When using FTIR analysis to determine the condition / degradation and the combustion efficiency of an engine, test the new unused oil so you have a baseline to work from. Certain FTIR readings are effected by the type of base used to blend the oil. For example, some synthetic bases have the effect of high starting oxidation readings of the new, unused oil. It is imperative to know this when analyzing the FTIR results of the used engine oils and making an informed, educated diagnosis. This holds true for most oil analysis readings, however, it is extremely useful to have an analysis of the unused oil to use as a baseline. (Michelle Allis, Senior Diagnostician, Wearcheck)

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Book Bits: Performance Testing of New Lubricants

From the "Lubrication Excellence, Reliability World, Lean Manufacturing 2006 Conference Proceedings"

From the paper "The Lubricant's Nemesis - Oxidation":

When an oil formulation is designed there are a series of tests that are required for this formulation to meet. No matter what the formulation's ultimate application, the test series always includes several oxidation tests. The oxidation test requirement (time, temperature, catalyst, atmosphere and interpretation methods) is designed around the lubricant's application. In most cases, the remaining oxidation reserve is measured by testing how the lubricant behaves under an oxidation experiment.

For example, Rotary Pressure Vessel Oxidation Test – RPVOT (D2272), Universal Oxidation Test (D6514), Turbine Oil Stability Test – TOST (D943), Universal Oxidation Test (D5846), and Pressure Differential Scanning Calorimetry - PDSC (D6186) are all used to study the oxidation potential of a turbine oil. The tests differ in the reaction temperature or concentration of oxygen. Often a lubricant is measured by several of these tests to assess the temperature effects of the lubricant. Because a lubricant is operating in multiple temperature zones, the testing at different temperatures gives a better assessment of the lubricant's quality.

More information about "Lubrication Excellence, Reliability World, Lean Manufacturing 2006 Conference Proceedings"

Test your knowledge and prepare for ICML lubrication and oil analysis certification.

Question: Name a common lubricant that uses a detergent additive.

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"How do you decide what size storage and handling containers to use for lubricants?"

There are many different approaches to storage and handling of lubricants that could be considered based on plant needs, handling equipment availability and personnel availability.

Some options include:

Low-volume:
- sealed gallon or smaller containers
- sealed grease tubes
- sealed single application tubes
- pails (up to 7 gallons)
- kegs (up to 16 gallons)

High-volume:
- fixed high-volume tanks
- intermediate bulk containers (3 to 10-drum capacity)
- reuseable drums
- one-way drums
- small storage rack containers (65 to 110 gallons)
- automated lube cart with storage and filtration capabilities
- contiguous (hard walled) piping from bulk tanks to the application

Grease tubes, grease and oil drums, and kegs and pails are the container sizes most likely used to supply industrial products. These containers are made of metal, paper and plastic.

The size of the adopted storage container should reflect the demand for the product. Trending oil consumption to identify a consumption ratio (the ratio between the amount of lubricant consumed relative to the total sump capacity for the product type) will reveal which products on-site most likely warrant bulk and semibulk handling.

As a rule of thumb, if the user consumes approximately 5 drums (275 gallons) of a product in a given year, then that product would be a good candidate for semibulk handling consideration.

Your facility may have safety limits on the amount of weight allowed to be lifted and carried for a given distance. When deciding whether to physically carry a quantity of oil or grease to the equipment location, multiply the number of gallons required by 7.5 to estimate the number of pounds. Each gallon of oil weighs roughly 7.5 pounds.

Traditional package sizes for lubricant products include quart, 1-gallon, 5-gallon pail, 15-gallon key and 55-gallon drum. Storage containers are available from 1 to 10 drums.

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