MAIN
FEATURE
OIL ANALYSI S
Oil analysis — The
Fundamentals
Total’s lab technician, Mr. Benard
Oyier, running a viscosity test on
a viscometer machine.
By Ken Koskei
What is oil
Ken Koskei is
analysis?
a Lubricants
he analysis of
Technical &
lubricants for
Training Manager
conformity and
at Total (K) LTD
process control has
T
always been important to manufacturers and users in providing
a high-quality lubricant. Once the lubricant is
in the equipment, degradation and contamination become critical measurements. The
ability to measure a wide range of analyses
cost-effectively can mean the avoidance of
damaged equipment or changing the lubricant more frequently than necessary. The
level of machine repair and proper lubricant
renewal intervals can be precisely evaluated
with measurements of additives and wear
14
The level of machine
repair and proper
lubricant renewal
intervals can be
precisely evaluated
with measurements
of additives and wear
metals, contaminants
and other oil components
over the course of use.
metals, contaminants and other oil components over the course of use. Machine life can
be extended and lubricant costs reduced by
proper testing.
Oil analysis is the evaluation of the oil
itself and any contamination that is present.
The information derived from the following
tests looks for different types of wear and
contamination. Each test looks at a different
aspect of the oil. This is the reason for the different tests.
History of oil analysis
The first use of used oil analysis dates back to
the early 1940s by the railway companies in
the Western United States. Prompted by the
purchase of a fleet of new locomotives, technicians used simple spectrographic equipment
Lubezine Magazine | July-September 2012