Medical Oxygen has always been an important aspect of medical treatments and has recently seen a rise in demand for many of these types of medical treatments. With its increased usage, the importance of oxygen-safe lubricants has also increased. From standard handling applications, as well as in applications like medical ventilators, these specialty lubricants are essential, as they enable enhanced safety and efficacy. Halocarbon lubricants have been trusted products for oxygen-rich environments for decades, and this is still true today under the new InfinX MRO name. These lubricants are non-flammable, non-reactive, non-toxic, safe to handle, and they provide outstanding performance properties. Below is a breakdown of the key roles that oxygen-safe lubricants play in both medical oxygen handling and their use in medical ventilators.
Properties Required for Safe Oxygen Handling
Oxygen as a prescribed treatment requires portable cylinders that contain the reactive gas, tubes and pipes to dispense the oxygen, storage and transportation valves and containers, and more. All of these parts require time and money to produce, and because it’s a reactive gas, every component must be designed with safe, inert, and reliable materials. Medical oxygen is produced at plants that distribute the reactive gas in bulk to hospitals via liquid tanks, cryogenic tanks, or pressurized oxygen cylinders. The oxygen is then dispersed throughout the hospital through a systematic network of pipes, which all require oxygen-safe oils and fluids during production and operation.
As the medical oxygen industry ramps up the production of supplemental oxygen bottles, tanks, and cylinders, the production of oxygen-safe fluids and oils for processing and handling must meet the projections. Because of the excessive demand, oxygen cylinders are also being repurposed and recycled, which requires long-lasting, reliable oxygen-compatible lubricants specifically designed for longevity and repeat-use.
Why Do Ventilators Need Lubrication?
Lubricants for ventilators make up a small segment of applications for oxygen-compatible oils and greases, but a vital one nonetheless. Ventilators require oxygen-safe lubricants because most other forms of lubrication will incidentally allow for seepage, known as outgassing. With a non-compatible grease, the oxygen may escape, ultimately defeating the purpose of the ventilator.
Oxygen-safe greases for ventilators must be equipped with a unique range of properties to facilitate optimal performance. Due to the properties of these specialized fluorinated lubricants, these high-performance lubricants are intrinsically nonflammable and noncombustible. Furthermore, they have been formulated with non-reactive and oxygen-safe additives to provide robust seals that limit outgassing and part failure. These fluorinated oils and greases are manufactured using a highly engineered polymerization process and formulated to achieve the physical and chemical properties that ensure safety and reliability while not compromising ease of use.
InfinX Oxygen-Safe Lubricants
InfinX continues to lead the industry in the development of lubricants for reactive gas services and oxygen-safe gauge and instrument fill fluids. These nonreactive fluids are specifically engineered to be oxygen-safe and to provide oxygen service components with safe, reliable properties combined with high performance and broad materials compatibility. Formulated with breakthrough fluorochemistry, InfinX MRO oils and greases are engineered for optimal safety, thermal stability, long-lasting performance and superior chemical inertness.
Specifically, InfinX MRO 2505 is a nonflammable, long-lasting grease, well-suited for a range of oxygen service lubricants used on valves, fittings, gaskets, and o-rings. Its superior performance properties, inertness, and stability make it the perfect choice for medical oxygen applications. Additionally, InfinX MRO 4.2 Oil is a low-viscosity oxygen fill fluid optimized for oxygen process equipment and regulators found on oxygen cylinders and tanks, as well as cryogenic tanks. This transparent, oxygen-safe oil is intrinsically nonflammable, chemically inert, and nonreactive, making it ideal for use as a reactive gas gauge fill fluid.
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