When lubricants operate under pressure, such as in hydraulic lines, there is a risk of small leaks and a fine spray of lubricant being atomized into the air. These leaks can be the result of component failure at points such as joints, hoses and seals, particularly if the systems have recently undergone service or have been operating for a long period of time.

If hydraulic system leaks occur in an area where there is an ignition source or near equipment running at high temperatures, such as in steel mills, die casting machines or power plants, a leak could lead to a catastrophic fire. One way to help reduce these losses from occurring is to replace the equipment’s flammable hydraulic oils with fire resistant fluids. Quaker Houghton offers fire resistant hydraulic fluids suitable for replacing mineral based hydraulic oils in a wide range of applications.

We offer three main types of Fire Resistant Hydraulic Fluid:

HFA

HFA or high water content fluids (HWCF’s) are hydraulic fluids that combine the excellent fire resistant properties of water with lubrication and corrosion protection from an additive concentrate. Because water is the major component (90% or more) of an HFA fluid, hydraulic equipment using this type of fluid must be capable of operating with a low viscosity fluid.

HFC

HFC or water glycol fluids are the most widely used fire resistant hydraulic fluids because of their price-quality and their combination of fire resistant properties with reasonable lubrication performance.

HFDu

Synthetic water free fire resistant hydraulic fluids for use where excellent lubrication, reliable operation and low environmental impact are key considerations.