Oil / Lubrication Analysis (Spectrochemical Analysis)

Spectrochemical (Oil) analysis tests oil samples for up to 21 (twenty-one) metals and additives. With proper interpretation, Oil Analysis tests determines component wear, quantities of airborne dirt, cooling system contamination, and oil additive concentrations. With proper interpretation, Management can take effective measures to limit system problems.

New lubricant samples must be taken to give you a “base” report to compare all future analysis reports to.

Stuart M. Davis, Inc.’s own in-house Tribologist can quickly identify and determine the source of any high metal and / or additive level.

Get started NOW! Call or email us now. (Click here for our contact page).

• Oil Analysis Reports give detailed information of:
• Wear Metal Levels
• Contamination Levels.
• Additive Levels
• Water Contamination
• Microscopic Photo of a relative sample of your oil.

1. Wear Metals include:
   1. Iron, Chromium, Lead, Copper, Tin, Aluminum, Nickel, Silver, Manganese, Molybdenum.
   2. High levels of wear metals indicate that abrasive and erosive wear is occurring within your system.
   3. IMMEDIATE ACTION is required to reduce these levels to within “normal” parameters. CALL Stuart M. Davis, Inc. Now! For Help (link to contact page)
      1. The hydraulic oil must be either immediately flushed with Beta 1 > 200 filters, of the existing filters need to have Beta 1 > 200 elements (synthetic only) installed. (link to filtration page)
      2. Installation of these very fine filter elements will literally grab all chunks of metal quickly.
         1. Please note: 3-5 spare elements will be needed to accomplish the cleanup. Make certain the filter dirty element indicator is functioning and change out any element once the indicator tells you so.
2. Contaminants include:
   1. Silicon,
   2. Boron,
   3. Sodium
   4. High levels of any of the above indicates defective air breather, open reservoir and / or seals, recent maintenance with improper sealing and capping of open fittings, defective cylinder wipers, dirty or non-existent filter elements.
   5. CALL Stuart M. Davis, Inc., NOW to get this resolved (link to filtration page)
3. Additives Include:
   1. Magnesium,
   2. Calcium,
   3. Barium,
   4. Phosphorus,
   5. Zinc,
   6. Molybdenum.
   7. High or low levels of the above can usually be resolved by changing out all oil for new.
4. Trace Elements:
   1. Titanium, Vanadium, Cadmium.

Types of Equipment used to conduct Oil Analysis include:

Spectroanalysis Equipment (ICP - Inductively coupled argon plasma spectrometer) recommendations include:

1. Spectro ICP, (www.spectroinc.com) makes great bench top instruments for viscosity, particle count measurements, FTIR, etc.
2. Perkin Elmer Optima 5300DV ICP-OES,
3. TJA (Thermo Jarell Ash ICAP – very common to find these instruments for resale).
4. These ICP instruments measure small dissolved particles in the oil .
   1. Larger particle identification require another ferrographic method (microscope or specialty instrument) that could indicate catastrophic equipment problems and / or failure modes.
   2. Please note: Operator error of the equipment (improper flushing techniques between samples, allowing the sample to become contaminated, etc.) can cause widely variable results. Any sign of extremely abnormal, out-of-range readings should be viewed suspiciously and another immediately taken to confirm results prior to action being taken.
5. Physical Analysis – describes actually looking at the sample under a high powered (100X0 microscope. Only trained Tribologist and Metalologists can really correctly identify what is seen. (Link to Robin’s Tribologist page)
6. Fuel Dilutions (by GC) - Hewlett Packard
7. This test will give indications of piston ring sealing capability. High fuel ranges show piston ring wear.
8. Viscosity (at 40 C and / or 100 C by ASTM D 445).
   1. This test shows the ability of the oil to flow as designed.
   2. Higher or lower viscosities that the “base, new” lubricant indicate heating and cooling issues within the system.
   3. CALL Now to have Stuart M. Davis, Inc. recommend a solution (Link to Contact Page).
9. Water (by Karl Fischer titration ASTM D 1744 volumetric or more accurate is ASTM D-6304 coulometric) – Mettler Toledo makes good products here.
   1. High water counts indicate a leaking heat exchanger, strong washdown environment, leaking reservoir seals and / or air breather.
   2. Water in the oil accelerates acid etching of all internal components.
   3. Erosive and abrasive wear is a direct result of high water contents.
   4. Catastrophic failure of the equipment is a reality if the water level is too high, replacing the lubricating / cooling capacitates of hydraulic oil with water.
   5. Tolerances decrease, metal-to-metal abrasive wear begins and the system will fail soon.
   6. CALL Now to have Stuart M. Davis, Inc. recommend a solution (Link to Contact Page).
10. Glycol (antifreeze – by FTIR or wet test – ASTM D 2982).
    1. High glycol levels indicate a leaky water to oil cooler.
    2. Remove and repair the cooler
    3. CALL Now to have Stuart M. Davis, Inc. recommend a solution (Link to Contact Page).
11. Total Solids (ASTM D 91)
12. TAN (Total Acid Number – ASTM 974).
13. Water Particle Analysis
14. By microscope (to 1-2 micron size particles using a magnet)
15. Particle Count (spectroinc.com for bench top and in-line particles counters using lasers like PLM2, see www.hydraulicparticlecounter.com
16. Ferrography (see Spectro Inc. instruments).

Stuart M. Davis, Inc. offers on-site classes on all of these subjects.