A Marine Oil-Water Separation Tester is a device used to test the efficiency of oil-water separators aboard ships, especially as required under MARPOL regulations (specifically Annex I, for prevention of pollution by oil).
⚓ What It Is:
It is a lab or portable device that simulates how a ship’s oil-water separator (OWS) performs. The tester evaluates whether the oil content in the discharged water complies with the legal limit (typically <15 ppm of oil in water).
🧪 Main Functions:
- Injects a controlled oil-water mixture into the separator.
- Measures how much oil remains in the discharge water.
- Provides a PPM (parts per million) reading.
- Helps in calibration, certification, or troubleshooting of shipboard OWS systems.
🔧 Components:
- Oil-Water mixing chamber (for sample prep)
- Pump system (to circulate test fluid)
- PPM oil content analyzer (sensor or IR-based detector)
- Flow meters
- Temperature & pressure gauges
- Sometimes, a heating element (to simulate engine room temperature)
📜 Regulatory Standards:
Testers and test procedures should comply with:
- IMO Resolution MEPC.107(49) – for Oily Water Separators
- MARPOL Annex I – environmental compliance
- ISO 9377-2 – for testing oil content in water by infrared spectrometry
🛠️ Use Cases:
- Onboard ship OWS testing
- Factory acceptance testing for marine equipment manufacturers
- Inspection and port authority testing
- R&D and quality control in marine oil separation systems
Marine Oil-Water Separability Tester (Compliant with SH/T 0619 & ASTM D1401 Standards)
- Equipment Introduction
The Marine Oil-Water Separability Tester is used to evaluate the separation performance of lubricating oil and water, and is particularly suitable for ship cylinder oil, system oil, hydraulic oil, turbine oil and other oil products. The equipment complies with SH/T 0619 (Chinese standard) and ASTM D1401 (international standard), and can measure the anti-emulsification property of lubricating oil to ensure reliability in ship and industrial applications.
- Test Principle
Lubricating oil will inevitably come into contact with water during operation. Good oil-water separation can reduce oil emulsification and prevent system failure. This test method evaluates the oil-water separation ability through the following process: ✅ Stir the oil-water mixture at a set temperature (54°C or 82°C)
✅ After stirring, let it stand and observe the separation of the oil, water and emulsion layers
✅ Record the time required for the stratification to reach the standard (min)
- Test equipment
| Equipment name | Purpose |
| Marine oil-water separation tester (BF-100 model) | Control temperature, stir at constant temperature, and measure oil-water separation |
| Constant temperature bath (54°C / 82°C) | Maintain experimental temperature |
| Separating funnel (100mL) | Observe the oil-water stratification |
| Electric stirrer (1500 rpm) | Stir the oil-water mixture according to the standard method |
| Timer | Record the time required for complete separation of oil and water |
| Transparent measuring scale | Read the changes in the oil layer, water layer and emulsion layer |
- Test method
1️⃣ Prepare the sample:
Take 40mL of lubricating oil and 40mL of distilled water and add them to the glass test tube (separating funnel)
Preheat the oil sample to 54°C (marine oil) or 82°C (industrial oil)
2️⃣ Stirring test:
Stir at 1500 rpm for 5 minutes at the set temperature
Turn off the stirrer and start timing
3️⃣ Stand and observe:
Observe the separation of the oil-water-emulsion layer every 5 minutes
Record the time (min) to achieve clear oil-water separation and emulsion layer ≤ 3mL
- Test result judgment
| Separation time (min) | Evaluation of anti-emulsification performance |
| ≤10 min | Excellent (fast separation, good oil-water compatibility) |
| 10-30 min | General (suitable for most applications) |
| 30 min | Poor (easy to emulsify, may affect equipment operation) |
30 min Poor (easy to emulsify, may affect equipment operation)
🚨 Note:
If the emulsion layer > 3mL, it means that the oil has poor demulsification resistance, which may cause equipment sludge accumulation or corrosion problems.
Marine cylinder oil and system oil usually require oil-water separation within 10 minutes.
Test steps
Step 1: Sample preparation
1️⃣ Weigh the sample
Take 40mL of test lubricant and pour it into a 100mL separatory funnel
Take 40mL of distilled water and pour it into the same separatory funnel
Close the funnel mouth tightly to ensure that the oil-water mixture is not contaminated
2️⃣ Preheat the sample
Put the separatory funnel into a constant temperature water bath
Set temperature:
54°C (marine lubricant, such as cylinder oil, system oil)
82°C (industrial oil, such as hydraulic oil, turbine oil)
Preheat for 10 minutes to ensure that the oil-water mixture reaches the set temperature
Step 2: Stirring test
1️⃣ Install the test device
Take out the separatory funnel and install it to the marine oil-water separation tester (BF-100)
Insert the stirrer probe into the center of the liquid to ensure uniform stirring
2️⃣ Start stirring
Start the stirrer and stir at 1500 rpm for 5 Minutes
During this period, ensure that there is no obvious interference from bubbles in the liquid
Step 3: Stand and observe
1️⃣ Stop stirring and start timing
Immediately stop stirring, stand the separatory funnel and observe the oil-water stratification
2️⃣ Record the stratification every 5 minutes
Observe the oil layer (mL), water layer (mL), emulsion layer (mL)
Continue to observe until:
Oil layer is clear
Water layer is clear
Emulsion layer ≤ 3mL
Record the time to reach this state (min)
Evaluation of test results
Tier Standards:
| Time (min) | Oil layer (mL) | Aqueous layer (mL) | Emulsion layer (mL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 min | 40 | 40 | 0 |
| 5 min | 35 | 35 | 10 |
| 10 min | 38 | 38 | 4 |
| 15 min | 40 | 40 | 0 |
Separation time = 15 min