Oil Analysis - Elemental Analysis
Perhaps the most important and central test of used engine oil analysis is the analysis of wear metals, contaminants, and additive elements using ICP-OES (Inductively Couple Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry), which analyses over 20 elements simultaneously by nebulising and vaporising a diluted sample into a very hot argon plasma. This atomises, ionises and excites the elements which in turn release this absorbed energy in the form of light, the wavelength of which is specific to the element in question, and the intensity of which is proportional to the concentration.
The level of wear metals used to assess abnormal conditions differs with application; indeed they differ slightly for particular units of one type. The information required must, therefore, be built up for each unit by regular monitoring, and guidelines developed for each unit. Nevertheless, regular condition monitoring on a particular machine ultimately relies, not on the actual metal values, but on the sudden CHANGES from the average.
Only particles <10 micron can be measured via this technique: when catastrophic failure occurs larger particles are produced. Condition monitoring would not be able to predict this event but could be used to help detect the cause
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