Oil Analysis Overview

NWHA 2015 Technical Seminar

1 R IG H T S O L U T I O N S | R I G H T PA RTRIGHT
NER SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Oil Analysis Process

• Oil analysis is like a blood test

– Sample is taken

– Sample internally documented

– Sample is delivered to a lab

– Sample is analyzed

– Results are interpreted

– Diagnostic report is issued

– Follow up!

2
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Oil Analysis Objectives

• Fluid Management
– Serviceability
– Contamination
– Drain intervals

• Predictive Maintenance
– Abnormal machine wear behavior
– Maintenance planning
– Elimination of repetitive problems

• Reliability
– Ferrographic failure predictive capability
– Root cause analysis

3
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
What Oil Analysis Looks At
• Machine Wear Behavior
– Identify problems in the initial stage of development
– Pinpoint component source of wear

• Contaminants
– Early detection of
• Dirt
• Water
• Coolant
• Fuel Dilution
• Soot
• Wrong oil

• Lubricant Serviceability
– Lube suitability for further service time
– Lube requires off-line purification
– Reservoir needs sweetening or changed

4
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
 Sampling

5
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
FLUID SAMPLING BASICS

• Be safe

• Warmed-up machine

• Clean process

• Properly documented

• Send immediately to lab

good input supports good output

6
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT

• High temperatures

• Moving parts

• High pressures

• Chemicals

• Heights

ALS recommends a Job Safety Analysis to

establish Safe Sampling Procedures

7
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
 REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE

• Representative means it is typical of the fluid as it is in

use - a snapshot of the in-service lubricant and machine
wear behavior

• Best way, take while running

Particulate Chemical
Dirt Water & Glycol
Process Materials Nitration/Oxidation
Wear Metals Process Chemicals
Wrong Oil

8
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
 REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE

• If not running, start and run until operating temp is

reached, then take the sample

• If you must shut down to sample, do so within 30

minutes of shut down

Particulate Chemical
Dirt Water & Glycol
Process Materials Nitration/Oxidation
Wear Metals Process Chemicals
Wrong Oil

9
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
 REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE

• Use same correct procedure

• Use same correct location each sample

• Consistency for trend

Particulate Chemical
Dirt Water & Glycol
Process Materials Nitration/Oxidation
Wear Metals Process Chemicals
Wrong Oil

10
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
 WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE WILL HURT YOU!

Almost everything we test

for in the lab is
INVISIBLE to the naked eye.

11
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
PARTICLE SIZE

BACTERIA, 3 MICRONS

RED BLOOD CELL, 5 MICRONS

WHITE BLOOD CELL, 20 MICRONS

TALCUM POWDER, 10 MICRONS

FINE FLOOR DUST,

40 MICRONS
HUMAN HAIR
HUMAN VISIBILITY
RANGE

HUMAN HAIR,
80 MICRONS

12
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
10 IMPORTANT SAMPLING RULES

1. Sample upstream of the filter

2. Sample downstream of the work area

3. Return lines are good

4. With valves/ports always flush 2-3x sample volume

5. Needle probe used one time only – throw away

13
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
10 IMPORTANT SAMPLING RULES

6. Plastic tubing use one time only – throw away

7. In reservoirs, aim for the mid-point of tank

8. Do not sample off the bottom (over concentrated)

9. Do not sample from top (under concentrated)

10.Do not sample when machine is cold

14
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
 Routine Test Methods

15
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
 Viscosity – ASTM D445

• Fluid’s resistance to flow, which relates to oil thickness

• Measured in time it takes to flow a certain distance in a

capillary tube

• Reported in centistokes (cSt)

• Most important physical property of oil

• Measured at 40C for industrial oils and 100C for engine

oils

16
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
 Viscosity

•Increase in engine oil viscosity results in increased

operating temperature.

• A Change in viscosity may also be result from the following:

a) Oxidation of oil/Thermal degradation.

b) Topping up with wrong oil

c) Shearing of oil

d) Depletion of the light ends of base stock

e) Contamination from water, Fuel or Glycol

17
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
 Base Number, Acid Number

• Acid Number and Base Number tests are standard for

monitoring the suitability of the lubricant for continued
service.

• For Base Number & Acid Number, you must know

the value for the new (unused) oil in order to
measure changes.

18
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
 Base Number, Acid Number

• For Base Number & Acid Number, you must know the
baseline value for the new (unused) oil in order to
measure change from that reference point

• BN values decrease – monitoring alkaline reserve

– Should also be specified by test method (ASTM D4739 – used

oils, or ASTM D2896 – new oils)

• AN values increase – monitoring oil degradation

– Significant variation in baseline values of new oil depending on

type of product (ASTM D664/D974)

19
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Acid Number – ASTM D664

• Measures total concentration of both strong and weak

acids

• Sample titrated with potassium hydroxide (KOH) and

results expressed as milligrams of KOH per gram
(mg/KOH/g)

• All new oils have an initial AN that can be measured as a

baseline

• Since oxidation produces acids use of AN is indicator of

oil oxidation

• An increase of 2-3X the baseline AN in new oil indicates

degree of oxidation
20
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
 Fourier Transform
Infrared Analysis - FTIR
• Identifies organic functional groups by measuring
infrared absorption at various wavelengths

• Expressed as absorbance/centimeter
Base Line Oil scan vs. Used Oil scan
• Tests used to qualify
– Water
– Oxidation
– Nitration
– Glycol
– Phenol Additives
– Sulfur Compounds
– Soot
– Other organic contaminants

21
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Why Is Oxidation Important?

• Oxidation may lead to...

– Viscosity increase
– Varnish
– Sludge & sediment
– Additive depletion
– Base oil breakdown
– Filter plugging
– Loss of foam properties
– Acids
– Corrosion
– Wear

22
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Water

• Second most destructive contaminant

• Measured by use of crackle test for quick qualitative
evaluation  500-1000 ppm
– Used as a screen, PASS/FAIL

• Karl Fischer titration test used for accurate,

precision testing; measures total water present
– Dissolved
– Emulsified
– Free

23
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Karl Fischer Titration - ASTM E203 / D6304
• Method for precise determination of water content
– ASTM E 203 (Volumetric)
• Preferred for moisture concentrations between 0.1% to 100%
– ASTM D6304 (Coulometric)
• Preferred for moisture concentrations between .001% to ~2.0%

• As iodine and water react through electrolysis, the

measured reaction is proportional to the quantity of
water

• The reagent is added until an electrometric end point is

reached

• Water concentration in PPM or percent is calculated from

the amount of reagent used to reach the end point

24
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Water Contamination

25
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Spectrochemical Elemental Analysis
Primary Tests
Spectroscopic Elemental Analysis
• All Systems

– Wear metals

– Contaminants

– Lubricants, metallic additives

• Particle Count (ISO Cleanliness Code)

– Filtered systems- hydraulics, turbines, compressors,

industrial circulating oils

26
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
 Elemental Analysis

Lubricant
Wear Metals
Contaminants Additives

Iron Chromium Nickel Aluminum Copper Lead Tin Silver Silicon Sodium Potassium Molybdenum Boron Magnesium Calcium Barium Phosphorus Zinc
Fe Cr Ni Al Cu Pb Sn Ag Si Na K Mo B Mg Ca Ba P Zn

Reported In Concentrations of Parts Per Million - PPM

27
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Spectrochemical Elemental Analysis

• Abnormal Component Wear

– Identify likely component source of metals
• Contaminants
– Abrasive dirt
– Coolant additive trace elements
• Lube Additive Levels
– Correct Lubricant
– Lube mixing - wrong makeup oil added
– Dilution
– Leakage from transmission/hydraulic compartment

28
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Particle Count

• Particle Count

– determines number of solid particulate in various size

ranges: test used for hydraulics, turbines and many
compressors

• Contaminant Classification, Reporting

– ISO 4406:1999 Cleanliness Code (per 1 ml)

– NAS 1638 Class (per 100 mls)

– SAE 749D Class (per 100 mls)

29
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Particle Count ISO 4406:1999

Expressed as x/y/z
X is alsways more than Y is always
more than Z

19/14/11

19---≥4µm[c]
14---≥6µm[c]
11---≥14µm[c]

Note: each incremental increase in

ISO Code indicates TWICE the
number of particles.

Old ISO Code:

>2µm, >5µm, >15µm

Older Code:
>5µm, >15µm

30
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
 Advanced Test Methods

31
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Water Separability

Water Separation Result

Demulsibility Bath

32
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Ruler

• ASTM D6971/D6810

• Remaining Useful Life Evaluation Routine

• Quantifies the hindered phenol and aromatic amine additive

levels in turbine oils by linear sweep voltammetry

• The antioxidant additive levels of the in-service fluid is

compared to a reference sample of the new (unused) product

33
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Foaming Tendency - ASTM D892

• The tendency of oils to foam can become a serious

problem in some systems.

• The results of excessive foaming may lead to inadequate

lubrication, cavitation, and overflow loss of oil, all of
which may cause mechanical failure.

• This is a 3-part test: Sequence I, Sequence II and

Sequence III

34
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Varnish Potential Report

• Special test slate for predicting varnish potential

• After correlating all of the test results, the data analyst

communicates the Varnish Potential in a report to the
customer

• Levels reported are:

–LOW–MODERATE–ELEVATED-HIGH

35
RIGHT SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER
Thank you!

36 R IG H T S O L U T I O N S | R I G H T PA RTRIGHT
NER SOLUTIONS · RIGHT PARTNER