WHY LUBE OIL TESTING IS IMPORTANT BROCHURE

Epoxy Oilserv Limited offers oil condition monitoring (OCM) programs which help clients measure engine oils, lubricating oils and other fluids for detection of lubricant engine wear and other problems that lead to costly engine failures. Protect your engines with oil condition monitoring from Epoxyoil.

Our oil condition monitoring laboratories offer detailed oil and lube test results, presented in an easy-to-read and understandable report. We use Spectrometry, Viscosity, Dilution, Water detection, Acid Number, Base Number, Particle counting, and Microscopy to accurately test lubricant oil samples in our laboratories.

Why Lube Oil Testing Is Important Lube oil test is the laboratory analysis (spectrometric and physical properties) of a lubricant to determine oil health, presence of contaminants, machine wear, gradual changes in fluid properties, so that preventive or corrective action can be initiated in a controlled, planned manner. Lube oil analysis is performed during routine predictive maintenance to provide accurate information on the lubricant and the condition of equipment.

Lube oil analysis uses the following parameters such as Base number, particle counting, and Dilution, Spectrometry, Viscosity, Water detection, and Microscopy, Acid number to accurately test lubricant oil samples. Lube oil test includes lubricant analysis programs for large, high-value engines and drive-trains, turbines, ships, trains, generators, offshore platforms, and other valuable materials.

Importance of Lube Oil Test Lube oils tests are carried out for a number of reasons. Below are some of the importance of lube oil test.  Reduction of downtime or prevent damage to equipment  To prevent oil mix up  Contamination control  To determine the performance of oil supplied  Failure analysis and other problems that lead to costly engine failures  Help determine proper oil drain intervals  It will give details about health of the oil in the system.

Minimize downtime or prevent damage to equipment – The major work of lubricant is to provide lubrication to machinery parts.

Lubricants aim at reducing friction between moving pieces and at reducing passive resistance of the stationary parts. The quality of the lube oil in the system should not be compromised for the system to perform at optimum capacity. Equipment failure can wreak havoc on business. When machinery doesn’t work, productivity stalls. That hurts your revenues, and also your customer relationships if you miss deadlines.

Lube oil test is one of the major ways to keep a system running thereby reducing downtime or equipment damage. Routine oil analysis program will provide correct maintenance scheduling, extend equipment life, minimize downtime, extend equipment life, reduce maintenance costs, In short, it enables maintenance engineers to make decisions based on the results that will allow a system to operate at optimal performance levels. Oil analysis is an inexpensive technique that can provide exceptional value in detecting emerging failure trends.

To prevent oil mix up and to ascertain the quality of the new oil.

Oil mix up and failure of maintenance engineers to test oil before using it is one of the most common lubrication problems contributing to machine failure. New oil or incoming oil should be subject to lube oil test so as to ensure that the oil received is the oil ordered, to establish a baseline for subsequent testing and monitoring of the oil condition, and simply to verify lubricant cleanliness.

Putting the right lubricating oil in a machine is a simple task that can improve machine reliability. Checking the viscosity, brand and grade of incoming oil and checking for contamination of alien fluids help to reduce the chances of oil mix up and keep the machines running at optimal efficiency. To keep oil fit for use, oil conditions are to be monitored regularly to make sure the oil is used within its performance specification.

Contamination Control Contamination can either come from external sources (ingestion) or are generated from within (ingression). New systems often have contaminants left behind from manufacturing and assembly. Unless they are filtered as they enter the circuit, both the original fluid and the make-up fluid are likely to contain more contaminants than the system can tolerate. Systems can ingest contaminants through components such as worn cylinder rod seals or Water can find its way into the oil by means of condensation or via leaking oil cooler, gear-driven water pump, or cracked exhaust manifold. The presence of water during periods of non-activity, such as winter layup, will have corrosive consequences.

These contaminants can greatly influence the rate of lubricant degradation thereby causing serious problem in the system. Here again, oil analysis can be helpful to control these contaminants and engine that may occur as a result of contamination. The oil contamination analysis can reveal deterioration or breakdown of the oil, contamination of the system with water or particulate debris. Water or impurities in the lubrication oil can clearly be seen at the visual inspection of samples. Water can be seen either in the form of emulsification or as a distinct water layer.

A well balanced oil analysis program is put in place to monitor oil contamination and oil degradation at the same time. Key parameters are continuously tested and trending of those parameters is monitored. If a change of rate is accelerated or if a parameter exceeds an alarm limit, engineers are alerted and maintenance actions may be required to resolve the potential problems.

Help determine proper oil drain intervals An oil analysis program is not only effective at saving money on equipment life, it can also show how oil change intervals can be extended, you’ll know if your oil and filter change intervals are correct for your application. This could help to extend oil drain intervals based on the results of oil analysis which will help to minimizes premature oil changes and repeated downtime.

It will give details about health of the oil in the system The viscosity of the oil is extremely important because it tells you if the oil is still lubricating engine parts. Oil will thicken if it comes in contact with coolant.

When the oil is too thick it can’t flow as freely as it needs to and if the situation continues, the oil can become sludge-like. Conversely, if fuel gets in the oil, the oil will become too thin to protect metal components. The Total Base Number and Total Acid Number will tell you if the oil is still capable of protecting.

Failure Analysis A successful oil analysis program implemented over time will provide detailed and definitive information about machinery wear/tear, such as what the wear particles are made of, where they come from, and how severe they are. This information provided will enable managers to understand the equipment, the lubricants and the operating environment to determine what measures need to be taken to ensure the longevity and reliability machinery.

Elemental analysis can identify high levels of metals in the oil sample, which can point to accelerated wear & tear in certain engine parts. Some typical sources of various metals are listed below.

· · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Element Aluminium Antimony Calcium Chloride Chromium Copper Iron Lead Magnesium Manganese Molybdenum Nickel Potassium Phosphorus

Typical source Pistons, bearings, housings, fuel derivative Bearings Lubricant derivative Salt level of the water phase from sea water contamination Piston rings Bearings, gears, oil coolers, pipe-work, piston-rod glands Cylinder liners, crankshafts, piston rings, gears Bearings Casings, housings, lubricant derivative Cylinder liners Piston rings Bearings, valves, gears, fuel derivative Salt Water Lubricant derivative

· · · · · ·

Silicon Silver Sodium Tin Vanadium Zinc

Dust, dirt, fuel derivative, lubricant derivative Bearings Salt water, coolant derivative, fuel derivative Bearings Fuel derivative Lubricant derivative

In summary, routine oil analysis provides critical information about machine condition and oil condition. An effectively executed oil analysis program will provide correct maintenance scheduling, minimize unscheduled downtime, extend equipment life, reduce maintenance costs, determine optimum oil drain intervals and improve equipment reliability.

Call us at Epoxy Oilserv. Limited for your lube oil test. We are in collaboration with foreign and local experts operates a full used oil analysis program, where used Oil is tested and the condition of lubricants in use is monitored, we have well equipped laboratory that follows all accepted standards both locally and internationally.

Our lube Oils test includes: · Air Compressor fluids · Gas-motor, Compressor Fluids · Refrigeration Compressor Fluids · Electrical Oils · Diesel Engine Lubricants · Power Generator Lubricants · Petrol, Gasoline Engine Fluids · Gearbox Oils · Heat Treatment Fluids, Heat Transfer Fluids · Hydraulic Oils · Turbine Steam, Gas Fluids · Jet Engine OCM Testing.

18 Adesina Street Off Obafemi Awolowo Road Ikeja Lagos Email: sales@epoxyoil.com Tel: (234) 8053390168 238 Aba Road (Onyejieke Plaza) Rumuogba Port Harcourt Rivers State Tel: (234) 8053390161

30/32 Ndidem Usang Iso Road Marian, Calabar Cross Rivers Sate Tel: (234) 8053398754