A lab method in which iodine reacts selectively with water; under ASTM D6304 a coulometric titrator generates the iodine electrically and counts the water present. It covers dissolved, emulsified and free water from about 10 ppm up to a few percent. Turbine and hydraulic programs commonly alarm somewhere between 100 and 500 ppm, and transformer oils far lower. The oven method keeps additives that react with the reagent from inflating the result.
Karl Fischer titration came back at 900 ppm on the hydraulic, so the crackle test wasn't lying.
Also heard as
- KF
- KF water
Related terms
Crackle test
Quick screen for water in oil: put a drop on a hot plate and listen for crackling.
Milkshake
Oil turned milky or creamy by emulsified water, seen in gearboxes, hydraulics and engines.
Demulsibility
How quickly an oil sheds water and settles into clean layers after being churned with it.
Oil analysis
Lab testing of in-service oil samples to judge oil condition, contamination and machine wear.