ASTM D6743 Standard Test Method for Thermal Stability of Organic Heat Transfer Fluids
4. Summary of Test Method
4.1 Charge the test fluid in a thermal stability test cell purged with nitrogen and tightly seal the test cell to remove and preclude introduction of oxygen and water from the atmosphere. Heat the fluid in an oven at a given temperature and for a given period of time. Determine the boiling range of the heated fluid by gas chromatography (GC) analysis and compare it to the boiling range of pure, unused fluid.
5. Significance and Use
5.1 Heat transfer fluids degrade when exposed to sufficiently high temperatures. The amount of degradation increases as the temperature increases or the length of exposure increases, or both. Due to reactions and rearrangement, degradation products can be formed. Degradation products include high and low boiling components, gaseous decomposition products, and products that cannot be evaporated. The type and content of degradation products produced will change the performance characteristics of a heat transfer fluid. In order to evaluate thermal stability, it is necessary to quantitatively determine the mass percentages of high and low boiling components, as well as gaseous decomposition products and those that cannot be vaporized, in the thermally stressed heat transfer fluid.
5.2 This test method differentiates the relative stability of organic heat transfer fluids at elevated temperatures in the absence of oxygen and water under the conditions of the test.
5.3 The user shall determine to his own satisfaction whether the results of this test method correlate to field performance. Heat transfer fluids in industrial plants are exposed to a variety of additional influencing variables. Interaction with the plant's materials, impurities, heat build-up during impaired flow conditions, the temperature distribution in the heat transfer fluid circuit, and other factors can also lead to changes in the heat transfer fluid. The test method provides an indication of the relative thermal stability of a heat transfer fluid, and can be considered as one factor in the decision-making process for selection of a fluid.
5.4 The accuracy of the results depends very strongly on how closely the test conditions are followed.
5.5 This test method does not possess the capability to quantify or otherwise assess the formation and nature of thermal decomposition products within the unstressed fluid boiling range. Decomposition products within the unstressed fluid boiling range may represent a significant portion of the total thermal degradation.
