Base Oil & Lube Oils
Ensuring Lubricant Health and Equipment Reliability
Base oil and lube oil analysis are crucial for understanding the fundamental properties of lubricants, whether they are the raw base stocks or the finished products used in machinery. This analysis plays a vital role in quality control, predicting lubricant lifespan, and assessing the health of the equipment they protect.
Base Oil Analysis: Laying the Foundation
Base oils are the foundational components of most lubricants, typically making up 80-99% of the final formulation. They are derived from crude oil refining, synthetic processes, or renewable resources. Analyzing base oils is essential for:
- Quality Control: Ensuring that the base oil meets specific industry standards (like API groups) and the requirements for its intended use in lubricant blending.
- Characterization: Determining key physical and chemical properties that will influence the performance of the finished lubricant, such as viscosity, volatility, oxidation stability, pour point, and flash point.
- Troubleshooting: Identifying inconsistencies or contamination in incoming base oil shipments.
- Formulation: Providing data necessary for lubricant blenders to select the appropriate base oils and additives to achieve desired performance characteristics.
Key Parameters We Analyze:
- Viscosity Index (ASTMD 2270)
- Flash Point(ASTMD 92)
- Kinematic & dynamic viscosity (ASTM d445)
- Total Acid Number (TAN)(ASTMD 664)
- Base Number (TBN)(ASTMD 2896)
- Sediments & insoluble (ASTMD 4007, 2709& ASTMD 893 )
- Wear Metals Analysis (ASTM D5185(ICP method))
- Pourpoint (ASTM D97)
- Particle count analysis or cleanliness test (ASTMD 7619, ISO 4406)
- oxidation stability (ASTMD 943/ASTM D2272)
- Foaming Characteristics (ASTMD 892)
- Copper Strip Corrosion Test (ASTMD 130)
- Sulphur content (ASTMD 4294)
- Total nitrogen content by modified kjeldah method (ASTMD 3228)
- Noack Volatility OR evaporation loss (ASTMD 5800)
- Water content (ASTMD -6304)
- Refractive Index (ASTMD 1218)
- High temperature & shear test for engine oil(ASTMD 4683)
- Cold cranking simulator or apparent viscosity of engine oil (ASTMD 5293)
- Carbon type analysis by FTIR(ASTMD 2140)