Ion Resin Filter Element HQ25.300.20Z: Economical Choice to Extend the Life of Fire-Resistant Oil

Maintaining steam turbine fire-resistant oil is a costly endeavor. Fire-resistant oil itself is expensive, with a single oil change costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. If oil quality issues cause servo valve failure, repair costs can be even higher. However, a small component can help alleviate this pain point: the HQ25.300.20Z ion resin filter. Its efficient adsorption removes harmful impurities from the fire-resistant oil, significantly extending its lifespan and ultimately saving significant money. Today, we’ll discuss this ion resin filter from its principles, functions, and economic benefits.

1. What is the HQ25.300.20Z ion resin filter?

The HQ25.300.20Z ion resin filter is a filtration device designed specifically for power plant fire-resistant oil systems. Installed in the fire-resistant oil circulation piping, its core function is to absorb acidic substances and metal ions from the oil, maintaining the oil’s acid value and resistivity within acceptable ranges. It not only removes acids and metal ions, but also decolorizes and removes colloids, even reducing the varnish index of fire-resistant fuel oil, effectively providing a one-stop solution for fuel quality issues.

The working principle is actually quite simple: As fire-resistant fuel circulates through the system, it flows through the mixed resin layer of the ion resin filter element. The resin’s microporous structure “captures” acid molecules and metal cations (such as Ca, Mg, and Fe) in the oil, preventing them from continuing to circulate with the oil. Clean fire-resistant fuel can then pass through the filter element and return to the system. This reduces the acid value of the fire-resistant fuel and increases its resistivity, naturally maintaining stable fuel quality.

2. How do ion resin filters protect fire-resistant oil?

The core of the ion resin filter element HQ25.300.20Z’s protection of fire-resistant oil is to address the two main culprits of fire-resistant fuel oil aging—acidic substances and metal ions. It is significantly more effective than traditional diatomaceous earth filters:

First, it has a strong acid removal capability. Traditional diatomaceous earth filters have limited acidic handling capabilities, while ion resin filters have seven times greater acid handling capacity. Even if the fire-resistant fuel has become slightly acidic, ion resin filters can bring the acidity back to acceptable levels. As we all know, oxidation of fire-resistant fuel produces organic acids, which accelerate oil aging and corrode system piping and components. Ion resin filters remove these acids, effectively eliminating the “source” of aging.

Next, metal ions are thoroughly removed. Wear and tear of piping and components in the fire-resistant fuel system produces metal ions such as Fe and Na. These ions act as catalysts, accelerating the oxidation of the fire-resistant fuel and reducing its resistivity, increasing the risk of electrochemical corrosion. The HQ25.300.20Z ion resin filter element precisely absorbs these metal ions and does not release any metal ions. This is crucial. If the filter element releases metal residue, it will react with phosphate ester fire-resistant fuels, forming a gel-like metal phosphate salt, which can easily cause servo valves to become blocked. The HQ25.300.20Z ion resin filter element eliminates this problem.

Another major advantage: the treatment process does not produce water. Traditional acid neutralization methods produce water, which must be removed using vacuum dehydration equipment, otherwise it will hydrolyze and deteriorate the fire-resistant fuel. Ion resin filters, however, rely on adsorption, not neutralization, and thus produce no water at all. This eliminates the vacuum dehydration step and reduces equipment wear.

3. Why do ion resin filters extend the life of fire-resistant oil?

The lifespan of fire-resistant fuel oil primarily depends on its aging rate. The ion resin filter element HQ25.300.20Z effectively extends the oil’s service life by both slowing aging and removing catalysts. Let’s use data to support this:

First, ion resin filters can keep the acidity of fire-resistant fuel oils extremely low. Experimental data shows that using ion resin filters can stably maintain the acidity of phosphate-based fire-resistant fuel oils below 0.09 mgKOH/g, significantly lower than traditional treatment methods. A low acidity slows the oxidation reaction of the fire-resistant fuel oil, naturally reducing its aging rate. A previous power plant conducted a comparison and found that without ion resin filters, fire-resistant fuel oils needed to be replaced approximately every two to three years. With these filters, their lifespan was extended to five to six years, or even longer.

Second, ion resin filters eliminate metal ions, which act as “oxidation catalysts.” As mentioned earlier, metal ions accelerate the oxidation of fire-resistant fuel oils. For example, Fe ions can increase the oxidation rate by three to five times. After the ion resin filter absorbs these ions, the oxidation rate of the fire-resistant oil is significantly slowed, even when operating in high-temperature environments. It also prevents the formation of aging products such as colloids and varnish. Once these products adhere to servo valves and orifices, they not only affect component operation but also further contaminate the oil, creating a “vicious cycle.” The ion resin filter breaks this cycle.

4. Economic Benefits of Ion Resin Filters: Savings are Real Money

For power plant operators and maintenance personnel, cost is a primary concern. While the unit price of the HQ25.300.20Z ion resin filter is slightly higher than traditional filters, the long-term savings are significant, primarily in three key areas:

First, it significantly reduces oil change costs. As mentioned earlier, ion resin filters can extend the life of fire-resistant oil by more than double, reducing oil consumption by 80%. For a 300MW unit, a single oil change requires 1.5 tons of fire-resistant oil, priced at approximately 15K per ton, for a total cost over 22K per oil change. After installing an ion resin filter, the oil only needs to be changed every five years, compared to every three years previously. Over five years, the oil change cost has dropped by 40%.

Second, it reduces equipment maintenance costs. With more stable oil quality, the failure rate of precision components like servo valves and oil pumps will significantly decrease. A power plant reported that before installing an ion resin filter, the servo valves needed to be repaired at least once or twice a year, costing 4K to 7K each time. After installing the filter, the servo valves haven’t had to be replaced in three years, saving over 15K in maintenance costs alone. Furthermore, the oil is free of colloid and varnish, eliminating the need for frequent pipe cleaning and significantly reducing labor costs.

Third, it also indirectly saves electricity. The external water supply pump for the fire-resistant fuel system is a significant energy consumer. Previously, to control the oil temperature, two pumps had to be running regardless of the oil quality. After installing the ion resin filter, the oil quality has stabilized, and oil temperature control is much easier. Depending on the external water flow rate, running a single pump is sometimes sufficient. This saves nearly 1.5K yuan in electricity per month, resulting in an annual profit of over 18K.

In addition, the ion resin filter has environmental benefits—used ion resin filters can be returned to the manufacturer for regeneration, eliminating the solid waste pollution associated with diatomaceous earth filters and meeting current power plant environmental requirements.

Another small detail to keep in mind: When choosing an ion resin filter, find a reliable supplier to ensure the filter has sufficient resin filling and meets the required adsorption capacity. Furthermore, regularly monitor oil quality (for example, test the acid value and resistivity every three months) and replace the ion resin filter promptly based on the oil quality. Generally speaking, the service life of an ion resin filter is 6-12 months, depending on the degree of oil contamination. Don’t wait until the filter is worn out before replacing it, as this will render it ineffective.

5. In conclusion: ion resin filters offer “small investment, big returns.”

For power plants, maintaining fire-resistant oil systems isn’t a matter of “whether to spend money” but rather “how to spend it effectively.” While the ion resin filter HQ25.300.20Z may incur a higher initial cost, it can significantly save money in the long term in oil changes, maintenance, and electricity costs. It can also reduce unplanned downtime and improve unit reliability.

As technology matures, the adsorption capacity of ion resin filters continues to improve, and they will undoubtedly become standard equipment for power plant fire-resistant oil systems in the future. If our power plant is still using traditional filters, we might as well try replacing them with ion resin filter elements. We will soon feel its benefits – after all, the core of operation and maintenance is not “repairing faults” but “preventing faults”, and ion resin filter elements are a good helper to help us prevent fire-resistant oil aging failures.

When looking for high-quality, reliable ion resin filters, YOYIK is undoubtedly a choice worth considering. The company specializes in providing a variety of power equipment including steam turbine accessories, and has won wide acclaim for its high-quality products and services. For more information or inquiries, please contact the customer service below:
E-mail: sales@yoyik.com
Tel: +86-838-2226655
Whatsapp: +86-13618105229
Yoyik offers various types of power plants spare parts for steam turbines, generators, boilers as below:
industrial oil mist filters HQ25.102-1 Pre Filter
transmission fluid and filter change HQ25.600.17Z EH oil system diatomite filter
inline hydraulic oil filter OF3-20-3RV-10 EH oil tank inner filter
hydraulic filter numbers WUI-100×80-J-HT
cross reference hydraulic filter 08E30150207-DCAB-V
lube oil purification system ZCL-I-450B Oil filter
lube oil & filter AD3E301-02D03V/-W EH oil station oil-return filter
hydraulic filter micron rating LX-HXR25X20 Filter element
filter for hydraulic system AZ3E303-01D01V/-W DIATOMACEOUS FILTER
filter assy oil WU-250x100FJ Hydraulic Coupling Lube Oil Filter
hydraulic filter lookup CB13300-001V EH oil system actuator filter
hydraulic pump suction strainer DL002001 precision filter
oil filter tool 0330R003ON/-V
inline oil filter 1300R050W/HC/-B1H/AE-D Filter element
cartridge filtration TFX-400X100
hydraulic filter elements by size HQ25.300.12Z EH oil regeneration device diatomite filter
element filter companies DP401EA03V/-W oil-return filter (working)
lubricating oil filter QTL-63 Filter element
hydraulic filter element dimensions DH.08.013 Oil actuator filter
hydraulic oil filter price DP6SH201EA01V /F MSV\CV\RCV actuator flushing filter
oil screen filter ALN5-60B High pressure filter
transmission fluid and filter change SFX-100X80
hydraulic pump suction strainer 21FH1330-60.51-50 Element Oil filter
hydraulic filter unit ZU-H250 BP
hydraulic filter assembly HQ25.600.11Z Main pump filter
stainless steel filter wire mesh HBX-25*10 outlet filter
hydraulic return line APJX403P