Lubricant and Wear Debris Analysis

Techniques for this type of analysis include elemental measurement, oil property and chemical measurement and particulate contamination measurement.

Elemental measurement:

The most common wear metal measurement techniques include atomic absorption, inductively coupled plasma (ICP), atomic emission and X-Ray fluorescence spectrometers. These spectrometers measure the elemental constituents of the ample of lubricant. Knowledge of the metallurgy of the machine from which a sample of lubricant was extracted then enables an accurate diagnostic report to be prepared.

A limitation, which however has to be considered when interpreting the results, is the inability of the spectrometer to analysis particles larger than five to ten microns. (5 to 10um) - this does not apply to X-Ray fluorescence.

The following list contains the most common sources of each element analysed by the spectrometer.

• Aluminium bearings, pistons, dirt
• Barium additives
• Boron additives, coolant
• Calcium additives, sea water
• Chromium cylinder liners, piston rings, coolant, rolling element bearings
• Copper bearings, worn gears
• Iron cylinders, gears, crankshafts, camshafts, bearings
• Lead bearings, greases, paint
• Magnesium additives, gear casings, bearings, sea water
• Manganese valves, shafts
• Molybdenum piston rings, additives
• Nickel valves, gears, rolling element bearings
• Phosphorus additives
• Silicon dirt, additives, grease, gaskets, flushing fluid
• Silver bearings
• Sodium additives, coolant, sea water, salt
• Tin bearings, additives
• Titanium turbine components, paint
• Vanadium fuel