Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/229047
SELECTING OIL ANALYSIS TESTS BY APPLICATION Hydraulics Air and Gas Compressors Chillers and Refrigeration Transmissions, Final Drives, Differentials Industrial Gear Oils Steam Turbine Oils Gas Turbine Oils EHC Fluids*** R R R R R R R R R R E(5a) - R R R R - R R - R R - R R - R R - R R - R R - R R - R - R R R - R R R R R - R - R R R R R - - - R - R R R - R R* - R - R - - E(2b,5d) - 7. Glycol-ASTM Test 8. Ferrous Density 9. Analytical Ferrography 10. RPVOT - - E(14b) - - - - - - - - E(1) E(8,14 a) E(1) E(8,14a) R E(8,14 a) R E(8,14 a) R E(8,14a) R E(8,14a) R E(8,14a) R E(8,14a) E(1) E(8,14a) E(1) E(8,14a) R E(8,14a) - - - - R - - - R R - 11. Crackle 12. Water by KF 13. Water Separability R E(11) R R E(11) - R E(11) - R E(11) - R** E(11)** R** R E(11) - R E(11) - R E(11) - R E(11) R - R E(11) - 14. Elemental Analysis a. Wear Metals b. K, Na, B, Si c. Additives R, E(1) R R R, E(1) R R R R R R, E(1) R R R, E(1) R R R, E(1) R R R R R R, E(1) R R R, E(1) R R R R R R,E(1) R R Test or Procedure 1. Particle Count 2. Viscosity a. 40º C b. 100º C 3. AN 4. BN 5. FTIR a. Ox/Nit/Sul b. Hindered Phen c. ZDDP d. Fuel Dil./Soot 6. Flash Point Paper Machine Oils Motor and Pump Bearings Diesel and Gas Engines R R R R - *Gas compressors only ** Air compressors only ***For phosphate ester fluids, consult the fluid supplier and/or turbine manufacturer. R = Routine testing E = Exception test keyed to a positive result from the test in parentheses should be modified depending on the type of data collected, the type of lubricant and the machine's known operating conditions. Standard alarm limits will be set by the oil analysis laboratory. However, if there is any reason to adjust these limits higher or lower, they should be identified properly. Examples of limits that should be lowered would be those for highly critical assets or assets that are consistently healthy. A small spike in data would be cause to run an exception test or an immediate second sample for analysis. In such cases, a second sample would ensure the data received is representative of the oil conditions and not simply a human error in sampling or analysis. If exception tests are needed, the chart above shows which tests would be appropriate when a given routine test limit has been exceeded. About the Author Bennett Fitch is a technical consultant with Noria Corporation. He is a mechanical engineer who holds a Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA) Level II certification and a Machine Lubrication Technician (MLT) Level II certification through the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML). Contact Bennett at bfitch@noria.com. www.machinerylubrication.com | November - December 2013 | 51