38
|
July - August 2021
|
www
.
machinerylubrication.com
CONDITION MONITORING, LUBRICANT ANALYSIS AND TROUBLESHOOTING
specimens must also be conductive. For
non-conductive materials, EDS analysis is
possible on specimens that have been sputter
coated, but the coating material will also be
present in the results.
Answering the
Questions
With detailed images provided by the
SEM and elemental data of specific wear
TESTE TED. D. D
TRUSTED. D. D
RUE.
TRUS
T
INDUSTRIAL INDUSTRIAL
Lubricants Lubricants
INDUSTRIAL INDUSTRIAL
From the production line to
the bottom line, STARFIRE
Industrial products keeps
business running smoothly.
STARFIRE1.com
888-258-8723
PRODUCT INFO
particles provided by the EDS, interpretation
can answer the crucial questions. A trained
lubricant analysis technician can observe the
topographical characteristics of each particle
to determine which wear mode produced
them and the severity of the wear event. e
elemental composition and concentrations
provide clues as to their source or formation.
Unlike traditional elemental analysis (such as
with inductively coupled plasma, ICP), which
cannot easily analyze particles greater than
about 3 microns, SEM/EDS techniques can
easily provide elemental data on surfaces of
particles at any size.
With SEM/EDS, particles can be cate-
gorized by their shapes, sizes and elemental
composition, with minimal limitations to
particle detection range and greater chem-
ical and topographical determinations. In a
chart published by Susan Benes in Machinery
Lubrication Magazine, the SEM/EDS is
compared against the other common particle
counter and elemental analysis technologies.
W hile each technolog y has different
intentions in reporting, the combination of
techniques is crucial in creating conclusions
on wear debris characteristics. SEM/EDS has
been increasingly more available and easier
to use in recent years, bringing it more into a
standard practice for oil analysis. Many use
SEM/EDS, along with other advanced wear
debris monitoring techniques, to periodically
analyze filter debris or other collected debris
oil samples. e cost of failure could be too
great for these questions to be left unan-
swered. Making the decision to use SEM/
START YOUR
FREE SUBSCRIPTION
www.machinerylubrication.com
