Fresh Coolant becomes sticky and greasy.

[BLAMM!!]

We are using Cimperial 1011 green and its always been good. We moved into a new bigger and better shop and now with fresh stuff the same coolant we've always used is becoming greasy and sticky. It is not staying white, it becomes bluish and wierd. It seems like it is separating the concentration keeps going down on the refractometer. Could the cause be hard city water?

[Newby2]

One manufacturing plant had to install a RO (reverse osmosis) system for the coolant alone. They were running treated city water and had problems until the system was installed. Check with the supplier of your coolant and see what they recommend.
Steve

[Geof]

Do an experiment. Clean one of the machines out and then fill it with new coolant mixed with the water from the big polycarbonate bottles that go on a water cooler. If this stays okay your problem is the tap water so you either put in a reverse osmosis system or just keep buying the big bottles.

[eject_21]

its happening in more than one machine?

[BLAMM!!]

Yes it happened to all of our automatics ( vertical and horizontal mills,
single and trin spindle turning centers). and the bottled water thing that would be alot of water the smallest coolant tank is 70 gallons. THANKS GUYS

[Geof]

Originally Posted by BLAMM!! ....and the bottled water thing that would be alot of water the smallest coolant tank is 70 gallons. THANKS GUYS

Correct, something like 17 bottles but much cheaper than setting up a reverse osmosis thing that may not be needed.

[RICHARD ZASTROW]

Had the same problem with a different coolant. I called the rep. from the supplier who checked the water. He then supplied us with the same coolant with a readily available modifier at no additional cost. They said it was a common problem and had different stuff available for different water conditions. Another plant with similar problems we installed a de-ionized water system from that world famous water softener place. Not all that expensive. BUT you must keep your concentration up. Water that has had everything removed is like "liquid pac-men". It is hungry and wants to eat everything in sight including your machine or workpieces. Look for rust.

[BLAMM!!]

Ok sounds good. The coolant isn't performing very well right now and I am wasting concentrate trying to keep the percentage up and I am REALLY sick of using solvent to clean water soluble coolant off of parts!