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“We have a number of pumps located outside with automatic oilers attached. We have noticed that over a period of time the new oil changes color from almost clear to a light straw color. Can you explain why this might by happening to the oil and is it harmful to our pumps?”
Many oils when subject to sunlight will tend to change color slightly. This color change is simply a photocatalytic reaction between “natural” impurities in the oil and sunlight. In general, this change in color does not represent a significant chemical change to either the base oil or additives and should not pose a threat to the pump.
To confirm this, you may want to run some tests such as Acid Number (AN), RPVOT, or differential IR tests on both new oil from a barrel and the “sun aged” oil to confirm that there has been no significant change in base oil or additive chemistry.
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