X-ray transformer oil is recycled through a process of purification and filtration. This involves removing contaminants such as moisture, particles, and gases, which can degrade the oil’s performance. The oil is also treated to restore its dielectric strength and thermal stability. Recycled oil can then be reused, reducing the demand for new oil and minimizing environmental impact. GlobeCore manufactures advanced oil filtration and regeneration systems designed to purify and restore transformer oil, making it suitable for reuse and significantly extending its service life.

A useful addition to this discussion is that, in the case of X-ray equipment, oil recycling is often performed in a closed-loop or on-site format, rather than as a one-time bulk process. This is due to relatively small oil volumes and high sensitivity of X-ray systems to even minor contamination. As a result, compact purification machines are commonly used to periodically circulate the oil through dehydration, degassing, and fine filtration stages without draining it from the equipment.
Another important point is that maintaining oil quality in X-ray machines is not only about extending oil service life, but also about ensuring stable high-voltage performance. Even small amounts of moisture or dissolved gases can significantly reduce dielectric strength and increase the risk of electrical breakdown, which is critical in medical imaging systems that operate at high voltages.
This is why recycling in such applications is typically combined with regular monitoring and preventive maintenance, rather than waiting for oil degradation to become critical. Continuous or periodic treatment helps keep the oil within required parameters and ensures reliable operation of an X-ray machine over time.
For a more detailed look at how transformer oil purification is specifically implemented in X-ray machines and what equipment is used in practice, it is worth reviewing this article: https://globecore.com/oil-processing/purification-of-transformer-oil-in-x-ray-machines-with-the-cmm-0-4-unit/.

You’re absolutely right — for X-ray equipment oil recycling is typically done on-site in a closed-loop fashion because of the small oil volumes and the high sensitivity of high-voltage imaging systems to even minor contamination. Compact purification machines circulate oil through heating, vacuum dehydration/degassing and fine filtration stages so moisture, dissolved gases and particulates are removed without a full drain. That periodic or continuous treatment is focused on keeping dielectric strength stable and preventing electrical breakdown; even small increases in moisture or dissolved gases can materially reduce breakdown voltage and compromise high-voltage performance in medical and industrial X-ray systems.

In practice this is combined with regular monitoring and preventive maintenance: track moisture content, breakdown voltage (BDV), dissolved gas trends and particle counts and treat whenever values drift toward equipment limits or after interventions (repairs, top-ups). For small batches and on-site work, compact CMM-series units (CMM-0.4 / CMM-0.6 and their variants) are well suited for purification, and a dedicated vacuum filling/degassing unit (UVD) is useful for preparing and vacuum-top‑up of small oil volumes. If you want, I can prepare a short checklist linking typical X-ray system oil volumes to the recommended unit and a suggested periodic treatment and monitoring routine.