To reduce friction, oil and grease are used in almost all valves to make movements smooth. However, in systems designed for oxygen, this can lead to significant problems and fatal accidents.

Why is that? Oil and fats can self-ignite in an oxygen atmosphere and cause disasters. In addition, the pressure in the system influences the behavior by reducing the ignition temperature and increasing the combustion rate. In the presence of oxygen, oils and grease can therefore easily ignite, burn explosively and spread. Therefore, when selecting the materials, special attention must be paid to the medium used.