10
o
C (7-18
o
F) above cooling
medium temperature which could
reach 30
o
C (86
o
F)! Also, the
working conditions of the
compressor are at higher
pressures.
Oil carry over will be greater at
higher temperatures !
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Atlas Copcos test
TV tested Atlas Copcos Z series of oil-free rotary screw compressors at:
Three different temperatures: 20
o
C, 40
o
C and 50
o
C at the measurement point
2 different pressures: 1 bar(a) and 8 bar(a)
Why is this important?
Temperatures: oil carry-over increases exponentially with increasing temperatures.
Especially at 8 bar(a), the oil concentration goes up as compared to 1 bar(a)
As production environments change from place to place, country to country
and application to application, it is important to test at all possible conditions.
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ISO 8573-1 Filter factor
Another factor influencing test results when measuring oil residue in
compressed air:
using lubricated compressors in combination with filters
The saturation level of the filter may affect oil carry-over.
Committed to
sustainable productivity.
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