Individual Analysis

AN ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: AN (acid number), SAN (strong acid number)

Use: All types of industrial oil (gear, hydraulics, circulating oil systems, transformer oils, heat transfer systems, landfill gas engines).

Description: AN indicates the amount of potassium hydroxide necessary to neutralize the acids contained in one gram of oil. If the sample is too dark to determine the neutralization number at which an indicator, when added to a mixture of oil and solvent, will indicate the neutral state by a color change, the NA will be determined for these samples. In that case, a titrant (KOH) is added to the oil / solvent mixture until the mixture is "neutral". This is detected by a potentiometer and shown by an inflection point on the titration curve. Use of titrant up to this inflection point indicates AN.

Standard: ASTM D664

RPVOT ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: Rotating Pressure Vessel Oxidation Stability Test (RPVOT Test)

Use: Turbine, paper machine or mill oils, wind turbine gear oils, hydraulic oils.

Description: For the test, 50 g of oil and 5 g of distilled water are weighed into a reaction vessel. A polished copper coil is placed in the oil and water mixture as a catalyst. The reaction vessel is screwed tightly into a pressure-tight stainless steel vessel. The internal pressure of the pressurized tank can be constantly recorded using a pressure gauge. The apparatus is now filled with pure oxygen up to a pressure level of 620 kPa.

The tank with the copper spiral and the oil under oxygenated pressure are exposed to water rotates at 100 revolutions per minute at 150 ° C. This increase in temperature leads to an increase in the internal pressure in the hermetic container. Extreme conditions (oxygen, copper, water, temperature) inevitably lead to oxidation of the oil being tested. Oil reacts with oxygen, lowering the originally set oxygen pressure. The consequent decrease in oxygen demand is recorded as a pressure drop. The real variable measured is the length of time it takes for the internal pressure to drop 175 kPa below the maximum. The more time passes until this pressure drop, the more resistant the oil is to oxidation.

Standard: ASTM D2272

BN ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: BN

Use: Motor oils and some refrigerator oils.

Description: BN is determined by degree. In this process, a titrant (perchloric acid) is added to a mixture of oil and solvent until it is "neutral". This is sensed potentiometric and shown by an inflection point on the titration curve. Using titrant up to this inflection point, BN can be calculated in mgKOH / g.

BN establishes the alkaline reserve of a lubricant for the neutralization of acids that can be produced during a combustion process, for example. Changing BN compared to new oil provides a key indication of continued oil use.

Standard: DIN 51639-1

OPTICAL PARTICLE ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: Optical Particle Analysis

Use: Gear oils, occasionally for hydraulic and circulating oils.

Description: The homogenized sample is pumped at a constant speed through a viewing window (flow cell) illuminated by a very bright laser beam. The laser beam shows the shapes of the registered particles. These are magnified with a lens in such a way that they can be recorded with a high speed CCD camera and stored as black and white photographs.

The shape and size of the particles are also analyzed and assigned to specific categories such as wear fatigue, shear wear, non-metallic impurities (tribopolymers), water droplets, etc. The number and size of the particles can also be recorded, such as during the particle counting process.

Standard: ASTM D7596

MICROSCOPIC PARTICLE COUNT ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: Microscopic Particle Count

Use: All hydraulic and lubricating fluids, preferably aqueous and turbid media (multiphase fluids)

Description: The homogenized sample is filtered through a filter membrane with a pore width of 1.2 µm. The membrane is dried using a solvent and then fitted and focused on a motor driven XY slide table. A representative surface of the filter membrane is "scanned" microscopically in incidental light mode.

Microscopic particle counting enables cleaning classes to be calculated for lubricating greases that cannot undergo the classical liquid particle counting (optical principle) due to problems such as turbidity. Conclusions can also be drawn about the quality of characteristic particles including, for example, reflective fibers or particles.

Standard: ISO 4407

PARTICLE COUNT ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: Particle count by size per 100 ml

Use: Hydraulic oils, low viscosity fluids (>ISO VG 150).

Description: The entire diluted sample of about 30 ml is counted three times in a row, from which a mean average is extrapolated. If the individual values differ greatly from each other, the particle counter rejects the entire analysis and requests a new sample.

Impurities in the oil can always pose a risk. Hard particles such as dust, colored particles, and wear metals can cause abrasive wear. The particles in the oil accelerate the aging of the oil and shorten its useful life. The level of contamination is determined based on ISO 4406 by counting the size and number of particles in the laboratory with the help of automatic particle counters (APC). The level of contamination is divided into cleanliness classes. Here, laser sensors are used to determine the number and size of the particles. After counting the particles, the oil is classified according to its cleanliness.

The processes used to determine oil cleanliness and cleanliness classes are defined in ISO 4406 and SAE 4059. The ISO 4406 classification is based on particle sizes> 4 µm,> 6 µm and> 14 µm. ISO particle numbers are cumulative, which means that the stated particle figure for> 6 µm consists of all particles> 6 µm plus particles> 14 µm.

Standard: ISO 4406, SAE AS 4059, ISO 11500, ASTM D7647

WATER ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: Cracker Test

Use: all types of oils and fuels.

Description: In the crackling test, a drop of oil is dropped onto a hot plate. If there is free water in the oil, it evaporates with a crackle and visible steam bubbles. The water content is estimated with a visual inspection by a trained observer.

Standard: OSL-12-IN-1 Test Method

ICP ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: Elements by ICP

Use: all types of oils.

Description: First, the oil samples must be diluted. 1 ml of the sample is taken from the bottles into the sample tray using a "diluent" and diluted 1:10 with kerosene before pouring into a test tube.

Samples are thoroughly shaken in a sample changer, before being pumped into the nebulizer with a peristaltic pump. They are then atomized with a flow of argon. The aerosol then enters a cyclone chamber where large droplets are removed. The now-prepared aerosol enters the plasma, a mixture of atoms, ions, and electrons. The temperature is approx. 10,000 ° C. This extremely hot plasma provides the energy to stimulate individual elements.

The resulting emitted radiation, which has a characteristic wavelength for each individual element, is spectrally spread and detected with a CCD chip. This makes it possible to absorb an entire emission spectrum. .

Standard: DIN 51399-1, ASTM D5185, ASTM D6130 (refrigerants)

FERROGRAPHY ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: Microscope Ferrography

Use: Gear oils, hydraulic oils, motor oils.

Description: The type and quantity of particles produced in a system are typical of this system. Consequently, statements about the wear processes in the system can be derived from the type and quantity of particles "produced" by the system.

Ferrography allows the experienced expert to draw conclusions about the wear processes that led to particle formation by closely observing the particles under a microscope.

Thus, claims can be made about the degree to which different wear mechanisms such as abrasive wear, adhesive wear, fatigue wear have a share in the particles produced or to what degree non-metallic particles are also present in the lubricant.

Standard: -

FLAMMABILITY ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: Flashpoint

Use: Heat transfer oils, motor oils, fuels.

Description: Flash point is the temperature at which highly flammable vapor develops in the container from the liquid to be tested. Measurement methods and devices vary depending on the type of oil and the expected flash point.

The flash point of motor oils decreases when fuel enters. This is the key criterion for the flammability of combustible liquids. The decomposition of combustible liquids into various hazard classes is based on the flash point.

Standard: Flash point, open: DIN EN ISO 2592, ASTM D92 / Flash point, closed: DIN EN ISO 2719, DIN EN ISO 3679, ASTM D93, ASTM D3278, ASTM D7236, ASTM D6450

SPECTROMETRY ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: Infrared Spectrometry

Use: all oils and fats, diesel fuels.

Description: The principle of FT-IR (Fourier-Transform-Infrared) spectroscopy is based on the presence of different molecules in the lubricant that, due to their typical chemical structures, absorb infrared light to different degrees with certain wavelengths. Changes in used oil can be compared to the reference spectrum of new oil and can be plotted, calculated and interpreted as typical ranges for certain "wave numbers".

The infrared spectrum of a used oil sample provides information on impurities in the oil or changes compared to the spectrum of a new or reference oil. For example, oxygen compounds that have recently appeared in a sample indicate aging of the oil. Changes in wave number that are typical for OH groups can be interpreted as water and expressed in %. By comparing with the deposited spectra of fresh oil, the procedure also provides fast and reliable information on whether an unknown oil is a mineral oil, a "bio-oil" or a synthetic oil. Mixtures of various types of oil can also often be identified.

Standard: DIN 51451, DIN 51452, DIN 51453, ASTM E2412, DIN EN 14078 (FAME content)

KF WATER ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: Karl Fisher Water Analysis

Use:
● Coulometric: synthetic oils, bio-oils, transformer oils, greases, oils for refrigerators and compressors, fuels
● Volumetric: lubricants with high water content, HFC fluids, refrigerants

Description: In the indirect Karl Fischer coulometric method, the water in the sealed sample is evaporated by heating it to temperatures above 100 ° C. It is channeled into a titration vessel using a hollow needle and nitrogen. Here, an electrochemical reaction takes place between the water and the KF solution. Once the transition point of the titration curve has been reached, the exact water content can be established.

The water content in a lubricant must not exceed certain permitted values, depending on the type of oil and the use. Too much water in the oil can cause problems such as corrosion, cavitation, or oxidation of the oil.

Standard: DIN 51777, ASTM D6304

MPC ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: MPC Index (Membrane Patch Colorimetry)

Use: Gas and steam turbine oils, circulation systems, hydraulic systems.

Description: The oil-solvent mixture is filtered under vacuum (710 mbar). When all the visible liquid has disappeared, the membrane is dried for 3 hours at 80 ° C. It is then weighed again to calculate the increase in weight due to the formation of residues in percentage.

The color of the patch residue is analyzed with the colorimeter. Differences in reflection and color intensity in the different spectral regions make the calculation of the MPC index possible.

The amount of the MPC factor correlates with the oil's potential to form residue or varnish. The higher the MPC index, the more intense the color change of the filter.

Standard: ASTM D7843

NN ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: Neutralization Number (NN)

Use: all oils in the industry.

Description: The neutralization number (NN) indicates the amount of potassium hydroxide necessary to neutralize the acids contained in one gram of oil. In the neutralization number, an indicator is added to a mixture of oil and solvent that will indicate the neutral state during the titration through a color change.

Compared with the values of fresh oil, the NN allows conclusions to be drawn about the oxidation of the oil and the decomposition of the oil additives. Provides essential supplemental information for extending oil change intervals.

Standard: DIN ISO 6618, ASTM D974

PQ ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: PQ Index

Use: all types of oils and fats.

Description: The PQ index is used to detect all magnetizable wear particles, regardless of their size, in contrast to AES (Atom Emission Spectroscopy), which cannot detect iron particles> 5 µm.

The difference between AES iron content and the PQ index result is diagnosed. If the iron value in mg / kg is high, but the PQ index is low, the iron particles have been caused by corrosion. The oxide is barely magnetizable, so it produces a low PQ index. A high PQ index value that occurs in conjunction with low AES iron values always indicates acute wear, such as scrapes.

Standard: -

RULER ANALYSIS

Analysis Type: Evaluation of antioxidant content between new and old oils or RULER (Remaining Useful Life Evaluation Routine)

Use: All heavily stressed oils and fats that contain antioxidants.

Description: According to the principle of voltage measurement, a current-time curve is measured. The position and area of the peaks indicates the type and amount of anti-aging protection in the oil. Compared to the new or rather reference oil, the remaining amount of antioxidants is determined by integrating the corresponding peak areas.

The amount of antioxidants left in the oil, compared to fresh oil, is the given result.

Standard: ASTM D6971, ASTM D7590, ASTM D6810, ASTM D7527