Tag Archives: oil purification

Industrial Oils and Purification

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Industrial oils are used as a lubricant reducing friction and wear of parts and components in various industrial machines.  The main functions of this type of oil is anti-corrosion protection, dissipation of heat from friction parts, removal of contaminants and reduction of foaming.

Industrial oils can also be used as the base for hydraulic fluid, as well as grease, that extends durability and service life of industrial equipment.

Despite the fact that practically all industrial oils are thoroughly tested in laboratories before dispatch to the user, the oils will become contaminated during use and operation.  Industrial oil, just as with any other oil, can become contaminated by atmospheric oxygen, water and particulate matter.  Interaction with aggressive media may accelerate oil oxidation that is accompanied by the accumulation of even more unwanted contaminants in the oil.

Saturation of oil by contaminants degrades the oil’s performance.  Due to aging and contamination,  industrial oils lose the ability to efficiently dissipate heat and protect equipment from corrosion.

It would seem that the aging process is natural and nothing can be done about it except replacing the used oil with new and disposing of the old oil.  A practical operator however, will be concerned by the additional costs of used oil disposal, as well as the frequent cost of oil changes.

Fortunately, aging of oil is not all that critical with the advent of modern additives and oil processing equipment.  The aging process therefore, can be significantly slowed and the service life of the lubricating oil can be significantly extended.

It is however, necessary to regularly take oil samples to know and understand the oil’s condition and to detect and identify the contaminants degrading the performance of the oil and to purify the oil in a timely manner.

GlobeCore is one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of industrial, turbine and dielectric insulating oil purification systems.

The CMM-CM type units and  CFU-M filter carts made by GlobeCore are successfully operated in more than 70 countries around the world.  They are efficient for the purification and regeneration of industrial oils.

The ability to purify and regenerate industrial oil was made possible by using modern technologies and maximizing and customizing the processing operations for the individual client.

The CMM-CM units are designed for removal for water and solid particles from oil by using a special zeolite sorbent and subsequent reactivation of this sorbent in the system.

The CFU-M filtration carts are designed for removal of solid particles from industrial oil.  These units can purify the product in one cycle.

Both types are simple in service and operation and facilitate a significant extention of industrial oil service life cycle.

Industrial Oil Sales: Preserving the Oil’s Performance Characteristics

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So, you have decided to sell industrial oil?  Let’s assume that you already have found a storage facility for the product.  One thing remains however, knowing what the consumer needs and how to provide that need.

Besides better terms of supply, lower price, and various discounts, the client is mostly interested in the quality of the product.  Industrial oil quality in our case.  The quality is a combination of many parameters and characteristics that must not fall below regulated specifications during storage, transportation and operation.

Let us look into the characteristics, which define the quality of industrial oil and are important for the client’s choice:

  • Viscosity.  This is the first thing to consider about oil.  It is very important for the use of the majority of industrial oils.  When friction parts are designed and calculated, the parameter taken into consideration is the dynamic viscosity of the oil.  This is a regulated parameter of all oil made from crude base stock.  Dynamic viscosity used be defined at between 50ºС/122ºF and 100ºС/212ºF. That has changed and now all measurements are made according to ISO 3448-75 (instead of measuring viscosity at 50ºС/122ºF, the reference temperature is now 40ºС/104ºF).  When choosing industrial oil, the buyer usually considers three critical viscosity values: optimal at working temperature, minimal at maximum working temperature and maximum at the lowest working temperature;
  • Pour Point. This parameter is defined by testing a sample of the oil.  The Pour Point is the lowest temperature that the oil will continue to flow.  This temperature does not entirely indicate the dynamics of the oil in operating conditions at low temperatures.  That is shown better by actual viscosity at a given temperature. To reduce the pour point of industrial oil, it is mixed with special additives. This parameter is meaningful to the buyer planning his storage operations, dispatch, and draining and for using the oil in low temperature environments;
  • Flashpoint. This is the temperature at which the vapor of the oil can form a flammable mixture with the air. It defines the relative fire hazard of the oil and shows the presence of volatile fractions within it.  It is measured in special open or closed type devices;
  • Ash content. This parameter indicates the amount of non-organic contaminants left after burning a sample of the industrial oil. It is expressed in percentage of weight.  If ash content of oil without additives is too high, it indicates insufficient purification.  In most cases, ash content of industrial oil is from 0.002% to 0.4%;
  • Content of particulate matter, solvents, water, water-soluble acids and bases. This indication is extremely important in controlling the oil quality after production as well as determination of its further usability.  Mobile oil purification units for treatment and regeneration of oil can significantly increase the service life of the oil and improve reliability of machinery;

In practice, GlobeCore products are used for the purification and regeneration of industrial oil.

  • Color.  The color is a visual indication of the purity of industrial oil.  It also allows the buyer to make a judgment on the oil’s origins.  Keep in mind that some additives can make the oil darker.  If the color of the oil changes during use however, this is an indirect indication of its oxidation and/or contamination;
  • Acid number. Knowing this important neutralization number allows the buyer to determine the oil’s purity as well as the stability in use and in storage.  Additives can increase the acidity of the oil, but can also increase the stability of oil for long term use and storage;
  • Sulfur content.  The amount of sulfur initially depends on the amount of sulfur in the crude base stock the oil was blended from and the degree of purification and refinement.  After purification of industrial oils made from sour crude, sulfur remains in the oil in organic compounds and under normal conditions does not cause corrosion of metals.  Sulfur may become aggressive in elevated temperatures.  The content of sulfuric compounds is higher in oil with additives. This is due to the fact that additives containing sulfur are mixed with industrial oil to increase their lubrication qualities.

Buying and Storing Transformer Oil

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Purchasing transformer oil is an important financial decision for your company.  It should be done very responsibly.

First, the buyer must a choose a brand of oil.  This requires careful consideration based on the type of equipment being used and the operating conditions the oil and the oil’s abilty to meet those conditions.

Second, the cost of the oil must be considered.  A small price difference in the cost of just one liter small can turn into a significant amount of money when purchasing a large volume of oil.

There are no universal recommendations for buying transformer oil. There are however, online services allowing buyers to compare transformer oil prices from various suppliers.  It is up to the buyer to research and choose a reliable wholesale distributor or retailer.

If you have already purchased transformer oil that meets the correct specifications and quality standards, then it is time to think about oil storage.

The practical way to store the oil is to use clean and dry, steel air tight vessels.  The tanks are usually coated with an oil resistant material inside.  The outside of the tanks should have anticorrosion and light reflecting coating.  The acceptable range of temperatures for storage of transformer oil is -40ºС to +60ºС/-40ºF to +140ºF.

The vessels should be equipped with valves for filling and draining as well as a manhole for cleaning, inspection and repairs.  Breathing systems must be equipped with silica gel or zeolite cartridges that can be monitored by special monitoring devices.

Three days after putting the oil into a storage tank, samples are normally taken for laboratory analysis.  Transformer oil in storage should be tested at least once a year for the following parameters:

  •  flashpoint;
  • dielectric strength at 90ºC/194ºF;
  • water extract reaction;
  • acid neutralization number;
  • particulate matter content in mircons; and
  • free water and moisture content.

It is also recommended to test the dissipation factor at 90ºС/194ºF at least once a year.

Each time the oil is tested for quality and purity, the results must comply with the parameters of fresh transformer oil regardless of the length of storage. Otherwise, the oil must be purified and regenerated to restore the oil to its new and clean condition.

GlobeCore offers a line of oil purification units under the CMM classification. These units improve color, remove acids, bases, and other aging products from any turbine, dielectric insulating oil, and industrial oils.

One of the advantages of the GlobeCore CMM line of units is their ability to regenerate oil on an energized transformer.  Another important advantage is the ability to reactive the fuller’s earth sorbent inside the unit many times over, reducing downtime for sorbent replacement and replenishment.

After the processing of transformer oil with GlobeCore equipment, transformer insulating oil is restored to an as good as new condition.

Purchasing a GlobeCore CMM unit gives you a modern efficient machine that is easy to operate and service.  The use of GlobeCore equipment and GlobeCore Process will extend the service life of the oil and the transformer significantly.

Selling Transformer Oil: The Right Way to Supply, Receive and Accept the Product

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In any business, be it a toy store or transformer oil sales, there are many fine points to consider.  Knowing them will save you time and money.  In this article, we will look into the process of supply and receipt of transformer dielectric insulating oil.

Every sale of transformer insulating oil must be accompanied by the correct technical documentation.  The information required on the batch can be given in original certificates or in official extracts from the original documents.

Receipt and acceptance occurs before removing the oil for use from the shipping container or tank. Ooil samples must be taken and analyzed for compliance with  the product’s claimed and documented performance specifications.  Among the parameters that must be varified are:

  • dielectric strength;
  • flashpoint;
  • acidity;
  • water soluble acid and base content;
  • particulate matter; and
  • water.

An analysis of the oil’s oxidation stability and dissipation factor at 90ºС/194ºF should be performed for electric power transformers of 110kV and above.  This analysis should also include transformers of especially important facilities regardless of the voltage class or level.  If the oxidation stability analysis is to be performed after the oil leaves the shipping container, it is recommended to take samples in the presence of the oil supplier.

For the protection of your company whether buying or selling, and to facilitate arbitration in the matter, should the need arise, one of the samples should be sealed and stored.  This will provide all the parties with an used sample of the oil so that the initial oil quality may be detemined even after the oil has been used.

Samples are taken in the following cases:

  •  If supplied in rail road or truck tanks, samples are taken before draining from each tank
  •  If supplied in barrels, the number of samples is determined by the terms of supply, however, there should be at least 1 sample per 10 tons of supplied oil.

If the results of the laboratory analysis are favorable, the transformer oil is taken to the client and pumped into the buyer’s tanks.  The oil is then either stored or treated before being used in oil filled equipment like transformers and oil filled switches.  Transformer insulating oil is transferred from tanks through hoses using additional special equipment at the storage facility.

If the lab results show that the purity of the oil is not in compliance with the established standard(s), the product must be purified immediately or prior to placement in the oil filled equipment.  Failure to do so will most likely result in preamture equipment failure and unscheduled equipment down time.

GlobeCore manufactures and supplies mobile oil treatment units such as the Mobile Oil Station type CMM-M.  The GlobeCore CMM-M units are designed for degassing, removal of particulate matter and heating of dielectric insulating oils used in electric power transformers of up to 1150 kV.  The CMM-M units can be used to heat oil filled electrical systems with hot oil as well as for vacuum drying and vacuumizing of oil filled equipment.

The following advantages of the GlobeCore CMM-M units should be noted:

  • Purification of dielectric insulating oil in one cycle;
  • Significant service life extension of insultaing oil and equipment;
  • Wide range of equipment options; and
  • Simple operation and servicing.

The CMM-M units can operate in one of three modes:

  • filtration;
  • filtration with heating; and
  • thermovacuum purification and oil degassing.

The Transformer Insulating Oil Filtration Process

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The dielectric properties of transformer oil (e.g., breakdown voltage or dielectric loss factor) can be significantly improved by degassing and the removal of water and moisture from the oil.  Only clean and uncontaminated oil with the correct specifications is suitable as the liquid insulation for electric power transformers.

Often though, even new and unused transformer oil can be considered unclean and unsafe for use in electric power transformers as the oil can become contaminated during transport from the oil producer to the transformer operator.  During the time the oil is being used in the transformer, it will absorb moisture, dirt particles, fibers, soot and other products of oil and transformer aging.

The transformer oil therefore, needs to undergo a comprehensive filtering process.  The filtering process must be able to remove contaminants that includes solids, free and dissolved water and dissolved gases.

The filtering process of transformer oil is a complex procedure of removing the above described contaminants down to acceptable levels.  In recent studies, experts have revealed that serious problems can occur when insulting oil makes contact with moisture, flammable gases, and other transformer decay products.  In order to make the necessary correction, the operator should regularly monitor the condition of the insulating oils.

Companies that produce equipment for processing transformer insulating oils, cover a wide range of services and products.  They include such things as machinery for filtering transformer oil, insulation oil cleaners, cleaning systems for lubricants, machines to filter hydraulic oil, regeneration equipment for turbine oils and other industrial oil filtering equipment.  In recent decades, there has become a comprehensive network of high-tech enterprises that operate around the world.  They provide integrated systems and parts for the implementation of the transformer oil filtering and regeneration processes.

The transformer oil filtering process is a continuous circulation of oil through purification units in a closed loop system.  The oil passes through several filters of both coarse and fine filter mediums before the system further cleans the oil through a  vacuum drying, degassing and adsorption process.  The process is designed to remove dirt, sludge, foreign particles, dissolved gas and other contaminants found in the oil.  Moreover, the filtering unit can continuously analyze and control the oil at all stages of the purification process.

All systems for filtering transformer oils should have certain safety features built in such as liquid level detectors and pressure sensors.  These safety features should be incorporated into the design of the cleaning equipment.  They are needed in order to maintain the necessary level of oil inside the transformer and to prevent oil spills

The design of filters and pumps should provide for a filtering process, vacuum and degassing process that is powerful enough to quickly and efficiently process oil, without affecting the continued operation of electric power equipment.  Assessment of the effectiveness of the process is provided with tools for monitoring flow rate.

GlobeCore does all of this and more!  GlobeCore has a line of oil processing equipment that has become the most popular and cost effective equipment in the industry.  Take a look at GlobeCore and see if your company can benefit from the GlobeCore Process!

Complete purification of I-12 industrial oil

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I-12 industrial oil is a general purpose oil with no additives. It is made from sweet crude by selective purification.

This oil is used for lubrication of bushings of straight bar and linking machines, spindles of metal cutters, bearings of low power electric motors, and as an operating liquid in positive displacement of hydraulic drives operated indoors.

Combined purification methods of I-12 industrial oil are based on simultaneous influence of several electrical fields or a field with filtration.

The principle of combining electric field influence and centrifical force is implemented in cyclone separators and centrifuges equipped with a special electrical device.

By design, a triboelectric centrifuge purifier is a multifoil rosette with two chargers that create opposite charges in the industrial oil.  The passes through the swirler in a translational-rotational movement.  It them passes the oil through a circular ring space. Due to friction with barriers, contaminants become oppositely charged. Centrifugal force moves particles with a positive charge to the outlet wall where they are coagulated with negatively charged particles.  The charges are neutralized in the coagulated particles.

Then by the force of gravity and inertia, the particles are deposited in a special settling tank.

Comparing hydrocycling efficiency with that of a similar machine equipped with chargers, the chargers are 40% more efficient on average.

When using centrifuges with electrifying devices, the electric field may be obtained by voltage from an external source or by a triboelectric effect.  The triboelectric effect occurs due to rotor friction against special bars.  The rotor is made from a special dielectric material. (Plexiglas, PTFE, or some other dielectric material )

It is also possible to combine centrifugal force with a magnetic field.  It is done by installing permanent magnets into centrifuge systems to capture ferromagnetic particles. Diamagnetic and paramagnetic contaminants are only influenced by the centrifugal force.

The most widespread of combined industrial oil purification systems are devices combining elecrtric fields and filtration effects.  These include magnetic filters, filtering centrifuges and vibration (acoustic) filters.

In centrifuge filtration, the centrifuges operate at relatively low rotation speeds. Contaminants may be removed from the rotor either continuously or occasionally.

A magnetic filter is free from such a disadvange of magnetic purifier as selective removal of only ferromagnetic particles.  Such devices, beside permanent magnets, use special filters capturing non-magnetic contaminants.  An additional filter element (usually a metal mesh) protects the surfaces of the magnets from tar, sediment and other products of hydrocarbon oxidation.

In vibration filters the oil passes through a vibrating porous membrane.  The vibrations prevent sedimentation of contaminants on the surface and reduce hydraulic losses, increasing the filter’s service life.

It should be noted that the combined methods of purifying oil products are not widely used at this time due to the complexity of purifier design.

Lightening of used oil by the UVR unit

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Several types of transformer oil are produced today. They are distiinguished by raw material used in production as well as the production process. Before filling the electric equipment with oil, it must be treated by heat and vacuum. The existing regulations limit the content of water, air and particulate matter in the oil.

After filling of oil, some reduction of dielectric strenth and purity is allowed.

During operation, transformer oil accumulates contaminants, oxidation products and other undesirable components, which significantly reduce performance of the dielectric. The breakdown voltage and purity do not comply even to the reduced requirements. There is a risk of transformer failure, so used oil must be replaced with new.

What can be done with old oil? Until very recently such oil was disposed of. In practice, this method is not very profitable from the economic viewpoint. The cost of disposal is added to the cost of buying new oil. If the oil is lightened to comply with regulations, its service life can be extended. There is no need to spend money to buy new oil, and the only expense is regeneration, which is much cheaper.

GlobeCore’s UVR units are a good choice. These plants are designed for lightening, regeneration and purification not only of transformer oil, but just about any mineral oil (excluding motor oil). Besides, the units can process diesel fuel and HFO, gas condensate, gasoline, kerosene etc.

The UVR does not require any special adjustment when switching from one type of processed material to another. The unit’s processing capacity may change due to the varying viscosity and density of oil products.

Processing capacity is higher for fuels and lower for various oils.

The UVR does not require special placement, operates without noise and is energy efficient.

The unit can be operated in manual or semi-automatic mode. Operator presence is only required duroing start, stop and sorbent replacement.

The most important part, however, is that the parameters of processed oil fully comply with the existing standards and can be reused in transformers.

Oil filtration

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During operation, transformer oil accumulate contaminants, which can form various chemicals. These substances reduce the oil’s performance and are, of course, undesirable.

Operation of the transformer becomes unstable. To prevent this, transformer oil is filtered and purified. Some of the methods are discussed in more detail below.

The first stage of transformer oil purification is mechanical. This is a superficial treatment to remove particulate matter and water. The next step is deeper purification performed in vacuum with heating.

The first two stages are, in fact, preliminary. The main process involves various chemicals.

One of the methods is purification of oil with a 98% sulfuric acid solution.

In comparison to other chemical purification methods, the use of sulfuric acid has a significant drawback. Beside reacting with the contaminants, the acid also adversely influecnes the structure of the oil, making it somewhat unstable. Additional processes are required to resolve that problem.

The nature of selective purification is evident from the title. Speical solvents are introduced into the oil to remove specific impurities.

De-waxing is another widely accepted process. In this process, oil is treated with special solvents: acetone, toluene, bensol etc, to remove solid contaminants.

It should be noted that chemical methods influence oil’s stability, but extend the oil’s service life at the same time.

It should also be remembered that any purification process should end with finishing purification, closing the cycle of oil processing and filtration. This is usually done by contact method.

This means that the oil is mixed with special materials, usually clay or bleaching earth. The materials are then mixed and heated. Heating facilitates acviation of all sorbents in the clay.

These absorbents capture contaminants. Deep filtration separates oil from the clay. When selecting adsorbent, it is necessary to pay attention to the content of moisture. It should be suffucient to make production efficient and to make processed oil compliant with specifications.

The most interesting technology today involves the use of bleaching clays (Fuller’s earth). Globecore manufactures a range of CMM type units for filtration of various oils with the use of Fuller’s earth. The advantages of the design are the ability of multiple reactivation of the sorbent, mobility, simplicity of operation and high quality of the output product.

Downtime is significantly reduced by the ability to reactivate the sorbent without the need for frequent replacement, thus increasing process efficiency.

Oil Purification (Filtration)

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The main factor in determining the length of time to complete the purification process, is the degree or level of oil contamination.  The higher the “Acid Number” of the oil. the longer the process will take to complete.  In any case, the process should be controlled by special instruments.

Any new components installed into a hydraulic system must be just as clean or more clean as the ones already installed.  Component manufacturers are obligated to provide information on the purity of each component.  In case of hydraulic tank contamination, it must be cleaned during oil processing.  At the end of the process, the purity of oil will only be as clean as the cleanliness of the tank’s internal surfaces.  If hydraulic liquid is replaced by another, insoluble and not mixed with the original liquid, the time of purification increases drastically.

The Purification Process requires checking all filters and possibly replacing them as required.  The common misconception is that filters are a universal solution to maintain the cleanliness of oils and fluids.  Filters are not intended for the purification of heavily contaminated oil or fluids that may contain particles of metal, sand, small stones and other foreign objects.  Oil, water or air contaminated with such particles will remain contaminated after passing through the filters.  To ensure full system purification, it must be completely rinsed.  Oil and other fluids must be filtered thoroughly through an external filter.  This method however, has certain drawbacks, of which the most important one is the significant time required for external purification.  A good example of a long purification process is a large lifting machine which may take up to 15 hours to complete.

The only way to ensure the reliability and durability of hydraulic motors, pumps and other hydraulic components is efficient filtration (removal ) of solid particles and moisture from hydraulic fluid.  The existing national and international standards define the norms which the fluid must comply with. (16/14 class, ISO 4406)  Absolute filtration fineness is set at 3 microns.

Depending on the specific type of equipment, the purity requirements of the fluid may vary.  The versatility of purification and filtration systems therefore, becomes very important.  Versatile systems allow for operation with different types of fluids and ensure the required purity class regardless of original contamination.

This is just what GlobeCore offers. The GlobeCore UVR vacuum purification plants lighten and purify fluids, remove aromatics from turbine oil, industrial oil, and transformer oil as well as other petrochemical products, e.g. dark diesel fuel, HFO, gas condensate etc.

Fuller’s Earth From Clay; A Type of Ceramic Art

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Clay; More than Just Art!

It has been a long time since man began to use clay for folk art and the creation of art objects.  All possible images that were originated in the minds of ancient people and continue to appear in modern enlightened minds, can be turned into reality and get their shape with the help of waxy clay.  But, imagination and centuries of experience teaches us to have a broader outlook of the world.  It is safe to say therefore, Clay is not just for art anymore!

At one time, clay was a material generally used only for crockery, amphorae and sculptures.  Today however, clay is quite widely used in cosmetology, medicine, household chemicals, industry and a whole host of other uses.

It is no longer a secret that the chemical composition of different elements, that originated from the Earth’s interior, has had different affects on their characteristics and abilities.  As for clay, its “recipe” is also quite different.  Thus, there are many different ways that clay can be used in our modern world.

Clay and Industrial Uses

Industrial enterprises in various fields are the main consumers of all inventions and innovations connected with chemical and technological transformations.  Clay has many components and one of them is known as “Fuller’s Earth.”  In the scientific community, it is known as an “adsorbent.”  This earthy material mainly consists of a clay mineral that is considered not too waxy.  Fuller’s Earth therefore, is used as an adsorbent material that filters and purifies by attracting and holding contaminates on its outer molecular structure.

The Fuller’s Earth adsorbent material got its name from the original application in which it was used for the removal of oil from textile materials.  Later, Fuller’s Earth became very popular for the filtration of vegetable and mineral oils.  Its versatility and flexibility gave the the Fuller’s Earth adsorbent material many advantages in the oil purification industry.

“Oil Regeneration” machines, that utilize the Fuller’s Earth adsorbent materials, have become the most efficient and cost effective machines for the recovery of waste industrial oils available in the industry today.

One “Fuller’s Earth” regeneration cycle fully restores the oil back to its original characteristics.  After the Fuller’s Earth has regenerated and restored the used oil back to like new condition, it can then be reactivated and ready to purify oil again and again.  Thus, these machines definitely can be classified as modern industrial “works of art.”  So, clay continues to serve man in both form and now function.

GlobeCore now offers Oil Regeneration equipment featuring the clay based Fuller’s Earth Adsorbent material that is the best and most cost effective oil purification method in the industry today.  The GlobeCore Process not only purifies and regenerates oil and hydraulic fluids utilizing Fuller’s Earth, it reuses the adsorbent materials based upon an automatic adsorbent reactivation system built in to the regeneration equipment.  The GlobeCore machines can continuously purify oil without having to change and dispose of the adsorbent materials.  This industry leading breakthrough makes the process of regenerating oil products clean, efficient, and most of all, very cost effective.  The Environment Loves the GlobeCore Process and you will too!  GlobeCore, using Clay for a cleaner environment.

Its time to get with the Process.  The GlobeCore Process!