PC-11 & GF-6: Engine Technology Drives Changes in Oil Specs
PC-11 & GF-6: Engine Technology Drives Changes in Oil Specs
PC-11 & GF-6: Engine Technology Drives Changes in Oil Specs
T R I B O L O G Y &
L U B R I C A T I O N
T E C H N O L O G Y
SYSTEMS, STRATEGIES & RESEARCH FOR LUBRICATION PROFESSIONALS AN
PUBLICATION | JANUARY 2013
Digital TLT: Sponsored by Acme-Hardesty at www.stle.org.
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on machine start-ups
Job search: 6 Steps
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North Americas rst
undergraduate tribology minor
How member demographics are
guiding STLEs strategic plan
PC-11 & GF-6
Engine technology
drives changes in oil specs
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feaTUres
TLT / JANUARY 2013 / VOLUME 69 / NO. 1
24 20 17
Contents
BEST PRACTICES
24 Commissioning a new
machine for reliability
centered lubrication
An extremely small investment
can result in better performance
for a machines lifetime.
by Mike Johnson
FEATURE ARTICLE
30 PC-11 & gF-6: new engines
drive change in oil specs
The challenge now is developing
tests to deal with the radical
transformation in motors and
components.
by Jean
Van rensselar
PEER-REVIEWED PAPER (EDITORS CHOICE)
40 Proposal of an Ftir
Methodology to Monitor
Oxidation Level in used
engine Oils: effects of
thermal Degradation
and Fuel Dilution
by V. Macin, b. tormos,
y.A. gmez and J.M. Salavert
STUDENT POSTER ABSTRACT
17 tribo-electrochemical
Characterization of Copper
with Patterned geometry
by Sukbae Joo and
hong Liang (Advisor)
Extended abstracts written
by winners of the Student
Poster Competition held at
STLEs 2012 Annual Meeting
& Exhibition.
WEBINARS New Series
20 the evolution
of synthetic lubricants
While more expensive than
mineral oils, these complex
compounds can result in
an overall lower cost of
machine maintenance.
by Josh Fernatt
W W W. S T L E . O R G T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 1
30
deparTmenTs
10 tech beat
Negative friction coeffcient;
new process for storing
renewable energy; bacteria-
containing biosensor.
by Dr. neil Canter
52 newsmakers
This months newsmakers
include Houghton International,
Lonza, Mnzing and CRODA.
56 Sounding board
How can President Obama
and Congress help the
lubricants industry, promote
U.S. manufacturing or
conserve energy?
60 new Products
Anti-stat pleat elements;
real-time particle monitoring;
drain port adapter kit and more!
63 Advertisers index
65 resources
Keep up-to-date with the latest
technical literature available in
print and online.
PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Thomas T. Astrene
MANAGING EDITOR
Karl M. Phipps
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Dr. Neil Canter
Dr. Robert M. Gresham
Mike Johnson
Jean Van Rensselar
CIRCULATION COORDINATORS
Myrna Scott
Judy Enblom
DESIGN/PRODUCTION
Joe Ruck
ADVERTISING SALES
Tracy Nicholas VanEe
Phone: (630) 922-3459
Fax: (630) 904-4563
[email protected]
Joe Clayton
Sea-Land Chemical
Westlake, Ohio
Dr. Martin Greaves
The Dow Chemical Co.
Freeport, Texas
Dr. Patrick Henning
Spectro, Inc.
Littleton, Massachusetts
Dr. Ramesh Iyer
Evonik Oil Additives USA
Horsham, Pennsylvania
Frank Kroto
The Lubrizol Corp.
Wickliffe, Ohio
Mike Mayers
Analysts, Inc.
Stafford, Texas
Sandra Mazzo-Skalski
ExxonMobil Chemical
Paulsboro, New Jersey
Paul Michael
Milwaukee School of
Engineering
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Dr. Jun Qu
Oak Ridge National
Laboratory
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Dan Vargo
Functional Products
Macedonia, Ohio
TRIBOLOGY AND LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY (USPS
865740) Vol. 69, Number 1, (ISSN-1545-858), is published
monthly by the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication
Engineers, 840 Busse Hwy, Park Ridge, IL 60068-2376.
Periodicals Postage is Paid at Park Ridge, IL and at
additional mailing offces. POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to Tribology and Lubrication Technology,
840 Busse Hwy, Park Ridge, IL 60068-2376.
EDITOR
Evan Zabawski
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
TECHNICAL EDITORS
4
Contents
4 Presidents report
Auburns historic program
6 From the editor
Deadly progression
8 headquarters report
Heres looking at you
74 Career Coach
Advancing through social media
77 On Condition Monitoring
Complexity in oil analysis: Part
VIII
80 worldwide
Ionic liquids as lubricants
colUmns
56
2 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y W W W. S T L E . O R G
GOOD InTenTIOns
6
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During the 2010 StLe AnnuAL Meeting in LAS VegAS, I met with
two members, Ralph Beard (Auburn graduate) and Dr. Robert Jackson
(Auburn professor), who were excited about a new minor in tribology
that they were planning to offer at Auburn University. Two years later,
that program is a reality! The frst class of students began the program
in the fall 2012 semester.
This is really good news for STLE and any company involved in the
felds of tribology and lubrication, because it is the frst time that an
undergraduate minor in tribology is being offered in North America
(Tribology programs at other universities in the U.S. are for graduate
and doctoral students).
Dr. Jackson took the lead role in establishing this minor at Auburn,
and Mr. Beard has been its chief cheerleader and supporter. Ralph ex-
plained that the need is great and the timing is right because industry
no longer offers the type of large training programs for new hires that
were common a few decades ago.
The minor consists of fve three-hour courses; three required
courses plus two electives. The required courses are Friction, Lubrica-
tion & Wear; Rheology; and Organic Chemistry. The electives may be
chosen from such courses as Introduction to Business and Engineering;
Corrosion; Metalworking & Manufacturing; Boundary & Full Film Lubri-
cation; or Macroscale Assembly and Applications of Nanomaterials.
The minor program has an advisory board that consists of Ralph
Beard (Palmer Holland), Dr. Neil Canter (Chemical Solutions), Dr. Mau-
reen Hunter (King Industries), Bryan Johnson (Palo Verde Nuclear),
Mike Johnson (AMRRI) and Dave Millin (Elco). As you can see, STLE
members have a major presence on the advisory committee.
In November I had the opportunity to visit Auburn University and
found it to be a beautiful campus. I toured the facilities, including the
tribology and corrosion labs and engineering buildings. Particularly
impressive was the large new metalworking laboratory flled with ma-
chine tools for every type of operation.
Dean Chris Roberts (College of Engineering), Dean George Flowers
(Graduate School) and several of the professors involved with the pro-
gram took time to meet with me. Best of all, I spoke with many of the
students! In one lab alone, three different students talked with me
about their particular areas of research. One student was conducting
experiments on the tribology of electrical contacts, a second was
studying the benefts of nanoparticles as lubricants, and the third was
conducting research on the properties of cartilage from different
joints. Quite a range of topics for just one lab!
Besides the classes and well-equipped labs, Auburn students ben-
eft from guest lectures by representatives from different areas of in-
dustry, tours of local manufacturing plants and participating in the
new STLE Student Section. I was glad to speak at a meeting of the STLE
Student Section and have dinner with its members. Several companies
have expressed interest in making internships available to students in
this new Auburn program.
STLE corporate members and others in the lubricants industry
have a need for college graduates who have some knowledge of this
feld. I want to congratulate Auburn University for the foresight in set-
ting up this undergraduate tribology minor and encourage consider-
ation of offering a tribology major. I also encourage businesses to seek
out the graduates from this impressive and timely new program.
Jerry Byers is manager of research and development for
Cimcool Fluid Technology in Cincinnati. You can reach him at
[email protected].
PreSiDentS rePOrt
Jerry P. Byers
The Alabama university
offers North Americas
frst undergraduate
minor in tribology.
Auburns
historic
program
The new Auburn program is really good news for STLE and any company involved in the felds
of tribology and lubrication. (Photo courtesy of Auburn University/College of Engineering)
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LASt yeAr i wrOte A COLuMn Sug-
geSting we ChAnge Our wAyS. Instead
of doing what we have always done be-
cause thats the way we do things around
here, I suggested we seek to understand
why some things are that wayhindsight.
This year I would like to suggest we think
about foresight, and there is probably no
better example to exemplify this than the
story of Thomas Midgely, Jr.
Considering the impact Midgely has on
all our lives, it is rather amazing his name is
not more well-known. Midgely studied as an
engineer but gained his fame, or rather no-
toriety, as a chemist. His frst major ad-
vancement was working under Charles Ket-
tering (see my May 2012 column for some of
his story at www.stle.org) at Delco.
Midgely was tasked with solving the
mystery of engine knocking, a persistent
pinging in early internal combustion en-
gines. He discovered the knocking sound
was the result of an increase in tempera-
ture and pressure inside the cylinders.
Rather than apply his engineering skills to
redesign the engine, he applied his chem-
istry skills to alter the formula for gasoline.
What Midgely created in 1921 became
known as no-knock gasoline, or ethyl gaso-
line. The new formulation used bromide (ex-
tracted from seawater) and tetraethyl lead.
Midgely could not foresee the deadly impact
of this seemingly great advancement.
At least 11 refnery workers died in the
early 1920s producing the lead compounds,
and Midgely himself took an extended medical
leave in 1924 due to lead poisoning. This was
only a hint of what was to come. Although
Midgely authored a paper in 1925 extolling the
hazards of lead poisoning, his foresight could
not predict that it would take nearly 60 years
to fully phase out lead from gasoline.
In that time, an estimated seven million
tons of lead was burned in gasoline in the
U.S., leading to an estimated 68 million chil-
dren exposed to toxic levels of lead (from
1927 to 1987, per a 1988 report to Congress by
Dr. Paul Mushak) causing brain and blood dis-
orders, antisocial behavior and lowered IQ. A
1985 EPA study estimated that lead-related
heart disease was killing approximately
5,000 Americans every year.
In 1928 Midgely transferred to another
subsidiary of General Motors, Frigidaire. There
he was tasked with fnding a safer and more
affordable refrigerant than the ammonia, sul-
fur dioxides or chloromethanes currently be-
ing used. These refrigerants were both toxic
and ammable, and their leaks killed the
sleeping occupants of many homes. Midgelys
solution, arguably, was not much better.
Midgely developed carbon tetrauoride
and then in 1930, dichlorouoromethane,
which was later called Freon. While it was
nonammable and non-toxic (Midgely
demonstrated this by inhaling a lungful
and breathing it out to extinguish a candle
ame), most of us are familiar with its
harmful ramifcations. Until the Montreal
Protocol was put into force in 1989, the
production of Freon and other CFCs con-
tributed to the depletion of the Earths
protective ozone layer, which has been
linked to increased cases of non-melano-
ma skin cancer and cataracts.
Unfortunately Midgely had no fore-
sight regarding this development. It
wasnt until the 1970s that we began to
see its effects. Quite paradoxically, in 1939
when Packard became the frst automo-
bile company to offer factory-installed air
conditioning, Midgely presented a paper
predicting that the climate could be con-
trolled by controlling the ozone layer.
Over the next few years Midgely con-
tracted polio, which reduced the effective-
ness of his legs. To overcome this disabil-
ity, Midgely applied his engineering skills
to create a system of pulley mechanisms
in his house which allowed him to move from
his bed to the bathroom or his offce without
assistance. Sadly Midgely lacked the fore-
sight to see the danger in this creation, as
well. On Nov. 2, 1944, Midgely slipped and be-
came entangled in the ropes where he stran-
gled to death.
So as you embark on the path of change,
try your best to predict the outcome. Some
seemingly great advancements have had
very dire consequences.
Evan Zabawski, CLS, is a
reliability specialist in
Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
You can reach him at evan.
[email protected].
FrOM the eDitOr
Evan Zabawski
Why foresight can be more important than hindsight.
G
O
OD In
T
e
n
TIOns
Some seemingly great advancements
have had very dire consequences.
6 WanttobecomeanSTLEFeaturedMember?Tellusyourstoryandconnectwithyourpeers.Detailsatwww.stle.org.
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Heres looking at you
AS we begin A new yeAr, lets take a snap-
shot look at some of the characteristics of
the nearly 3,500 technical professionals who
hold membership in STLE. These demograph-
ic statistics are based on the self-reported
information that most members provide as
part of their application or renewal process.
heADQuArterS rePOrt
Edward P. Salek, CAE / Executive Director
You can reach Certifed
Association Executive Ed Salek
at [email protected].
10 not-so-random facts about STLE members
are helping to drive our strategic plan.
1. Our largest membership segment,
about 44% of the total, is individuals
involved with lubricant sales, marketing
and technical support.
2. Perhaps not surprisingly, 40% of
members are employed by companies
that manufacture fnished lubricants. 14%
of members work for additive suppliers,
while 10% are involved in the academic or
research portion of the profession.
3. Which technical topics are of inter-
est to the most members? Gears and
bearings are close competitors for the
top two spots, with grease, hydraulics
and engine technology rounding out
the top fve. Interestingly, surface engi-
neering was picked as the top category
for new members (less than a year with
the society). That topic was near the
bottom of the list for members with ten-
ure of more than one year.
7. Among members residing outside
the United States, the largest single
concentration is in Canada (271). But it
should be noted that we also have
members in 63 countries other than the
United States and Canada. These loca-
tions range from the familiar (United
Kingdom, 40 members) to the exotic (Sri
Lanka, one member).
4. Baby boomers, more specifcally
those individuals born between 1950
and 1960, comprise the largest age de-
mographic at 36%. However, more than
40% of members were born after 1960
and 15% were born after 1970.
9. Students are a growing segment of
the STLE membership population. The
number is approaching the 200 mark,
which puts it at about 5% of the total
membership.
6. About three-quarters of STLE mem-
bers live in the United States. But among
new members, the mix shifts to about
31% outside the U.S.
10. There are 28 active Local Sections
spread throughout North America and
around the world. The top three in terms
of membership size are Chicago (324),
Houston (268) and Philadelphia (198).
8. STLE members are well-educated.
Nearly 40% of members hold an ad-
vanced degree. Among that group, 21%
have a doctorate.
While there is only so much you can con-
clude from a list of random facts, this demo-
graphic research is actually part of a much
more purpose-driven project. A Strategic
Planning Subcommittee of the STLE Board
of Directors has been working with manage-
ment and a planning consultant to research
and organize trends in demographics and
the external environment and to analyze
STLE members needs.
Later this month, STLEs board will meet
to review the initial draft of a new plan for
the society. Work will continue in the months
leading up to the 2013 Annual Meeting in De-
troit, May 5-9. A fnished planning report will
be released in midyear.
5. Science and engineering tradition-
ally has been a male-dominated profes-
sion, and STLE is no exception. 92% of
members are male. However, dont over-
look the fact that among new members,
the ratio changes to 84% male and 16%
female.
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Compressor Oils t Engine Oils t Gear Oils t Greases t Hydraulic Fluids t Metalworking Fluids t Turbine Fluids
in DeALing with FriCtiOn, those in the
lubricants industry believe that an in-
crease in the normal load applied in
moving an object across a surface is
directly proportional to the friction.
For example, this means that the more
load applied to pushing a box contain-
ing paper across a foor leads to an in-
crease in the frictional force that is re-
sisting this motion.
This observation forms the basis
for Amontons law of friction. Another
way to express this relationship is that
a positive friction coeffcient is seen
when two surfaces slide against each
other.
Even at the nanoscale, this law
seems to work though the relationship
between friction and normal load is
typically nonlinear. One reason for
this statement is the realization that
surfaces at the macroscale are not
smooth but, rather, exhibit a topogra-
phy similar to a mountain range with
peaks and valleys.
In a previous TLT article, a study
on friction at the nanoscale was dis-
cussed that showed the thickness of
the material studied has a direct effect
on the degree of friction.
1
The tip of an
atomic force microscope (AFM) was
moved against atomically thin sheets
consisting of materials such as hexag-
onal boron nitride, graphene, molyb-
denum disulfde and niobium disele-
nide in a technique known as friction
force microscopy.
The resulting friction generated in-
creases with decreasing atomic thick-
ness. Though not intuitive based on
macroscale experience, the reason for
this effect is that bending a single layer
of atoms with the AFM tip is much
easier than doing the same process
with multiple layers. This leads to the
occurrence of an attractive Van der
Waals force that causes the single
atomic layer to conform more to the
tip, leading to greater contact area and
higher friction. The degree of friction
seen is two to three times higher than
with bulk layers of atoms.
Rachel Cannara, team leader at the
Center for Nanoscale Science and
Technology at the National Institute of
Standards and Technology in Gaithers-
burg, Md., says, When using the AFM
tip to evaluate a nanosurface, the pro-
cess can be divided into four steps.
The tip frst indents the surface during
the approach. This is followed by slid-
ing the tip along the surface where
friction typically increases. In the third
step, the tip is retracted but typically
lifts the top layer of atoms. In the fnal
step, the tip is allowed to slide on the
top layer, which is more easily de-
formed.
An image showing the AFM tip lift-
ing the surface layer during the third
step is shown in Figure 1.
sTIcKy GRaPHITe
A study that was originally started as a
training exercise to help an individual
understand how to use the AFM tip on
a graphite surface turned into a re-
search project, as experimentation
showed that a negative friction coeff-
cient is possible. Cannara says, Origi-
nally, we started a training exercise to
reproduce known properties of a
freshly cleaned graphite surface. But
we found that under the right condi-
tions, the friction encountered on the
surface increased as the pressure ap-
negative friction coefcient
A training-exercise study initiated a better understanding of how a
negative coeffcient of friction can be seen at the nanoscale.
teCh beAt
Dr. Neil Canter / Contributing Editor
Literally, we let the
sample sit for a while and
then did a friction loop to
evaluate the average
friction as a function
of applied load.
10 MissedanyofourmonthlySTLEWebinars?RecordingsarenowavailableforpurchaseattheSTLEStore.Detailsatwww.stle.org.
plied by the AFM tip decreased. This
effect was seen when the AFM tip re-
tracted from the graphite surface. A
negative friction coeffcient has not
previously been reported.
Initially, this effect was seen after
the researchers exposed the graphite
surface to lab air. Cannara says, Liter-
ally, we let the sample sit for a while
and then did a friction loop to evaluate
the average friction as a function of ap-
plied load.
This change in frictional behavior
is caused by the presence of oxygen on
the graphite surface. Typically, moving
the AFM tip over a surface is done in a
nitrogen atmosphere. By introducing
1% oxygen by weight (ambient air),
the researchers studied changes in fric-
tion by varying the length of time a
freshly cleaved graphite surface is ex-
posed to oxygen.
Cannara says, The oxygen adheres
to the graphite surface, rendering it
more hydrophilic. Over a 300-hour pe-
riod, the amount of oxygen that can ad-
here to the graphite surface can increase
to between 3.0 and 3.5 atomic %.
When the experiments are run in
air, water also starts to adhere to the
graphite surface, adding to the in-
creased adhesion seen with the AFM
tip. Cannara adds, We think that the
water may form a meniscus on the
AFM tip that aids its sticking to the
graphite surface.
X-ray photoemission spectroscopy
(XPS) was used to evaluate graphite
samples exposed to air for various
time periods. Atomistic and continu-
um-based modeling were conducted
to determine the reasons for this effect.
The fndings indicate that the negative
friction coeffcient is created when the
AFM tip retracts a single to a few lay-
ers of graphene (two-dimensional
sheets of carbon atoms found in graph-
ite), leading directly to an increase in
friction even as the applied load is de-
creased.
Future work will involve develop-
ment of a complete model to explain
how the graphene sheets interact with
the AFM tip. Additional information
can be found in a recent article
2
or by
contacting Cannara at rachel.cannara@
nist.gov.
RefeRences
1. Canter, N. (2010), Size Does
Matter for Nanoscale Friction,
TLT, 66 (8), pp. 10-11.
2. Deng, Z., Smolyanitsky, A., Li, Q.,
Feng, X. and Cannara, R. (2012),
Adhesion-Dependent Negative
Friction Coeffcient on Chemi-
cally Modifed Graphite at the
Nanoscale, Nature Materials, 11
(12), pp. 1032-1037.
Over a 300-hour period,
the amount of oxygen
that can adhere to the
graphite surface can
increase to between
3.0 and 3.5 atomic %.
W W W. S T L E . O R G T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 1 1
Figure 1 | During the retraction step, an AFM tip is shown lifting the surface layer. In doing such an experiment in the presence of
oxygen, a negative coeffcient of friction has been reported for the frst time. (Courtesy of the Center for Nanoscale Science and
Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology)
the MOVeMent tO DeVeLOP ALternA-
tiVe energy SOurCeS such as solar and
wind (see Figure 2) has been ongoing
due to the rising cost of energy from
petroleum sources. But reliance on
them as primary sources for powering
the electrical grid are challenging be-
cause their ability to generate power in
a consistent manner is questionable.
Think about solar for a minute. It
requires the sun, and we all know that
there will be days when the sun is ob-
scured by clouds. Wind is a variable pa-
rameter and does not usually persist in
a specifc environment at a steady rate.
This leads to the conclusion that
there is a need for development of an
effective way to store energy produced
by these renewable sources so that a
more consistent approach can be tak-
en for the electrical grid. Battery devel-
opment has been ongoing, particularly
to be used in automobiles and in elec-
trical devices.
In a previous TLT article, a new an-
ode prepared from amorphous titani-
um dioxide nanotubes was discussed.
1
Researchers found it to be a good alter-
native to carbon because it exhibits
superior power and energy densities
and converts into a crystalline material
that can be even more effective be-
cause it accommodates more ions. Ini-
tial testing was done with a lithium
cathode. As part of this work, an all-
oxide sodium battery was also devel-
oped and tested for the frst time.
Currently, there are a number of
storage technologies that have been
tried with renewable energy sources
but suffer from disadvantages. Dr. Yi
Cui, associate professor in the depart-
ment of materials science and engi-
neering at Stanford University in Palo
Alto, Calif., says, One of the electri-
cal-storage technologies currently
available on the electric grid is pump-
hydro that involves using available en-
ergy to pump water from an available
source (such as the ocean or a lake) up
to a high elevation and then enabling
gravity to move water back down to
the ground so that it can turn turbines
and convert the potential energy of
water to electricity.
To use this technology, a water
source is necessary, plus consideration
must be taken to account for evapora-
tion. Other processes under develop-
ment include using a fywheel and
working with lead-acid batteries. Cui
comments on both of these, The fy-
wheel is very effective to store energy
by spinning for a short period of time
(10 minutes), but friction causes the
spinning to fow down, stealing ener-
gy that could be used in a more bene-
fcial fashion. After 150 years, lead-
acid batteries work well in automobiles
but do not have the long-term perfor-
mance to be effective in supplying the
electric grid.
The need exists for a more effective
way to store energy produced by re-
newable sources. Such a technology
has now been developed.
aQueOus-RecHaRGeaBle
POTassIum BaTTeRy
Cui and his fellow researchers have
developed a new aqueous, electrolyte
battery technology by combining new
cathode and anode materials. The bat-
tery uses potassium ions to cycle
charge.
teCh beAt
new process for storing renewable energy
A battery technology was developed to store energy generated
by renewable resources such as solar and wind.
This battery exhibits an excellent effciency between
95% and 99% when cycled at a low rate of 5 C and 79%
effciency at a higher rate of 50 C.
12 Nextmonth:TrendsinGearLubrication,featurearticlebyTLTcontributingeditorJeanVanRensselar.
Cui says, This battery exhibits an
excellent effciency between 95% and
99% when cycled at a low rate of 5 C
and 79% effciency at a higher rate of
50 C. It has good durability with no ca-
pacity loss seen after undergoing 1,000
deep-discharge cycles. We consider
this to be a really high-end battery.
The cathode material is derived
from nanoparticles of copper hexacya-
noferrate, which is similar in composi-
tion to the well-known dye, Prussian
Blue. Cui says, From past work re-
ported in the literature, Prussian Blue
is used as an electrochromic window,
which means that it can initiate a color
change as a coating on glass when
voltage is applied. Cui also noted that
Prussian Blue has a very open struc-
ture which is good for the ion fow
needed in batteries.
For the anode, the researchers com-
bined the excellent cycling ability of
activated carbon with the low potential
of polypyrrole in a hybrid anode. Cui
explains the challenge in developing
the right type of anode, It is very hard
to fnd an anode voltage that has a low
enough potential not to split water into
hydrogen and oxygen in an aqueous
system. Activated carbon cycles well
but has too high of a potential relative
to hydrogen. With a potential of -0.2
relative to hydrogen, polypyrrole has
the right properties to reduce the over-
all potential when combined with acti-
vated carbon to an acceptable level.
The researchers still needed to de-
termine the optimum ratio of polypyr-
role to activated carbon to maximize
battery performance. Cui says, We
evaluated polypyrrole at 5%, 10%, 15%
and 20% treat rates relative to activated
carbon. Our objective was to fnd the
right concentration of polypyrrole to
ensure a high cycling rate, yet have a
potential that was close to hydrogen.
The researchers found 15% to be
the ideal treat rate for polypyrrole. As-
sembling a full cell with the anode and
cathode is straightforward, according
to Cui. Future work will involve run-
ning long-term testing for at least one
year to evaluate the performance and
durability of the battery.
Cui also indicates that the research-
ers will be scaling up the technology to
assess its commercial viability. He adds,
We are looking for even more effective
anodes and are evaluating a Prussian
Blue-type material as the anode.
Additional information can be
found in a recent article
2
or by contact-
ing Cui at [email protected].
RefeRences
1. Canter, N. (2012), Titanium
Dioxide: New Anode Material for
Batteries, TLT, 68 (2), pp. 12-13.
2. Pasta, M., Wessells, C., Huggins,
R. and Cui, Y. (2012), A High
Rate and Long Cycle Life
Aqueous Electrolyte Battery for
Grid-Scale Energy Storage,
Nature Communications, 3 (1149),
DOI:10.1038/ncomms2139.
It is very hard to fnd an
anode voltage that has
a low enough potential
not to split water into
hydrogen and oxygen in an
aqueous system.
Figure 2 | A new battery technology has been developed that can be used to store energy generated from renewable sources such as wind.
(Courtesy of Stanford University)
W W W. S T L E . O R G T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 1 3
DeterMinAtiOn OF SPeCiFiC PArAMe-
terS in A LubriCAnt SySteM or detec-
tion of specifc contaminants is be-
coming increasingly important in
order to extend the optimum operat-
ing life of lubricants. Techniques are
becoming more sophisticated as detec-
tion limits have been reduced and
have become more accurate.
One other factor is the need for
analytical equipment that is portable
so that it can be used as a monitoring
device on-site at the location of the lu-
bricant system. This allows for real-life
determination of specifc parameters
so that decisions can be made, if nec-
essary, to treat the lubricant.
Sensors have become a valuable
tool in providing prompt analytical
data. In a previous TLT article, a sen-
sor based on a block copolymer was
developed that undergoes a change in
color when in the presence of a spe-
cifc stimulus.
1
For example, the sen-
sor can be used to determine changes
in such parameters as pH, salt content,
pressure and moisture. The value from
a lubricant maintenance perspective is
that the block copolymer can be incor-
porated into a coating on a surface that
will change color so that a mainte-
nance engineer can be alerted to a po-
tential problem.
The problem with this type of sen-
sor is that it cannot provide continu-
ous, quantitative data on the concen-
tration of a specifc parameter of
interest. Jim Mathew, an undergradu-
ate chemical engineering student at
Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.,
says, A type of sensor we have been
looking at is a biosensor, which detects
a specifc component or parameter, ei-
ther through the use of a specifc living
microorganism or else at the molecu-
lar level through the use of biomole-
cules such as an enzyme.
Biosensors use similar techniques
such as color changes and fuorescence
to detect specifc parameters in a sys-
tem. Mathew says, These types of bio-
sensors have limitations such as prob-
lems with light contamination in the
case of using fuorescence. In addition,
a cumbersome photodiode will also be
required to enable the sensor to oper-
ate properly. Such sensors are also not
easily adaptable to a feld-deployable
device for continuous monitoring.
There is need for a new type of bio-
sensor that uses a different detection
approach. Such a biosensor is now in
the process of being developed.
meTal-ReDucTIOn PaTHWay
A team of 22 undergraduate engineer-
ing students formed the Cornell Uni-
versity Genetically Engineered Ma-
chines to develop a new type of
biosensor that can quantitatively detect
specifc components. Mathew, co-team
leader, says, We received an opportu-
nity from the Oil Sands Leadership Ini-
tiative, which is a cooperative effort by
teCh beAt
Bacteria-containing biosensor
Undergraduate engineering students develop a feld-deployable
device that can quantitatively detect specifc components.
We had known that the bacterium Shewanella oneidensis
MR-1 can create an electronic current using a well-known
metal-reduction pathway. In this fashion, this bacterium
can transfer electrons to inorganic solids and generate
current in solid-state electrodes.
14 BasicsofMWFs:RegisterforMetalworkingFluidManagementCertifcateCourse,
the companies operating in the Cana-
dian Oil Sands in Northern Alberta, to
develop a sensor to monitor specifc
pollutants that can be found in the wa-
ter used in processing oil sand.
The team already had the concept
in mind for developing a biosensor, ac-
cording to Mathew. He says, We had
known that the bacterium Shewanella
oneidensis MR-1 can create an electron-
ic current using a well-known metal-
reduction pathway. In this fashion,
this bacterium can transfer electrons
to inorganic solids and generate cur-
rent in solid-state electrodes.
Acting in a similar fashion to a
switch, production of the membrane
protein MtrB completes a biological
circuit in the bacteria, allowing cur-
rent to fow from the cell to a measur-
ing electrode. The team determined
how to genetically engineer this path-
way to only activate in the presence of
a specifc component that is present in
the environment.
MtrB is used in this metal-reduc-
tion pathway to enable the bacterium
to conduct respiration, which is essen-
tial for its survival. Mathew says, Two
of the components we were asked to
detect using this biosensor are arsenic
and naphthalene. We have done exten-
sive work evaluating the capability of
analyzing arsenic in the wastewater.
Our initial experiments have demon-
strated a detection limit in the range of
10 ppm.
The team is still working to evalu-
ate the ability of the biosensor to de-
tect naphthalene.
A bioreactor shown in Figure 3 was
designed in which the bacteria are able
to detect a specifc component, as the
water is pumped through a chamber
where they reside. Mathew says, We
have not been able to test the actual
bioreactor, but have tested the various
mechanical and electrical compo-
nents.
One very helpful aspect of this sys-
tem is that results for the level of the
component detected can be sent over a
wireless network to another offce.
From a lubricant standpoint, this is
exceptionally valuable because it en-
ables the results in the feld to be
quickly provided to those individuals
involved in managing a specifc lubri-
cant system.
The team hopes to lower the detec-
tion limit for arsenic down to the ppb
range. Mathew adds, This is a rela-
tively young technology, so we need to
determine an operations curve for
both arsenic and naphthalene.
When asked about other compo-
nents that can be detected by this ap-
proach, Mathew mentioned that met-
als such as cadmium, chromium, iron
and mercury can all be analyzed in this
fashion.
Other potential components that
can be analyzed include a myriad of
organic compounds and inorganic an-
ions such as nitrates, nitrites and
phosphates.
The team is looking for other ap-
plications for this biosensor beyond
the water stream used in oil-sand pro-
cessing. Additional information can be
found at the Website http://2012.igem.
org/team:Cornell or by contacting
Mathew at [email protected].
RefeRences
1. Canter, N. (2008), A Color
Changing Sensor, TLT, 64 (4),
pp. 10-11.
Neil Canter heads his own
consulting company, Chemical
Solutions, in Willow Grove, Pa.
Ideas for Tech Beat can be
submitted to him at
[email protected].
Figure 3 | A biosensor can be used in the feld to analyze trace amounts of specifc compo-
nents in wastewater streams. Initial work was done with water used in processing oil sand.
(Courtesy of Cornell University)
This is a relatively young
technology, so we need to
determine an operations
curve for both arsenic and
naphthalene.
Feb.19-21,2013,[email protected]. 1 5
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InTRODucTIOn
Planarization of copper patterned wafers is one of the critical
processes of multi-level metallization in semiconductor de-
vices. As device feature size shrinks to sub-nanometer, a
more fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of step
height (the height difference between a protruded area and a
recessed area) reduction is required. In this study, a tribo-
logical approach combined with electrochemical study was
applied. Hertzian contact theory was used to analyze the
pressure distribution applied to each pattern,
1
since the di-
verse pattern geometry spread out on the wafer affects pres-
sure distribution and thus results in non-uniform material
removal rate, according to the Preston equation.
2
By apply-
ing a different electrical potential, the effect of surface
modifcation on the step height reduction and the frictional
behavior was studied. Additionally, a metal-ion-concentra-
tion-cell effect was introduced for electrochemical analysis
of the step height reduction. We set up a unique system for
both tribological and electrochemical analysis simultane-
ously and demonstrated that the different surface modifca-
tions affected the tribological results as well as the step
height reduction. The combination of tribological and elec-
trochemical analysis was effective in explaining the com-
plexity of pattern geometry that affects the step height re-
duction.
meTHOD OVeRVIeW
Sample wafers of 2 cm 2 cm were used as the polishing
substrate. Each wafer has diverse patterns with different
density. As shown in Figure 1, a thermal oxide flm ( 0.5
m) was deposited on a silicon substrate, and a copper flm
(1.5 m) was electroplated on a tantalum flm (barrier lay-
er, 25 nm).
A detailed explanation of experimental setup is shown in
Figure 2. Polishing was performed using a CSM tribometer,
which was specially designed for monitoring in situ friction
StuDent POSter AbStrACt
Sukbae Joo and Hong Liang (Advisor)
Texas A&M University, School of Mechanical Engineering, College Station, Texas
Tribo-electrochemical characterization of copper
with Patterned Geometry
Sukbae Joo is currently working in the Surface
Science Group in the department of mechanical
engineering at Texas A&M University in College
Station, Texas, under the guidance of Dr. Hong
Liang. His research interests include tribo-elec-
trochemistry, chemical mechanical planarization
and surface engineering in semiconductor manu-
facturing process. You can reach him at sbjoo@
tamu.edu.
Note: For a closer look at Sukbae Joos poster abstract, be sure
to check out his short video presentation in the January digital
version of TLT (available at www.stle.org)
W W W. S T L E . O R G T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 1 7
force and applying electrical potential with an attached po-
tentiostat (Reference 600, Gamry Instruments). The polish-
ing pad was attached on the non-reactive PVC cup and sub-
merged in the slurry, as shown in Figure 2. A Copper
patterned wafer was mounted on a polymer shaft and pressed
onto the polishing pad with a given force. Copper patterned
wafer slightly overhung the polishing pad to make sure that
the area at which the lead wire and wafer are connected will
not touch the pad and affect any results such as the friction
coefcient. To apply electrical potential, a saturated calomel
electrode (SCE) and platinum wire were used as a reference
electrode and a counter electrode, respectively. A Copper
patterned wafer was used as a work electrode. Based on the
equilibrium Pourbaix diagram two different potentials, an
anodic potential (1 V) and a cathodic potential (-1 V) versus
reference electrode (SCE) were applied to provide different
surface modication during polishing. All polishing tests
were performed at room temperature for 10 minutes with 4
N of force and 50 rpm of plate rotating speed.
ILLUSTRATIVE RESULTS
Figure 3 shows that the anodic potential resulted in more
step height reduction than the cathodic potential. Copper is
known to be easily oxidized in anodic potential.This oxide
lm on the protruded area can be easily removed by the me-
chanical force of the sliding pad, however; the lm on the
recessed area protects the copper surface from the chemical
attack by the slurry. From this reason, more efcient step
height reduction was obtained by anodic potential. Addition-
ally, the step height reduction decreased as the pattern width
increases. This trend is similar to the Hertzian contact pres-
sure applied to each single pattern, as shown in Figure 4.
Interestingly, the amount of the step height reduction for the
same pattern densities (2/2, 5/5 and 10/10 in Figure 3) are
different, even though the net pressure applied on each pat-
tern die is the same.
Figure 3. Step height reduction versus line
width/space for each condition. After CMP with -1V
and after CMP with 1V.
Figure 4. Normalized single Hertzian contact
pressure at different line width.
The difference in step height reduction of the same
Figure 1 | The cross-sectional area of patterned wafer structure.
Figure 2 | Schematic drawing of polishing process.
Figure 3 | Step height reduction versus line width/space for each
condition. After CMP with -1V and after CMP with 1V.
Figure 3. Step height reduction versus line
width/space for each condition. After CMP with -1V
and after CMP with 1V.
Figure 4. Normalized single Hertzian contact
pressure at different line width.
The difference in step height reduction of the same
pattern densities can be explained by the
metal-ion-concentration-cell effect, which is an
Figure 4 | Normalized single Hertzian contact pressure at different
line width.
18 STLE is now accepting student poster abstracts for its 2013 annual meeting in Detroit. Deadline March 1. Details at www.stle.org.
The difference in step height reduction of the same pat-
tern densities can be explained by the metal-ion-concentra-
tion-cell effect, which is an electrochemical cell that has two
equivalent cells of the same metal that are in contact with
different concentrations of the same solution under an equi-
librium state.
3
As shown in Figure 5, a locally different con-
centration of copper ions can be generated depending on the
pattern size and thus, the small pattern acts as an anode re-
sulting in higher chemical reactivity during polishing. It is
verifed that the Cu reactivity and the mechanical contact
pressure depend on the pattern size and thus, affect the
mechanism of the step height reduction.
summaRy
We have investigated the mechanisms of the step height re-
duction during planarization of copper patterned wafers.
Not only the mechanical contact pressure but the metal-ion-
concentration-cell established between each different pat-
tern affects the step height reduction during the planariza-
tion process.
RefeRences
1. Hertz, H. (1881), On the Contact of Elastic Solids, J.
Reine Angew. Math., 92, pp. 156-171.
2. Lai, J.-Y., Saka, N. and Chun, J.-H., (2002), Evolution
of Copper-Oxide Damascene Structures in Chemical Me-
chanical Polishing: II. Cu Dishing and Oxide Erosion, J.
Electrochem. Soc., 149, G31-G40.
3. Van Delinder, L.S. (1984) Corrosion Basics: An Introduc-
tion, First Edition, Nace International, Houston, Texas,
pp. 33-34.
Figure 5 | The schematic diagram of metal-ion-concentration-cell
effect on different patterns that have same pattern densities.
acts as an anode resulting in higher chemical reactivity
during polishing. It is verified that the Cu reactivity and
the mechanical contact pressure depend on the pattern
size and thus, affect the mechanism of the step height
reduction.
Figure 5. The schematic diagram of
metal-ion-concentration-cell effect on different
not clear.
W W W. S T L E . O R G T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 1 9
ADVAnCeS in teChnOLOgy have historically been achieved when innovators examine
existing structures and identify opportunities for improvement. The rise of synthetic
lubricants has resulted from isolating and combining the best properties of mineral oil-
based lubricants to form compounds capable of outperforming what has come before.
mIneRal OIl VeRsus synTHeTIcs
While numerous differences exist between the two, mineral oils have played an impor-
tant role in the evolution of synthetic lubricants. They are complex compounds that
contain a myriad of materials, some of which are great for lubrication and some that are
detrimental to the cause.
To take mineral oils to a more effcient and effective level, chemists and lubrication
engineers zero in on their positive attributes and combine those building blocks into
highly designed materials with strengths and weaknesses all their own. There are a wide
variety of types of synthetics, and choosing the right one for a specifc application is key.
Since its a synthetic process, youre really looking at getting good uniformity and
consistency; thats very typical of most synthetics, says Dr. Ken Hope, CLS, research
fellow and team leader for NAO/PAO Technology for Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP.
in Houston, in a Webinar presentation by STLE University. The types of uniformity and
fuid properties that can be attained with synthetics are often unreachable by mineral oil
lubricants and can deliver better performance in certain applications.
While synthetics are typically more expensive than their mineral oil counterparts,
it is important to consider the benefts when deciding which material is the best choice
for the job. Synthetic lubricants are more uniform by design, which can mean lower
product rejection and reduced analytical testing costs.
Another possible money saver is the longer oil life that stems from enhanced thermal
webinArS
Josh Fernatt / Contributing Editor
The
evolution
of synthetic
lubricants
While more expensive than mineral oils, these complex compounds
can result in an overall lower cost of machine maintenance.
20 ComponentPerformanceinFormulatingEngineOils,STLEWebinarwith
and oxidation stability. This quality of
synthetics can lead to less oil usage,
less machine downtime and longer fl-
ter life. Machines running synthetics
with lower volatility also require fewer
top-offs between oil changes. In gener-
al, when compared with mineral oils,
synthetic lubricants provide a wider
range of safe operating temperature
limits in both continuous and inter-
mittent operating scenarios.
Hope cites how using synthetics
designed for a specifc role may trans-
late into safer machine operation in
very critical circumstances. In a dra-
matic test of a mineral oil-based hy-
draulic fuid versus a polyalphaolefn
(PAO-based) synthetic, the U.S. Air
Force flled two one-gallon metal cans
with each fuid. They then fred at each
can with a 50-caliber armor-piercing
incendiary round. Upon impact, the
can with the mineral oil-based hydrau-
lic fuid erupted in fames, while the
can of synthetic hydraulic fuid merely
smoked (see photo). The synthetic hy-
draulic fuid tested was designed with
different fre and fash points, making
it the clear choice for use in aircraft in
combat situations.
BuIlDInG fROm THe GROunD uP
Synthetic lubricants can be divided
by class and type. Each class repre-
sents the chemical compound, such
as synthesized hydrocarbons, organic
esters and others, including polygly-
col ethers, phosphate esters, silicones,
silicate esters, halogenated hydrocar-
bons and polyphenyl ethers. It is also
possible to blend almost any synthetic
to combine sets of desired properties.
Some materials are not compatible,
though, and care must be taken to en-
sure proper formulation.
Though no overall synthetic lu-
bricant is best for every situation, the
varying properties of the synthetic
classes make excellent problem solvers
for specifc lubrication needs.
cOmPaRInG synTHeTIc TyPes
As mentioned earlier, the synthesized
hydrocarbon class contains PAOs, al-
kylated aromatics and polybutenes.
PAOs are all typically made in the
This article kicks off a series of articles based on Webinars
originally presented by STLE University. In some cases the
Webinar presenter will author the article, and in others, like
this one, the Webinar is adapted by a TLT writer.
Dr. Ken Hope, CLS, is a research fellow and team leader for
NAO/PAO Technology for Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP. in
Houston. He is a member of the STLE board of directors, serves
on the Finance Committee and chairs the Editorial and Publica-
tions Committee. You can reach Ken at [email protected].
STLE University has sponsored dozens of Webinars and
podcasts on a wide range of technical topics. To see Dr. Hopes Webinar in its entirely,
review all STLE University offerings and view the lineup of future events, log on to
www.stle.org. Webinars are $39 to STLE members and $59 for non-members.
weBinars: a new series from TlT same fashion; that is, either a normal
or linear alphaolefn is reacted with a
catalyst to oglimerize it, thus produc-
ing dimers, trimers and higher oligo-
mers. The material at this stage is still
unsaturated, so by using another cata-
lyst the compound is hydrogenated
and then distilled into the nominal
viscosities of 2, 4, 6 and 8 centistokes
(cSt) at 100 C. Using different catalysts
can result in higher viscosities, but the
process remains essentially the same:
reacting an alphaolefn, polymerizing
it and then hydrogenating it.
With the principal PAO grades (4,
6, 8 and 100 [cSt]), the viscosity index
(VI) and pour point stack up favorably
compared to mineral oils. The PAOs
also have impressive fash and fre
points and are known to perform well
in extreme temperatures. PAOs are
also generally compatible with mineral
oils and additives.
Dialkyl benzene manufacturing is a
common method for creating the sec-
ond synthesized hydrocarbon, alkyl-
ated aromatics. This process involves
adding an olefn to the aromatic, ben-
zene in this example, and introducing
the catalyst to produce a simple alkyla-
tion. The key features of alkylated aro-
matics include good low temperature
behavior and compatibility with min-
eral oils, additives and elastomers. Al-
kylated aromatics also aid in solubility,
Dr. Ken hope
DonSmolenski,Evonik,[email protected]. 21
and for this reason they are sometimes
added to PAOs to increase a com-
pounds ability to solubilize additives.
Polybutenes are made by polym-
erizing isobutene. Their key features
include the ability to volatize, leav-
ing essentially no residue. This makes
them very popular for use in two-cycle
engines, and they are very common
where exhaust is a factor in urban ar-
eas. Polybutenes are generally consid-
ered non-toxic.
The next class of synthetics, organic
esters, are formed by taking a mono-
basic acid and an alcohol and adding
a catalyst to form an ester and water.
However, the reaction that formed the
ester also can be reversed if the ester is
introduced to water, causing it to hy-
drolyze and revert back to its alcohol
and acid, a defnite negative in some
applications. Key features of esters in-
clude their easy customization, additive
solubility and seal swell properties.
Additional examples of esters in-
clude dibasic acid esters, or diesters,
which have seen signifcant growth
in the realm of industry, and polyol
esters, which are well suited for high
temperature environments such as jet
engines. Because polyol esters are typi-
cally higher cost than diesters, their
use in ground transportation applica-
tions has so far been cost prohibitive.
Other synthetics of note include
phosphate esters, polyalkylene glycols
and silicones.
Phosphate esters exude the positive
traits of low volatility and chemical sta-
bility, but the hydrolytic instability can
be troublesome in some applications.
The decomposition products left be-
hind following hydrolyzation of phos-
phate esters can be corrosive and may
damage seal materials and elastomers,
so care must be taken to choose com-
patible elastomers. The toxicity of some
phosphate esters is also of concern.
Polyalkylene glycols, or PAGs, have
a very high VI, modest pour points
and reasonably good fash points.
PAGs tend to have slightly better load-
carrying ability than most other mate-
rials but are limited by hydrocarbon
solubility. Most PAGs are not compat-
ible with other organics. An interest-
ing feature of PAGs is that unlike most
materials that dissolve more complete-
ly when heated, PAGs have an inverse
solubility relationship, which means
they have better solubility characteris-
tics at low temperatures.
Silicones exhibit a very high VI,
superior thermal stability and oxida-
tion resistance, a very wide operating
temperature range and low volatility.
Silicones are well suited for nonmetal-
lic lubrication and seal compatibility
and also show good resistance to wa-
ter, solvents and chemicals. However,
silicones can be costly and uncoop-
erative with additives, especially those
designed for mineral oils.
synTHeTIcs aT WORK
Because each synthetic has an indi-
vidual set of strengths and weakness-
es, it is important to understand their
chemistries and characteristics when
deciding where and when to use them.
PAOs have a wide range of accept-
able temperature ranges but do not
work well with some additives unless
teamed up with an ester or alkylated
aromatic. Polyol esters exhibit thermal
oxidative stability but can be extremely
costly. Some common areas of use for
synthetics that most people are famil-
iar with include: engine oils, gear oils,
automatic transmission fuid, brake
fuids and greases. Some other familiar
places where you might fnd synthetic
lubricants include refrigeration, food
grade applications and compressors,
where every class of synthetic may be
found at work.
Other technological advances rely
on the work of synthetic lubricants to
succeed. In the example of compres-
sors, new technologies are pushing
operating temperatures higher and
creating higher air throughput, while
striving for greater energy effciency
and reduced machine downtime. This
application type presents a real op-
portunity for the use of customized
synthetic lubricants. In laboratory
compressor oil tests, fndings have
shown that switching from a mineral
oil to a synthetic increased the lubrica-
tion change interval from every 1,000
hours to every 8,000-10,000 hours.
In this particular test, a comparison
of the initial cost, total material use
and labor revealed a savings of 67% by
switching to the synthetic.
When youre looking at a synthet-
ic, its useful to make sure that youre
going to use the right synthetic, says
Hope. Its good to look at everything
that youre concerned with, like the
product value thats lost due to down-
time or the labor that you have to pay
extra due to maintenance repairs, parts
and the cost of the lube due to differ-
ent oil change requirements.
With the advent of sealed-for-life
units, a larger focus on biodegradable
materials and the ever important eco-
nomic impacts of operating machinery
in the most effcient means possible,
the capabilities and advantages of syn-
thetic lubricants are taking center stage.
On THe HORIZOn
As machine technologies evolve and
extreme pressures are placed on lubri-
22 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y W W W. S T L E . O R G
Comparisons of Synthetic Lubricants
Synthetics Strengths Weaknesses
DAB Low Temperature Volatility, Lubricity, Oxidation
PAO Wide Temperature Range Additive Solubility
PIB Low Cost Volatility Viscosity Index
DAE Solvency and Detergency Hydrolytic Stability Additive Technology
Polyol E Thermal and Oxidative
Stability
Additive Technology
PAG Water Versatility Compatibility Hygroscopic
Phos. Esters Fire Resistance Solvency Viscosity Index
cants to keep up, STLE members are
busy developing synthetics to meet the
challenge. New materials to keep an eye
on include high viscosity metallocene
PAOs and oil-soluble PAGs (OSPs).
The new high-viscosity metallo-
cene PAOs (mPAO) are created using
a metallocene catalyst, which differs
from traditional PAO catalysts and is
capable of yielding materials with a
higher VI, lower pour point and better
viscosity at lower temperature. Some
also offer an improved friction coeff-
cient. mPAO is commonly developed
in two grades: 40 cSt and 100 cSt. A
unique attribute of these synthetics
can be seen in their ability to maintain
very low pour points while achieving
higher viscosity levels.
OSPs are capable of a greater func-
tionality than traditional PAGs in that
they can be used in combination with
hydrocarbon oils to increase perfor-
mance. Adding OSPs to hydrocarbon
oils signifcantly improves deposit
control and extends lubricant life.
The Dow Chemical Co., one company
working on OSP development, also
has seen improved friction control,
improved miscibility over conven-
tional additives and higher viscosity
grades as an alternative to bright stock
and other materials. Dow also has
determined that OSPs are easier on
paints and elastomers and less hygro-
scopic than traditional PAGs. Based on
these qualities, OSPs have extended
the functionality of traditional PAGs.
Traditional use of PAGs includes
compressor and refrigeration oils, hy-
draulic fuids, textile lubricants and
gear and bearing oils, Hope says.
Theyre also used as additives to build
viscosity in water-glycol hydraulic fu-
ids and a lubricity aid in water-misci-
ble metalworking fuids.
OSPs are primarily base oils in for-
mulationscompressor/refrigeration
oils, hydraulic fuids, gear/bearing oils
and engine/transmission oils, Hope
adds. They can be used as a co-base oil
with Group I to Group III mineral oils
and also PAOs, and also can be used
with additives for deposit control, fric-
tion modifer and viscosity builder.
synTHeTIc aDVanTaGes
When comparing synthetic lubricants
to mineral oil-based lubricants, the big
improvements are seen in the crucial
areas of energy savings, increased ef-
fciency, reduced total operating costs,
reduced maintenance and downtime,
increased equipment life and extended
lubricant life. And while synthetics
might not always outperform mineral
oils in every situation, their adaptabil-
ity and combinability with other lu-
bricants often make them the perfect
problem solver in tasks where mineral
oils fall short.
W W W. S T L E . O R G T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 23
Josh Fernatt is a
free-lance writer who
can be reached at josh.
[email protected].
2139 High Tech Road State College PA 16803 814-353-8000 800-676-6232 Fax 814-353-8007
[email protected] www.cannoninstrument.com
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OIL ANALYSIS
FOr rOughLy $500 in hArDwAre eXPenSeS, ALOng with the COSt OF COnSuM-
AbLeS, a machine may be ftted for better performance and reduced long-
term cost of care. The actual hardware cost is irrelevant when one considers
the amount of production that a given machine is responsible for during its
normal lifecycle. The decision should proceed on either discretionary capital
or the existing maintenance expense budget. Resistance to do so is not an
economic decision. It may be an academic decision, but, if so, this can be
remedied with simple explanation of the consequences of moisture, air and
particulate in the oil.
Commissioning a new production machine is never an easy task. Even
under the best of circumstances, there are a multitude of timing and priority
decisions to be made and managed. Between the design engineers, the project
management frm, the machine assembly contractor and the purchasing de-
partment, there are more than enough errors, revisions and obstacles to test
ones patiencethe hectic pace only escalates the challenges.
If the upgrades arent part of the original purchase specifcation, the next
best opportunity to make these simple changes will be just before the ma-
chine is commissioned. Regardless of the timing, these changes are needed to
improve management of the machines lubrication-related reliability require-
ments. Once production begins to ramp up, the likelihood of taking machines
down purposefully for these upgrades is low. In addition, simple adjust-
ments will enable the condition-monitoring group to see machine condition
beSt PrACtiCeS
Mike Johnson / Contributing Editor
commissioning a
new machine for reliability
centered lubrication
24 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y W W W. S T L E . O R G
An extremely small investment can result in
better performance for a machines lifetime.
from the beginning of the
machines production run,
which helps management
avoid the all-too-common
startup failure.
Grease-lubricated compo-
nents typically offer little lee-
way for upgrades. This article
refects on standard reliabil-
ity improvement upgrades for
oil-lubricated machines. Well
address considerations for
enhancing lubrication man-
agement features, the types of
changes that should be made
to enhance lubrication man-
agement and the thought pro-
cess for deciding which ma-
chines should be improved.
cOsT measuRes
Machine managers tend to
underestimate the amount of
time that a machine will re-
quire for reliability centered
lubrication practices each year. Lets put that statement into
perspective with a simple example.
The primary belt that carries crushed stone to the blend-
ing silo in a cement plant is a potential bottleneck. Accord-
ingly, although the individual components are typically
overdesigned and durable, high-quality relubrication prac-
tices are important. A fully detailed relubrication plan for a
high-criticality belt of this nature is shown in Figure 1. The
components, the number of points per each component, the
activities for each point, the time required to conduct these
activities and the tally of these actions per year are noted.
This belt, with only 12 identifable components (by type),
requires workmen to make 269 task-stops per year at the
cost of $12.03 per stop (assuming a base labor rate of $35 per
hour and a 1.4 overhead factor).
The yellow highlights attention to the components that
stand to beneft and show reduced annual cost of operation
from upgrades in lubricant quality, improved sealing, im-
proved fltration and simple automation.
While the analysis places focus on the operating cost of
fulflling the stated tasks, it is evident to all that the real ben-
eft is not in reducing the incremental costs. The real beneft
is in the expectation that the component lifecycles can be
doubled or tripled and that the organization achieves and
maintains dependable product quality and delivery, result-
ing in a more competitive position through zero unplanned
downtime associated with lubricated components.
When the numbers are tallied, the leverage that comes
from improved lubrication practices to protect machine op-
erating time signifcantly outweighs the actual cost of im-
provements. The only way for management to know this
intuitively and fully is to conduct a fnancial analysis. It is
worth the time to do so to determine which upgrades are
worth consideration. Until then, here are some consider-
ations for determining the type of upgrades that should be
provided for new machines.
PRIORITIZInG uPGRaDes
Some machines dont warrant enhanced lubrication manage-
ment features. In the June 2011 TLT (available digitally at
www.stle.org), we discussed how each organization should
determine which of its production machines represent (1.)
maximum risk of business disruption due to risk from en-
vironmental calamity (from machine failure), (2.) risk to
community and employee safety, (3.) fnancial risk from sig-
nifcant production losses, (4.) fnancial risk for high repair
costs and (5.) site-specifc interests. Using a weighted grad-
ing system, each machine should be scored according to its
potential to contribute to losses from any of these risk fac-
tors. The scores should be listed from greatest to least risk
and the machine maintenance strategy should be modifed
according to the machines potential for risk.
The top quartile (76th to 100th percentile) machines
should receive the typical modifcations, as noted below,
because these warrant the extra attention to limit risk. The
second quartile (51st to 75th percentile) may receive these
modifcations, as it seems clear that these can contribute to
total lubrication cost management over time. The third quar-
tile (25th to 50th percentile) may receive upgrades strictly as
it pertains to managing lubricant consumption. The lowest
Time
Components LubePoints
Min./Ea. Events Time/Min
Motor 1 2 ReGrease Annual 30 1 30
1 Purge Annual 30 1 30
1 Repack Annual 60 1 60
1 LevelCheck Weekly 5 52 260
1 OilSample Quarterly 15 4 60
1 OilChange Annual 120 1 120
ReducerSeals 2 2 ReGrease Monthly 3 12 144
1 Purge Annual 30 1 30
1 Repack Annual 60 1 60
HeadPulley 1 2 ReGrease BiWeekly 3 26 78
TailPulley 1 2 ReGrease BiWeekly 3 26 78
SnubPulley 1 2 ReGrease BiWeekly 3 26 78
TensionPulley 3 2 ReGrease BiWeekly 3 26 234
IdlerRollers 30 2 ReGrease BiWeekly 3 26 2340
1 LevelCheck Weekly 5 52 260
1 OilChange Annual 30 1 30
BackstopSeals 2 1 ReGrease Monthly 3 12 72
NetperYear 269 3,964
NetHoursperYear 66.07
FullyBurdenedHourlyRate 49.00 $
NetCostperyear 3,237.27 $
AverageCostperEvent 12.03 $
AnnualAggregate
Function Interval
ReducerSump
Coupling
BackstopRoller
1
1
1
Annual
Relubrication
Requirements
1 Coupling
Numberof
Figure 1 | Annual task, time and cost for proper care of a critical conveyor.
Triviaalert:Thereare62,000milesofbloodvesselsinthehumanbodylaidendtoendtheywouldcircletheearth2.5times. 25
quartile represents machines that can arguably be run to fail-
ure and warrant little added attention. These might become
candidates for sealed-for-life lubrication.
If one wished to further refne the decision process, a
thorough Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for the
top and second quartile machines could be used to narrowly
determine which machines would receive which upgrades.
The central reason to upgrade a brand new machine is
to address the underlying causes of failure that are present
within the production environment. Some causes can be
avoided, and others have to be mitigated.
The most prevalent and problematic contributors to fail-
ure are the microscopic atmospheric (dust) particles and
moisture present in the air surrounding the machine and the
production process the machine supports.
sumP cOnTamInaTIOn
Prevention of sump contamination is generally less
costly than removal. Contaminants enter machine
sumps in a variety of ways. Figure 2 offers an abbre-
viated list of possible causes or entry points.
establish vendor roll-off cleanliness specifcations.
Roll-off cleanliness specifcations for machine and
component suppliers is a strong addition to the bid
specifcation. A roll-off specifcation is a limit value
stating how much contaminant may be left in the
machine after manufacturing. This is typically pro-
vided in the form of an ISO cleanliness code that the
supplier must achieve on the fushing fuid used to
wash out the machines and/or components prior to
shipping.
The cleanliness target should refect the cleanli-
ness level expected of the maintenance department
once the machine is in op-
eration. Quality parts and
systems suppliers will have
fushing systems equipped
with substantial fltration
capacity used to wash as-
sembly debris out of the
components and parts as
one of the fnal steps prior
to shipment of the complet-
ed system. It is common for
these parts cleaning systems
to have particle counting
capacity that report an ISO
code through the washing
process until the parts are f-
nally clean. Figure 3 offers some suggested cleanliness speci-
fcations for a variety of common components.
upgrade the vent-fll port. One of the lowest cost and high-
est beneft upgrades is accomplished by trading out the stan-
dard vent-fll port with a flter-fller port. Most OEM breath-
er-fller ports are little more than a coarse sieve of steel mesh
or steel wool packed into a locking cap, which is intended
to keep very large (visible) particulate out of the machine
as it cycles through hydraulic function or cycles thermally.
These fxtures provide no help from a contamination-control
perspective.
Several companies provide flter-fller upgrades designed
to ft the same six-hole mounting pattern used for the breath-
er-fller default option. It is typically a simple unscrew-and-
replace option. Some flter-fller options include a fuid
quick-connection ftting where top-up fuid is added to the
system. This option should include a drop-tube to bring top-
up oil to the tank below the normal tank level. This is pro-
vided to avoid air churning from oil dropping from the top of
the tank. Figure 4 provides an example of the breather-fller
standard option and Figure 5 provides a look at a typical
flter-fller alternative.
26 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y W W W. S T L E . O R G
Figure 2. Sources of common sump contaminants.
NetCostperyear 3,237.27 $
AverageCostperEvent 12.03 $
NewMachinery Plant Operations Maintenance Actions
OriginalMachiningDebris WashdownActiions NewOilDrum
AssemblyDebris ProcessContaminants OilHandlingContainers
RunoffFluids AtmosphericDebris OilTopUpActivities
2ndTierPartsOEM WearDebris PartsReplacement
Figure 2 | Sources of common sump contaminants.
Figure 3 | Reasonable roll-off cleanliness standards.
Figure 5 | Filter-fller adapter options and cross-section diagram. (Courtesy
of JLM Systems)
Figure 3. Reasonable roll-off cleanliness standards.
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28 Didyouknow?AlmostathirdofallSTLEmembersholdoneofthesocietys
machine function. This flm is dependent on the lubricants
viscosity at operating temperature. Once the separating flm
is established, the machine should operate, assuming other
design parameters are correct, without incident through the
warranty period.
Machine builders will defer to the details provided in the
bid specifcation for the provision of lifecycle-enhancing lu-
brication condition control features such as intercoolers and
heaters, high-effciency/high-surface area flters and hous-
ings, diffusers and baffes in the sumps, etc. If those features
are not present in the bid specifcation, it is nearly certain
that the machine will arrive with the minimum set of fea-
tures needed to function through the warranty period.
High surface area/high beta-ratio fltering systems (ele-
ments and housings) are considered to be high-value sys-
tems and incur a higher cost across the entire market. Unless
the OEM can see the path to gain extra market value from in-
stalling higher quality options, it is unlikely they would pro-
vide them as part of the original build. If the bid specifcation
is silent (about element size and quality), it is also likely that
the system will only meet minimum system requirements.
For the sake of machine-reliability protection, a flter system
upgrade is in order.
Refecting on the ISO cleanliness targets noted earlier,
the machines reliability target should be identifed and
communicated to the facility element suppliers. Quality
suppliers will be able to provide specifc input on the num-
ber of elements, optimum placement of elements and the
respective beta value of each element needed to achieve the
reliability target.
High pressure, hydraulic systems for low viscosity hy-
draulic fuids are frequently equipped with seemingly
tight element specifcations (B
12
=100-200; B
10
= 75-200)
for pressure lines and porous specifcations (B
20
= 75-200)
for return lines. Porous limits refect the practical diffcul-
ty of returning cold-oil under gravity to the tank, so that
isnt necessarily a weakness. However, unless side-stream
(kidney-loop) elements also are in use, the heavy work of
particle removal is conducted by exceptionally high cost,
low dirt-holding capacity pressure line elements. The par-
ticle capture effectiveness of the pressure-line flter element
is also infuenced by line surges that occur normally with
system operation. Pressure-line elements represent a rela-
tively high cost, mildly effective but necessary fltering op-
tion, and should not be used to fulfll the majority of fuid
cleansing.
Side-stream elements should provide the dominant role
for sump particle removal and may also be equipped for
moisture removal. These should be constructed for relatively
low fows and low pressures. A rule-of-thumb fow rate for
side-stream fltration is two times sump capacity for circula-
tion systems and four times capacity for hydraulic systems
up to about 200 gallon capacities.
The target particle size should be defned by the com-
ponent with the greatest sensitivity and refect the particle
dimension of greatest concern. For instance, servo-control
valves are most sensitive to particles in the 3-4 micron
range. Focusing on 12 micron-size particles will assure a
large population of the particles prone to cause the most
concern will remain in the system. Regardless of the system
designers sentiments, a system with servo-valves will not
produce the inherent valve reliability with 12 micron tar-
get elements (B
x
= 200) that a 3 micron element (B
x
= 200)
would provide. As the system pressure increases, the degree
of infuence also increases.
Accordingly, the scheme for element selection should
focus on the component sensitivity threshold of the most
sensitive item in the circuit (3 micron or lower) for any el-
ement used to perform the bulk of solid-particle removal.
That would also be the case for breather elements (used to
replace the breather-fller ports). The return line element
should remain porous to allow ready fow for high viscosity
requirements.
summaRy
As stated at the beginning of this article, for roughly $500
in hardware and the cost of consumables, a machine can be
ftted for a lifetime of better care access. When one consid-
ers the amount of production that a given machine is re-
sponsible for, the dollar value is irrelevant, and this decision
should proceed on variable capital or with expense money.
Resistance to do so is not an economic decision. It may be
an academic decision, but, if so, this can be remedied with
simple explanation of the consequences of moisture, air and
particulate in the oil.
Collaboration may be warranted for the work culture,
and, if so, that will take time. Beyond this, the only reason
that management should not wish to pursue something that
is fractions of a penny per year of expected production value
is that the reliability community didnt get the attention of
the key manager for long enough period of time to make the
case for improvement. We just didnt make the case!
Mike Johnson, CLS, CMRP, MLT II, MLA III,
is the principal consultant for Advanced
Machine Reliability Resources, in
Franklin, Tenn. You can reach him at
[email protected].
Machine managers tend to underestimate
the amount of time that a machine will
require support for reliability centered
lubrication practices each year.
certifcations:CLS,OMAI,OMAIIandCMFS.Learnmoreatwww.stle.org. 29
FeAture ArtiCLe
Jean Van Rensselar / Contributing Editor
30 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y W W W. S T L E . O R G
PC-11 and GF-6:
New engines drive
The challenge now is developing tests
to deal with the radical transformation
in motors and components.
big ChAngeS tO enVirOnMentAL regu-
LAtiOnS and engines mean big changes
to lubricants. This is why it is no coin-
cidence that there are two new oil
specifcations on the horizon at the
same time: PC-11 for heavy-duty die-
sel engines and GF-6 for passenger au-
tomobiles. For each specifcation (and
for the frst time), there are likely to be
two versions: one for current and fu-
ture engines and another compatible
with older engines. Consumers and
maintenance workers will have to be
on their toes.
Given that the purpose of oil speci-
fcations is to prevent in-use perfor-
mance issues, the historical absence of
any major issues with oil when its
used as specifed is a strong indicator
of the strength of the current specifca-
tion development system.
Joan Evans, Infneum industry liai-
son advisor, explains, For both PC-11
and ILSAC GF-6, there are urgent
needs to develop new tests to replace
those for which the current hardware
will shortly no longer be available. In
addition, there is a need to develop
new tests to evaluate lubricant perfor-
mance in emerging hardware plat-
forms. Engine hardware design chang-
es are being dictated by the need to
improve fuel effciency and reduce
emissions to meet stringent new envi-
ronmental regulations.
Pc-11
In 2011 the National Highway Traffc
Safety Administration (NHTSA) is-
sued a regulation, which phases in
from 2013 to 2018, that limits green-
house gases and for the frst time re-
quires fuel economy improvements for
medium and heavy-duty trucks. This
was a primary driver for PC-11. In
June 2011 the Engine Manufacturers
Association (EMA) asked the Ameri-
can Petroleum Institute (API) to de-
velop a new lubricant category for
heavy-duty diesel engines that were
being developed. PC-11 (PC stands for
proposed category) will offer perfor-
W W W. S T L E . O R G T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 31
change in oil specs
mance beyond the time-tested API
CJ-4 engine oils.
1
The CJ-4 oil specifcation, intro-
duced in October 2006, has been the
standard longer than nearly all diesel
engine oil categories. But since Octo-
ber 2006, engine designs have changed
signifcantly. For example, many en-
gine parts are made of different metals,
and cylinder pressures have increased.
The need for PC-11 was driven by:
ProposedU.S.government
regulations on fuel economy
and CO
2
emissions.
Increasingbiodieseluse.
Theneedforimproved
protection from higher engine
temperatures.
Theneedforimprovedshear
stability.
Theneedforadhesivewear
protection.
Theneedtoreduceor
eliminate engine oil aeration.
EMA requested that the new cate-
gory for lubricants be split into sepa-
rate and distinct subcategories, one
that preserves historical heavy-duty
criteria (higher HTHS) and one that
provides fuel effciency benefts while
maintaining durability (lower HTHS).
The proposal presented by the EMA
includes performance specifcations to
address:
Compatibility with and protec-
tion from biodiesel.
Better engine protection from
aeration.
Better protection against scuff-
ing wear.
Improved shear stability and
oxidation stability.
After receiving the request and
conducting preliminary research, API
determined that a need did indeed ex-
ist and eventually established the PC-
11 designation. In addition, the insti-
tute recognized the need to establish
new category tests.
2
PC-11 will introduce two new oils:
One will be increased engine protec-
tion at traditional viscosities, and the
other will be new oils at lower viscos-
ity which meet the same performance
requirements. Two separate designa-
tions are sought for the two distinct
specifcations. PC-11 is scheduled for
API licensing by Jan. 1, 2016.
Pc-11 TesTs
Because current engines and compo-
nents have undergone such a radical
transformation in recent years, experts
agree that the testing procedures for
CJ-4 oils are quickly becoming obso-
lete. Telling is the fact that parts re-
quired to perform some tests will be
scarce by 2015. Four new engine tests
are in development for PC-11, includ-
ing a new oxidation test. EMA is also
considering an adhesive wear test to
measure metal-to-metal contact.
3
Current production HD engines
are running hotter, and as a result
more oxidation and nitration are being
1
The preliminary designation is determined before the release (CJ-4 was initially PC-10).
2
A typical engine oil category takes 4-5 years to develop.
3
In the past only abrasive wear tests have been conducted.
Engine hardware design changes are being dictated by the need to improve fuel effciency
and reduce emissions to meet stringent new environmental regulations.
32Ithirstedforameaningfulvisionoflife,soIbecameascientist.Thisislikebecominganarchbishopsoyoucanmeetgirls.M.Cartmill.
seen in the feld, Evans says.
EMA has requested that PC-11
contain a performance test based
upon the current feld hardware
that can demonstrate oil perfor-
mance differences in oxidation and
nitration. She adds that the Mack
T-13 is the leading test candidate
because it uses the new Mack MP8
engine hardware. Early testing has
already shown that it is capable of
increased oxidation severity com-
pared to the Mack T-12 test that its
intended to replace.
According to Evans, the T-12
test may continue as a ring and
liner wear test for PC-11, and De-
troit Diesel is working on a new
test using the DD-13 engine plat-
form to address adhesive wear of
the piston and liner. In all of these
new test developments, it is imper-
ative that they relate directly to re-
al-world feld performance, she
says.
Caterpillar is currently devel-
oping PC-11 test engine proce-
dures and a test that measures oil
aeration.
caTeRPIllaR c-13
enGIne OIl aeRaTIOn TesT
The test follows a procedure close
to that used internally by Caterpil-
lar for aeration engine testing. Sim-
ilar to the development of any
standardized engine test, they are
working methodically with all the
labs involved to defne hardware
and procedure details, develop ini-
tial tests to validate the concept
and reach consensus between the
labs. Caterpillar also has a task
force that brings members inter-
ested in working on this develop-
ment together for detailed techni-
cal discussions.
Hind Abi-Akar, technical ex-
pert, Fluids Engineering, for Cater-
pillar and a member of the EMA
Lubricants Committee, says, Thus
far, the engine test has shown dis-
crimination between high and low
aeration oils. Hence, this portion
has just the typical challenges of
building a robust procedure that is
representative to current engine
technologies.
The second aim of the aeration
test is to develop a method of mea-
suring the aeration of the oil thats
independent of the operator, more
consistent and produces a popula-
tion of data points. Currently the
beaker or graduated cylinder
method relies on the operator con-
sistently drawing representative
samples following the same pro-
cess, and also on consistency in vi-
sually reading a meniscus of the oil
and foam that tops it. Typical re-
sults are data points taken a few
hours apart during the course of 30
hours of engine testing.
Abi-Akar says that noise in the
resulting data is expected in the
test. Caterpillars new aeration test
relies on a micromotion technique
to measure the air in the oil.
4
The
concentration of air in the oil is
then calculated based on the den-
sity measurements. The result is an
accurate and consistent reading of
the aeration value in real-time and
throughout the test duration. This
technique eliminates operator er-
ror and produces data points
throughout the test.
We are conducting the gradu-
ated cylinder procedure along with
the micromotion measurements to
correlate the two since historically
all the data available was obtained
using the former method, Abi-
Akar explains. We work together
with all the labs involved and will
employ statistical rigor to produce
a test setup and procedure that sat-
isfes ASTM standards and at the
same time is more representative of
current engines.
She adds, Our goal is a useful
test that is current and representa-
tive and that can be supported for
years. Since we have started this
testing development early, we ex-
The shifT Toward
lower viscosiTy oils
North America is behind Europe in the
use of lighter oil viscosity grades (around
80% of the U.S. market uses 15W-40 oil)
for heavy-duty diesel applications, but
this is changing. Because of the aggres-
sive drive toward ever-increasing fuel
economy, lighter viscosity grades that
contribute to it are slowly becoming
accepted.
For example, there is currently an
increase in 5W-40 oil usage. Shell reports
that its Rotella T Synthetic 5W-40 can
help improve fuel effciency by up to 1%
when compared to conventional 15W-40
motor oil. This is achieved through de-
creased friction and reducing the energy
used to pump the motor oil through
the engine. For a typical truck traveling
100,000 miles per year, a savings of up
to 140 gallons per year, or $532, may be
realized (based on $3.80/gallon of fuel
and fuel consumption of 7 MPG).
*
Joan Evans, Infneum industry liaison
advisor, reports that similarly for pas-
senger car motor oils, the new ILSAC
GF-6B specifcation was proposed to
accommodate the immediate needs of
some OEMs for lower viscosity oils. Since
the older engines were not designed to
run on these lower viscosity oils, there is
the potential for signifcant engine wear,
(particularly bearing wear) if misapplica-
tion of these lower viscosity oils in older
engines occurs.
Chris Castanian, OEM liaison manager
for Lubrizol in Wickliffe, Ohio, says, An
absolute given is that engine oils have to
provide engine durability. Saving fuel is a
beneft built on top of engine protection.
In both GF-6 and PC-11, discussions are
underway on how to identify these new
ultra-low viscosity oils to avoid misap-
plication. Going forward low viscosity oils
and engine oil additive technology hold
great promise for lowering greenhouse
gases and improving fuel effciency, but
issues of backward compatibility and
misapplication need to be addressed.
* From: http://www.decisivemagazine.com/
shell-rotella-t-synthetic-5w-40-motor-oil-offers-
improved-engine-protection.
4
Micromotion measures the density of the oil accurately.
W W W. S T L E . O R G T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 33
pect to meet or even be ahead of the
timeline set by the NCDT for test de-
velopment.
fuel ecOnOmy TesT
There is not a test under consider-
ation for fuel economy and there isnt
likely to be one in the future. Abi-
Akar explains that measuring fuel
economy for non-road engines is
complex due to a broad variety of ap-
plications. A wheel-loader has very
different work cycles than a dozer or
an excavator, for example, she says.
How do you represent all this varia-
tion in a test? Potentially, the measure
of fuel economy in off-road applica-
tions is unit-of-fuel-consumed per
some unit-of-work-performed. We
believe that measurements at the job
site or overall project level will pro-
vide the most useful methods of im-
proving off-road fuel economy. But
due to this complexity, development
of a standard test for fuel economy for
off-road engines does not seem to fall
within the oil category development
activities at this time.
TWO suBcaTeGORIes
Usually, when a new oil category is in-
troduced, it is backward compatible to
applications of existing categories. But
things are not as clear cut with PC-11.
Increasingly stringent regulations have
created a generational divide between
engines.
PC-11 may have to be splitEMA
has recommended two API service cat-
egories. One subcategory would be a
lower viscosity grade that has better
fuel economy but with compromised
protection in older engines (because of
lower viscosity). This translates to
very limited backward compatibility.
The other subcategory would be
backward compatiblemaintaining
the performance of CJ-4 oils in higher
viscosity grades such as 15W-40. This
second subcategory would have the
beneft of the additional oxidation sta-
bility, resistance to aeration, biodiesel
compatibility, resistance to scuffng,
and adhesive wear and increased shear
stability but with little or no contribu-
tion to fuel economy.
Abi-Akar says that there was a con-
sensus on the decision to request two
categories. Caterpillar, as a heavy-duty,
non-road machine and engine manu-
facturer, is focusing on the backward
compatible category that preserves the
current HTHS (high temperature/high
shear) limits.
The reason is that off-road engines
typically have demanding loads and
cycles and broad applications, she
says. Engine durability and perfor-
mance remain top priorities, and the
oils have to be robust to ensure protec-
tion of these engines. We dont antici-
pate that the low HTHS category will
be applicable in older engines.
She adds that low HTHS oils may
not offer the level of durability due to
the high loads experienced by non-road
engines. In addition, engines experience
boundary type conditions at their core
moving parts under certain loads where
the oil flm thickness is critical to per-
formance. Under boundary conditions,
the fuel economy beneft of the low vis-
cosity oils cannot be realized. So these
oils would not improve the fuel econo-
my of most heavy-duty applications.
Hind Abi-Akar, technical expert, Fluids
Engineering, for Caterpillar and member
of the EMA Lubricants Committee, ad-
dresses the issue of biodiesel and oil
compatibility and its potential to com-
plicate PC-11 adoption. She reminds that
the concerns with the use of biodiesel
have been well documented. Related
to engine oil, the issues mainly center
on the fuel dilution of engine oil and
the potential impact on the oil (such as
oxidation or rapid degradation, poten-
tial sludge formation, impact on piston
deposits and wear). But she adds that
users who follow the engine manufac-
turers biodiesel quality recommenda-
tion have not encountered signifcant
lubricant issues.
Occasionally biodiesel has been
used in off-highway applications at high
blend levels reaching B100. For example,
some underground mining sites use high
blends of biodiesel to reduce carbona-
ceous emissions. Acceptable operation
can be obtained through careful control
of biodiesel quality and management of
maintenance/oil change intervals.
She concludes, Experience in the use
of this fuel in heavy-duty engines with
the latest emission technologies is still
not extensive. More feld experience is
needed to elucidate the impacts under
real-life conditions and conditions as-
sociated with various engine combustion
and after-treatment technologies. At this
time, we recommend continued monitor-
ing of the impact of biodiesel on engine
oils. Due to the test prioritization needed
to fulfll the new engine oil category
timeline, biodiesel compatibility testing
seems to be a lower priority than other
engine tests proposed.
Joan Evans, Infneum industry liaison
advisor, adds, Although enhanced bio-
diesel compatibility is one of the issues
cited for improvement in PC-11, the Task
Force formed to work on this issue has
decided that it will not work to proactive-
ly develop a test for biodiesel compatibil-
ity but will instead keep a watching brief
on activities in Europe.
Evans adds, Because biodiesel has
been a larger component of the fuel mix
in Europe versus North America, the
activity for developing tests in this area
has been European-focused. The OM646
bio test is being developed by the
CEC* to test the impact of biodiesel on
piston deposits and potentially sludge,
although it seems unlikely that the test
will be able to measure sludge. The test
is also not designed to look at oxidation
or corrosion.
Biodiesel and engine oil compaTiBiliTy
*The Coordinating European Council for the development of performance tests for fuels, lubricants, and other fuid.
34Tribo-dictionary:Hydrolyticstabilitytheabilityofalubricanttoresistchemicaldecomposition(hydrolysis)inthepresenceofwater.
Leading the way naturally
Croda Lubricants
www.crodalubricants.com
Croda Inc 300-A Columbus Circle Edison NJ 08837
Tel: 732 417 0800 Fax: 732 417 0804
High Temperature Chain Oils
Croda recommends the use of its high performance range of Priolube esters for
high temperature chain lubricant applications. Compared to conventional mineral oils,
trimellitates and polyalphaolefins (PAOs) base stocks, Crodas high temperature chain oil
esters can provide special performance characteristics including:
s Formulation of lubricants in the viscosity range 68 320 mm
2
/s
s High oxidative stability
s Low volatility below 250C
s Low deposit formation upon decomposition
s Excellent lubricity
Correct lubrication of the chains is essential to prevent excessive wear, which can lead
to chain lengthening and erratic travel, increased power consumption and a reduction in
lubricant adhesion to the chains.
Use of Crodas high temperature chain oil esters can provide the end user with a number
of benefits, including:
s Financial savings due to reduced lubricant consumption
s Cost savings through reduced power consumption
s Improved productivity through reduced down-time for repairs
s Lower maintenance costs
High Temperature and Oxidative Stability
Intrinsic high temperature stability properties can be demonstrated through thermal
gravimetric analysis (TGA) of the neat esters. The results below show that Priolube 1962,
Priolube 1963, Priolube 1965 and Priolube 1889 are stable up to 260C (500F). Above
this temperature, the esters oxidise and evaporate and do not leave any solid residues at
the end of the test.
%
20
0
40
60
80
100
0 2
50
12 22 4
100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 C
14 24 6 16 26 8 18 min 10 20
Priolube 1965 in Air
Priolube 1889 in Air
Priolube 1962 in Air
Priolube 1963 in Air
Ilsac Gf-6
ILSAC GF-6 is a new passenger car en-
gine oil category proposed for licens-
ing between June and September 2016.
While the Diesel Engine Oil Advisory
Panel develops new heavy-duty equip-
ment categories such as PC-11, the
new Auto-Oil Advisory Panel is the
passenger vehicle counterpart. The
Auto-Oil Advisory Panel, co-chaired
by Teri Kowalski of Toyota and Luc Gi-
rard of Petro-Canada, replaces the IL-
SAC/oil category development sys-
temthough it is comprised of
basically the same people.
Like PC-11 the new category calls
for improvements in fuel economy and
better engine protection than current-
ly exists at lower viscosities. For IL-
SAC GF-6, four needs were identifed:
5
1. increased fuel economy. This
needs to be maintained through-
out the oil change interval.
2. enhanced oil robustness. This ap-
plies to spark-ignited internal
combustion engines and is nec-
essary to ensure acceptable en-
gine oil performance in regional
markets due to service require-
ments, fuel availability, environ-
ment issues, etc.
3. Protection against low-speed en-
gine pre-ignition (LSPi). This spe-
cifcally refers to LSPI attributed
to engine oil.
4. Adequate wear protection for fre-
quently started engines. These
engines experience frequent
starts and/or starts after extend-
ed periods of downtime.
Ilsac Gf-6 TesTs
Evans explains that low-speed pre-ig-
nition (LSPI) is a concern as it has
been observed in the new generation
of smaller-sized direct-injection turbo-
powered engines. Many automotive
OEMs believe the occurrence of LSPI
is related to fuel and lubricant proper-
ties.
6
Since the number of these direct-
injection turbocharged engines will
increase dramatically in the next few
years, Evans says it is important that
GF-6 has a meaningful test to screen
for lubricant- and fuel-related LSPI
events. But whether a GF-6 category
should go forward without a test to
measure the effects of LSPI on engine
oil is currently being debated within
the Auto-Oil Advisory Panel.
Chris Castanian, OEM liaison man-
ager for Lubrizol in Wickliffe, Ohio,
explains, In severe cases, LSPI can
damage pistons, degrade performance,
lower fuel effciency and increase
emissions. Investigation is underway
to determine the connection between
engine oil and the LSPI phenomenon.
Several OEMs have expressed interest
in investigating and minimizing LSPI,
leading ILSAC to include LSPI in the
GF-6 needs statement. It would be a
mistake to move the category forward
without a performance-based engine
test addressing LSPI in GDI engines,
which are emerging as the leading
light-duty gasoline engine technology
in the world.
A number of changes to test limits
have been proposed by ILSAC. Five of
these are as follows:
sequence VH sludge and
Varnish formation
The Sequence VH will test an oils abil-
ity to prevent sludge and varnish for-
mation. In an effort to improve deposit
control and better protect against
sludge and varnish, engine test limits
will be tighter than the Sequence VG.
As with the Sequence VG, the new test
will reproduce the stop-and-go operat-
ing conditions of delivery vehicles and
city driving in general. Ford will fur-
nish a 2L turbocharged engine for the
new test. Evans reports that the Se-
Many industry groups play a critical role in the development and oversight of
new and existing engine oil performance categories. In North America, the Auto-Oil
Advisory Panel is responsible for defning new specifcations in passenger ve-
hicles. For heavy-duty vehicles, that would be the Diesel Engine Oil Advisory Panel
(DEOAP).
There are two groups that report to the Auto-Oil Advisory Panel:
the oil contingent, comprised of oil blenders/marketers and additive suppliers.
the automobile contingent, comprised of U.S., Japanese and other auto
engine manufacturers.
Collectively, blenders, marketers, additive suppliers and engine manufactur-
ers agree on the tests needed to evaluate engine oils and quantify performance in
areas such as fuel economy, wear and sludge prevention and deposit control. They
also develop parameters needed to demonstrate appropriate performance in each
test.
Also involved is the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), which defnes vis-
cosity grades through its SAE J300 specifcation. ASTM International is responsible
for developing precise industry standard test procedures. Finally, the American
Petroleum Institute (API) licenses the approved oils for the marketplace.
developing a new specificaTion*
*From: http://noln.net/features/gf6-1_0712.php.
5
From: http://noln.net/features/gf6-1_0712.php.
6
In LSPI, the fuel in the combustion chamber is ignited before the spark occurs. It happens rarely, but randomly usually during conditions of low speed and
high torque. Under these conditions, an LSPI occurrence creates a very pronounced knock that can cause catastrophic damage in only a few engine cycles.
36 Ofallthefrictionalresistances,theonethatmostretardshumanmovementisignorance.NicolaTesla.
quence VH is being investigated for
possible use to measure the effect of
the lubricant on chain wear.
sequence IVB Wear
As with its predecessor, Sequence IVA,
the Sequence IVB test will evaluate an
oils ability to prevent wear in camshaft
lobes by duplicating light city driving
conditions. Wear requirements will be
similar to Sequence IVA. This test will
eliminate the Sequence IVA 1994 en-
gine and replace it with an engine that
better represents cars currently on the
road.
sequence IIIH Viscosity and
Piston Deposits
GM and Chrysler are both offering po-
tential tests to replace the IIIG. Only
one of them is expected to be included
in the GF-6 fnal spec. The difference
over the IIIG is that it will simulate
highly loaded conditions, evaluating
thickening resistance and piston de-
posit prevention under high-tempera-
ture conditions.
sequence IIIGBPhosphorus
Volatility
The result of this effort was the intro-
duction of a new phosphorus volatility
test, the Sequence IIIGB, for ILSAC
GF-5 that measures the percentage of
phosphorus retained in the test lubri-
cant during the Sequence IIIG test. In
Europe there has been no activity to
develop any industry standard test to
look directly at the impact of the lubri-
cant on any aspect of the after-treat-
ment systems, including 3-way cata-
lysts, NO
x
control devices or diesel
particulate flters.
sequence VID/VIe fuel economy
The Sequence VID test measures the
fuel economy contribution of engine
oil. It is not scheduled to be replaced,
only updated with higher fuel econo-
my limits and perhaps renamed to Se-
quence VIE. The test engine will be a
2012 GM Malibu engine rather than
the 2009 engine used in the current
Sequence VID test. The GF-6 Needs
Statement requested increased fuel
economy performance standards for
both new and aged oil.
In addition, ILSAC proposed two
new engine tests for chain wear and
aeration. A new bench test to measure
low speed pre-ignition has also been
proposed, but no test apparatus, pro-
cedure or limits have been as yet iden-
tifed.
SAE will introduce a new viscosity
grade for GF-6 (currently proposed as
SAE 16), to its J300 specifcation. This
viscosity grade has been established
primarily for the fuel economy bene-
fts of low-viscosity oils. Aeration re-
mains a concern (ILSAC included an
aeration test in its Draft Needs State-
ment for GF-6), but a test has not yet
been proposed.
For the tests measuring new pa-
W W W. S T L E . O R G T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 37
rameters, the key to establishing a per-
formance-based dynamometer test is
to use oils with proven feld issues and
which demonstrate discrimination be-
tween good and bad performance,
Evans says. For this reason, test de-
velopment is always a diffcult and
time-consuming process.
Castanian explains, Lubrizol sees
the necessity for engine oil specifca-
tions to address the substantive needs
highlighted by the OEMs. Conse-
quently, it would be appropriate to see
tests for low speed pre-ignition, turbo
deposits, chain wear and fuel economy
durability included in ILSAC GF-6.
suBcaTeGORIes
With GF-6, two subcategories (one
backward compatible and one not) are
a given. The two subcategories will be
called GF-6A and GF-6B.
GF-6A is the successor to GF-5 and
will be backward compatible. It will
include SAE 0W-20, SAE 0W-30, SAE
5W-20, SAE 5W-30 and SAE 10W-30
oils. The minimum high-temperature/
high-shear viscosity for all GF-6A
grades will be 2.6 mPa-sec.
GF-6B is a subcategory meant for
the SAE 0W-16 and SAE 5W-16 vis-
cosity now being developed. They will
not be backward compatible. GF-6B
may have the same performance re-
quirements as GF-6A except for a
high-temperature/high-shear viscosity
of less than 2.6 mPa-sec. As with PC-
11, the viscosity of GF-6B may be too
low for older engines.
GOInG fORWaRD
Its apparent that from now on engines
and lubricants (and, in some cases, fu-
els) will need to be developed simulta-
neously with an eye toward optimal
fuel economy and energy usage for the
entire system. Although this side-by-
side development is relatively new, the
effects on quality are already apparent.
In 2012 the average age of passenger
cars and light-duty trucks on the road
in the U.S. was at a record high 10.8
years.
7
PC-11 and GF-6 are expected
to continue prolonging engine life and
improving performance.
The current environment is particu-
larly challenging, with both ILSAC GF-6
and PC-11 test development efforts vy-
ing for the limited resources available to
complete these tasks successfully, Ev-
ans says. The challenge is compounded
further by the stated desire to keep the
timelines for the two developments sep-
arated by at least a year.
Abi-Akar notes the importance of
labeling. Market confusion is a con-
cern, she says. We hope that end-
users are not confused with the pres-
ence of two new categories and we are
working through the API process to
ensure that the labeling of the two cat-
egories is unambiguous to customers
and end-users. The latter is critical.
This can be another challenge for cus-
tomers wishing to use the two catego-
riesto use each where appropriate.
The engine manufacturer recommen-
dation has to be closely followed.
1990: iLSAC gF-1
This standard indicates that the oil meets both API SH and the Energy Conserving
II (EC-II) requirements. It was created in 1990, upgraded in 1992 and became the
minimum requirement for oil used in U.S. and Japanese automobiles.
1996: iLSAC gF-2
This oil must meet both API SJ and EC-II requirements. The GF-2 standards require
that 0W-30, 0W-40, 5W-20, 5W-30, 5W-40, 5W-50, 10W-30, 10W-40 and 10W-50 motor
oils meet stringent requirements for phosphorus content, low temperature opera-
tion, high temperature deposits and foam control.
2001: iLSAC gF-3
This oil must meet both API SL and the EC-II requirements. The GF-3 standard has
more stringent parameters regarding long-term effects of the oil on the vehicle
emission system, improved fuel economy and improved volatility, deposit control
and viscosity performance. The standard also requires less additive degradation
and reduced oil consumption rates over the service life of the oil.
2004: iLSAC gF-4
This oil is similar to the API SM service category (for 2010 and older automotive en-
gines) but requires that the Sequence VIB Fuel Economy Test replace the Sequence
VIA in order to measure the fuel economy retained during the oil change interval as
well as initial fuel economy.
2010: iLSAC gF-5
Introduced in October 2010 for 2011 and older vehicles, it is designed to provide
improved high-temperature deposit protection for pistons and turbochargers,
more stringent sludge control, improved fuel economy, enhanced emission control
system compatibility, seal compatibility and protection for engines operating on
ethanol-containing fuels up to E85.
gf developmenT Timeline*
*From: http://www.oilspecifcations.org/ilsac.php.
Jean Van Rensselar heads her own
communications frm, Smart PR Communications,
in Naperville, Ill. You can reach her at
[email protected].
7
From: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/17/business/la-f-mo-aging-autos-20120117.
38 BookDeals:STLEmemberscanreceivea20%discountonfeaturedCRCPressbooks.Detailsatwww.stle.org.
KEYWORDS
Infrared; Spectroscopy; Oil Condition Monitoring; Lubricant Degradation; Internal
Combustion Engine Oils
AbStRAct
This article describes a procedure, based on ASTM standards D7214 and E2412, that has
been defned to improve quantifcation of oil oxidation in used engine oils. Taking into ac-
count typical problems that can be found in this type of sample, including thermal oxidation
and fuel dilution, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were analyzed also considering
the effect of the oil formulation. Two zones were considered inside the typical wave number
range for quantifcation of oxidation, where those problems can be detected and assessed
more easily: zone A between 1725 and 1650 cm1, where the main oxidation products, such
as aldehydes, carboxylic acids, and ketones, occur due to thermal degradation of the oil;
and zone B between 1770 and 1725 cm1, where esters due to potential biodiesel dilution
problems are detected.
INtRODUctION
Oxidation is the most predominant reaction of a lubricant in service and is therefore
responsible for several lubricant-related problems, such as increasee viscosity and
acidication, additive depletion, and so on (Macin, et al.
1
). Therefore, controlling and
monitoring oxidation levels (and other related parameters) should be considered apri-
ority in order to assure good machinery performance and reliability (Macin, et al.
2
).
In all lubrication systems, including internal combustion engines, organic com-
pounds exposed to oxygen, high temperatures, and pressures will partially oxidize into
a large variety of by-products, such as ketones, esters, aldehydes, carbonates, and car-
boxylic acids, which exhibit characteristic infrared (IR) absorptions (Rudnick
3
; Mal-
eville, et al.
4
). The exact distribution and composition of these products is complex.
Carboxylic acids contribute to the acidity of the engine oil and deplete its basic reserves
as neutralization takes place. The net effect of prolonged oxidation is that chemically
the oil becomes acidic, causing corrosion, and a physical increase in viscosity occurs.
One of the most common methodologies used to measure oxidation in used en-
gine oils is Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry (Van de Voort, et al.
5
). For
many years it has been used to study lubricant degradation (Coates and Setti
6
; Pow-
ell and Compton
7
;Van de Voort, et al.
5,8
)by measuring variations in the concentration
proles through the carbonyl (C=O) absorption region (18201650 cm
1
;
9
). All of the
by-products previously mentioned have highly characteristic vibrations in this region:
ketones (17251705 cm
1
),carboxylic acid (17251700 cm
1
), and ester (17501725
cm
1
;Coates
10
).
Editors Note: I have always
wholeheartedly endorsed
infrared analysis of used-
oil samples, provided the
measured parameter has
been appropriately taken into
account with the calibration
of the instrument. At times,
too much faith is put into the
technology to provide a result
without effectively accounting
for variances in the oils for-
mulation or in the measures
own variances. This months
Editors Choice paper delves
into a longtime standard in
the reporting of FTIR results
and attempts to improve the
accuracy of the result. The pro-
posed methodology is based
on the newly instated ASTM
methods, which were decades
in the making, and will perhaps
aid in building momentum to
approve new standards for
other parameters.
Evan Zabawski, CLS
Editor
Proposal of an FtIR Methodology to Monitor
Oxidation Level in Used Engine Oils: Effects of
thermal Degradation and Fuel Dilution
Manuscript received January 16, 2012
Manuscript accepted August 13, 2012
Review led by Cyril Migdal
Copyright STLE
V. MACIN, B. TORMOS, Y. A. GMEZ, and J. M. SALAVERT
CMTMotores Trmicos
Universitat Polit cnica de Valncia
Camino de Vera, s/n E-46022, Valencia, Spain
Peer-reviewed
40 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y W W W. S T L E . O R G
Despite this fact and ASTM Internationals efforts to nor-
malize oxidation measurements using this technique (ASTM
E2412
9
and ASTM D7214
11
), many commercial labs still use
their own internal procedures (usually variations based on
the ASTMs standard practices). This may cause problems
when comparing and analyzing results from different labs
because a slight change in the considered band length of the
carbonyl region will affect the nal result.
This work has been developed in order to propose an
FTIR methodology to monitor oxidation levels and to ana-
lyze the effects of thermal degradation, base oil formulation,
and fuel dilution contamination. Two subzones (A and B)
were identied to improve quantication and monitoring.
This study was performed using data obtained under real-
world operating conditions and laboratory simulation tests.
To isolate different effects, different types of engines were
used: compressed natural gas engines (where the lubricant
is expected to suffer higher thermal stress and no fuel dilu-
tion) and diesel engines (where fuel dilution problems and
low thermal stress are predominant; Macin, et al.
1
). Specic
types of engine oils were used depending on the type of en-
gine. Thermal stress and fuel contamination were simulated
in the lab.
OVERVIEW OF tHE EVOLUtION OF INFRARED
SPEctROScOPY AND RELAtED MEtHODOLOGIES
FTIR spectroscopy is used to track relative changes in used
oil by subtracting the spectrum of the fresh oil from its used
or in-service oil counterpart. The molecular changes that
occur can be spectrally visualized and associated to typical
lubricant problems, such as additive depletion, oxidation,
nitration, soot content, fuel dilution, etc.
Next an attempt was made to standardize the measure-
ment of these changes in terms of absorbance or arbitrary
units that can be correlated with machine faults or lubricant
degradation level.
Perhaps the most important effort toward standardizing
the methodology and analytical protocol was made by the
U.S. Armed Forces in the frame of the Joint Oil Analysis Pro-
gram (JOAP) and summarized in a JOAP report (Toms
12
).
In this report, several fundamental aspects related to FTIR
analytical condition monitoring protocol were presented,
such as spectral regions and baselines based on standard ad-
dition experimentation for three oil categories: petroleum,
synthetic (ester), and hydraulic oils.
Further research led to the development of ASTM E2412
9
.
ASTM D7214 covers determination of the extent of a lubri-
cants oxidation using FTIR
11
.
VARIAbLES AFFEctING OXIDAtION MEASUREMENtS
Temperature is one of the most important parameters affect-
ing the oxidation process. Two related effects are governed by
temperature: the reaction activation energy and the effect on
the speed of the reaction, with greater speed associated with
higher temperatures. This relationship is nonlinear, doubling
the rate of oxidation for every 10C increase in temperature
(Wooton
13
).
When lubricant oils are exposed to high temperatures in
the presence of oxygen (air), oil begins to suffer a slow oxi-
dation process in which the oils hydrocarbons react with ox-
ygen to form other substances, including organic acid deriv-
atives such as ketones and aldehydes, with additional esters
at lower concentrations. Engine oils are highly susceptible to
oxidation, considering the high oil temperatures reached in
the piston area, which results in thin-lm oxidation (Adam-
czewska and Love
14
). Furthermore, the different combustion
process and related temperatures of CNG engines, compared
to diesel engines, result in a higher degradation rate in CNG
engines, as observed in previous studies (Macin, et al.
1,2
;
Semin and Rosli
15
).
Oxidation due to oil temperature leads to important
changes in the effectiveness of the oil as a lubricant, in-
creasing the acidity (Oliveira, et al.
16
)and viscosity of the oil
(Owranga, et al.
17
), among other changes. Consequently, the
lubricant becomes more aggressive toward metal surfaces, es-
pecially nonferrous surfaces, and modies its ability to form
a lubricant lm, leading to potentially higher engine wear.
Many analytical techniques (FTIR, potentiometric acidbase
titrations, voltammetry, sealed capsule differential scanning
calorimetry, gas chromatography, etc.) have been used to try
to more precisely quantify the by-products and effects of oil
oxidation.
Fuel dilution problems have long been studied and dif-
ferent alternative measurement methods have been used for
detection, including gas chromatography, ash point, fuel
sniffer, or viscosity excursions (Hiltz, et al.
18
; Tormos
19
;
Mortier,et al.
20
). Automotive fuels can consist of a wide vari-
ety of branched aliphatic compounds, aromatic compounds,
and many other compounds blended to produce a desired
set of physical properties. Typical conventional fuel dilution
problems
9
can be identied mainly in the spectral range be-
tween 815 and 745 cm
1
. This absorbance band is typical for
out-of-plane bending of two adjacent hydrogens in a para-
substituted aromatic ring. This range is quite far from the
range associated with oxidation measurements, thus avoid-
ing interference problems. This situation changing due to
the introduction and extensive use of biofuels (according
to European regulations, which allow up to 7% v/v content
of biofuels; UNE EN 590), and especially in diesel engines
where biodiesel blends are being used. Constituents of bio-
diesel (methyl esters from vegetable oils) present spectral
interferences in the oxidation quantication area (approxi-
mately at 1745 cm
1
).This interference could be worse in as-
sociation with higher biodiesel blends.
cHARActERIStIcS OF MEtHODOLOGY AND SAMPLES
MethodologyMeasurement
A methodology based on ASTM D7214
11
and ASTM E2412
9
and considering the type of machine to be monitored (in-
ternal combustion engines) was developed using FTIR (A2
Justforlaughs:52cards=1decacards. 41
Equipment Technologies PAL Series, CT, USA). The charac-
teristics of the FTIR equipment are provided in Table 1.
Measurements of the oxidation levels were performed in
the range between 1770 and 1650 cm
1
and reported as peak
area increase (PAI; unit, Abscm
1
/mm), following ASTM
D7214, or peak high (PH; unit, Abs). Both measurements
were performed using a single baseline starting at 1850 cm
1
and ending at 1620 cm
1
.
Sample CharaCteriStiCS
Different types of samples were used, including samples ob-
tained from engines under real working conditions in an ur-
ban transport eet and samples that were lab degraded.
Vehicles tested in the urban eet were powered by two
different types of engines: diesel and CNG engines. The main
characteristics of each type of engine are presented in Table
2. For CNG engines, two types of engine oil were useda
15W40 mineral oil (oil A) and a 10W40 synthetic oil with
higher antioxidant additive package (oil B)in order to
check the performance of the oils under similar working
conditions. A 15W40 mineral oil (oil C) was used for diesel
engines. Additionally, a synthetic engine oil 5W50 (oil D),
base oil API group IV, was used for lab tests. The main char-
acteristics of all of the oils employed in the present study are
summarized in Table 3.
Samples of used oil were taken for analysis every 5,000
km. Additional samples were taken at the end of the oil drain
period 15,000 km for CNG engines and 30,000 km for diesel
engines. Vehicles have frequent stop and go service, long pe-
riods of engine idling, and average speed of 12.7 km/h. Vehi-
cles were equipped with automatic fresh oil relling systems.
A second group of samples was evaluated in the labora-
tory after a specic degradation process using the same types
of fresh oils (A,B,C, and D).
Two degradation processes were considered, one repre-
senting thermal degradation, which was simulated using a
thermal bath at 270C for 48 h. To avoid possible external
factors affecting degradation such as the catalysis effect of
metal components, this process was performed in a glass
beaker and samples were collected every 6h. The tempera-
ture range selected for this experiment was higher than
temperature ranges used in other lab oxidation tests (Ad-
amczewska and Love
14
; Bowman and Stachowiak
21
; Cerny,
et al.
22
;Moehle, et al.
23
). The selection was made in order to
simulate situations in which the engine oil temperature can
rise to over 250260C in real operations due to hot spots in
the engine in contact with the lubricant, or in the rst piston
groove near the combustion chamber (Maleville, et al.
4
).
ing the oxidation process. Two related effects are governed by
temperature: the reaction activation energy and the effect on the
speed of the reaction, with greater speed associated with higher
temperatures. This relationship is nonlinear, doubling the rate of
C increase in temperature (Wooton (13)).
When lubricant oils are exposed to high temperatures in the
presence of oxygen (air), oil begins to suffer a slow oxidation pro-
cess in which the oils hydrocarbons react with oxygen to form
other substances, including organic acid derivatives such as ke-
tones and aldehydes, with additional esters at lower concentra-
tions. Engine oils are highly susceptible to oxidation, considering
the high oil temperatures reached in the piston area, which results
). Further-
more, the different combustion process and related temperatures
of CNG engines, compared to diesel engines, result in a higher
degradation rate in CNG engines, as observed in previous studies
Oxidation due to oil temperature leads to important changes
in the effectiveness of the oil as a lubricant, increasing the acid-
) and viscosity of the oil (Owranga, et al.
), among other changes. Consequently, the lubricant be-
comes more aggressive toward metal surfaces, especially nonfer-
rous surfaces, and modies its ability to form a lubricant lm,
leading to potentially higher engine wear. Many analytical tech-
niques (FTIR, potentiometric acidbase titrations, voltammetry,
sealed capsule differential scanning calorimetry, gas chromatog-
raphy, etc.) have been used to try to more precisely quantify the
Fuel dilution problems have long been studied and different
alternative measurement methods have been used for detection,
including gas chromatography, ash point, fuel sniffer, or vis-
; Mortier, et al.
). Automotive fuels can consist of a wide variety of branched
aliphatic compounds, aromatic compounds, and many other com-
pounds blended to produce a desired set of physical properties.
can be identied
biodiesel blends are being used. Constituents of biodiesel (methyl
esters from vegetable oils) present spectral interferences in the
oxidation quantication area (approximately at 1745 cm
1
).This
interference could be worse in association with higher biodiesel
blends.
CHARACTERISTICS OF METHODOLOGY AND
SAMPLES
Methodology Measurement
A methodology based on ASTM D7214 (11) and ASTM
E2412 (9) and considering the type of machine to be monitored
(internal combustion engines) was developed using FTIR (A2
Equipment Technologies PAL Series, CT, USA). The character-
istics of the FTIR equipment are provided in Table 1.
Measurements of the oxidation levels were performed in the
range between 1770 and 1650 cm
1
and reported as peak area
increase (PAI; unit, Abscm
1
/mm), following ASTM D7214,
or peak high (PH; unit, Abs). Both measurements were per-
formed using a single baseline starting at 1850 cm
1
and ending
at 1620 cm
1
.
TABLE 2ENGINE CHARACTERISTICS
Characteristics CNG Vehicle Type Diesel Vehicle Type
Type
a
II/TC DI/TC
Number of cylinders 6 6
Bore/stroke (mm) 115/125 128/155
Engine displacement (cc) 7,790 11,967
Power (kW) 200 @ 2,000 rpm 220 @ 1,900 rpm
bmep (bar) 15.4 11.6
Power/displacement
(kW/L)
25.67 18.38
Oil drain period (km) 15,000 35,000
Oil sump capacity (L) 23 31
Oil type in use Oil A and B Oil C
a
II = indirect injection; DI = direct injection; TC = turbocharged.
FTIR Method to Monitor Oxidation Levels 873
spectrally visualized and associated to typical lubricant problems,
such as additive depletion, oxidation, nitration, soot content, fuel
Next an attempt was made to standardize the measurement of
these changes in terms of absorbance or arbitrary units that can
be correlated with machine faults or lubricant degradation level.
Perhaps the most important effort toward standardizing the
methodology and analytical protocol was made by the U.S.
Armed Forces in the frame of the Joint Oil Analysis Program
(12)). In this
report, several fundamental aspects related to FTIR analytical
condition monitoring protocol were presented, such as spectral
regions and baselines based on standard addition experimenta-
tion for three oil categories: petroleum, synthetic (ester), and hy-
Further research led to the development of ASTM E2412 (9).
ASTM D7214 covers determination of the extent of a lubricants
VARIABLES AFFECTING OXIDATION MEASUREMENTS
Temperature is one of the most important parameters affect-
ing the oxidation process. Two related effects are governed by
temperature: the reaction activation energy and the effect on the
speed of the reaction, with greater speed associated with higher
temperatures. This relationship is nonlinear, doubling the rate of
C increase in temperature (Wooton (13)).
When lubricant oils are exposed to high temperatures in the
presence of oxygen (air), oil begins to suffer a slow oxidation pro-
cess in which the oils hydrocarbons react with oxygen to form
other substances, including organic acid derivatives such as ke-
tones and aldehydes, with additional esters at lower concentra-
tions. Engine oils are highly susceptible to oxidation, considering
the high oil temperatures reached in the piston area, which results
). Further-
more, the different combustion process and related temperatures
of CNG engines, compared to diesel engines, result in a higher
degradation rate in CNG engines, as observed in previous studies
Oxidation due to oil temperature leads to important changes
in the effectiveness of the oil as a lubricant, increasing the acid-
) and viscosity of the oil (Owranga, et al.
), among other changes. Consequently, the lubricant be-
comes more aggressive toward metal surfaces, especially nonfer-
rous surfaces, and modies its ability to form a lubricant lm,
leading to potentially higher engine wear. Many analytical tech-
niques (FTIR, potentiometric acidbase titrations, voltammetry,
sealed capsule differential scanning calorimetry, gas chromatog-
raphy, etc.) have been used to try to more precisely quantify the
Fuel dilution problems have long been studied and different
alternative measurement methods have been used for detection,
including gas chromatography, ash point, fuel sniffer, or vis-
; Mortier, et al.
). Automotive fuels can consist of a wide variety of branched
aliphatic compounds, aromatic compounds, and many other com-
pounds blended to produce a desired set of physical properties.
can be identied
TABLE 1CHARACTERISTICS OF FTIR EQUIPMENT
Characteristics
Spectral range 4700590 cm
1
Resolution 4 cm
1
Sample scan 128
Background scan 128
Path length mm (m) 0.1 (100)
Sampling cell material Zinc selenide (ZnSe)
Interface Transmission-TumbIIR
Apodization Triangular
mainly in the spectral range between 815 and 745 cm
1
. This ab-
sorbance band is typical for out-of-plane bending of two adja-
cent hydrogens in a para-substituted aromatic ring. This range
is quite far from the range associated with oxidation measure-
ments, thus avoiding interference problems. This situation chang-
ing due to the introduction and extensive use of biofuels (accord-
ing to European regulations, which allow up to 7% v/v content
of biofuels; UNE EN 590), and especially in diesel engines where
biodiesel blends are being used. Constituents of biodiesel (methyl
esters from vegetable oils) present spectral interferences in the
oxidation quantication area (approximately at 1745 cm
1
).This
interference could be worse in association with higher biodiesel
blends.
CHARACTERISTICS OF METHODOLOGY AND
SAMPLES
Methodology Measurement
A methodology based on ASTM D7214 (11) and ASTM
E2412 (9) and considering the type of machine to be monitored
(internal combustion engines) was developed using FTIR (A2
Equipment Technologies PAL Series, CT, USA). The character-
istics of the FTIR equipment are provided in Table 1.
Measurements of the oxidation levels were performed in the
range between 1770 and 1650 cm
1
and reported as peak area
increase (PAI; unit, Abscm
1
/mm), following ASTM D7214,
or peak high (PH; unit, Abs). Both measurements were per-
formed using a single baseline starting at 1850 cm
1
and ending
at 1620 cm
1
.
TABLE 2ENGINE CHARACTERISTICS
Characteristics CNG Vehicle Type Diesel Vehicle Type
Type
a
II/TC DI/TC
Number of cylinders 6 6
Bore/stroke (mm) 115/125 128/155
Engine displacement (cc) 7,790 11,967
Power (kW) 200 @ 2,000 rpm 220 @ 1,900 rpm
bmep (bar) 15.4 11.6
Power/displacement
(kW/L)
25.67 18.38
Oil drain period (km) 15,000 35,000
Oil sump capacity (L) 23 31
Oil type in use Oil A and B Oil C
a
II = indirect injection; DI = direct injection; TC = turbocharged.
Table 1 | Characteristics of FTIR Equipment
Table 2 | Engine Characteristics
874 V. MACI AN ET AL.
TABLE 3CHARACTERISTICS OF FRESH OILS
Characteristic Oil A Oil B Oil C Oil D
SAE grade 15W/40 10W40 15W/40 5W50
Density at 15
C) 27 <33 27 max 51
Service Classication API CF-4 IVECO 18-1809 API CI-4/CH-4/SL API SM, SL, CF
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d
b
y
[
7
5
.
1
4
9
.
2
0
0
.
2
3
3
]
a
t
1
4
:
5
1
2
8
N
o
v
e
m
b
e
r
2
0
1
2
Table 3 | Characteristics of Fresh Oils
42 CommercialMarketingForum:30-minuteslotsavailableforSTLEs2013annual
To assess the effects of fuel contamination, the oils
specically formulated for diesel engines (types C and D)
were diluted (1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 20%) using two different
biodiesel fuel blends: B10 and B20.
RESULtS
Samples from Engines in Real Service
Figures 1 and 2 show the results for CNG engines in real
operating conditions in a transport eet. Figure 1 shows the
complete FTIR spectra for the ve most representative sam-
ples from CNG engines using oil A, including the fresh oil
sample, which is depicted with a dark color. The graph on
the lower left-hand side of Fig. 1 represents the extreme val-
ues computed in absorbance values and measured as a PH.
As can be seen in the range between 1780 and 1680 cm
1
,
fresh oil had absorbance values around 0.2 Abs in zone A,
and samples representing maximum oil degradation reached
values up to 0.4 Abs. In addition, the initial peak present
in zone B associated with fresh oil gradually disappeared in
used oil samples as a direct consequence of oil degradation
related to thermal stress.
The bottom left area of Figure 1 presents the results of
oxidation quantication using the PAI method for all 30
samples pertaining to this group. Maximum values of 18
Pour point (
C) 27 <33 27 max 51
Service Classication API CF-4 IVECO 18-1809 API CI-4/CH-4/SL API SM, SL, CF
Fig. 1Results for CNG engines using mineral oil A.
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d
b
y
[
7
5
.
1
4
9
.
2
0
0
.
2
3
3
]
a
t
1
4
:
5
1
2
8
N
o
v
e
m
b
e
r
2
0
1
2
Figure 1 | Results for CNG engines using mineral oil A.
meetinginDetroit.ContactTracyVanEeat(630)922-3459,[email protected]. 43
Abscm
1
/0.1 mm were reached at the end of oil drain period,
around 16,000 km. A direct relationship between oil degrada-
tion (oxidation) and oil mileage (Macin, et al.
1
)was observed.
The main graph in Figure 2 shows the FTIR spectra for
ve samples considered representative out of the full group
(30 samples), corresponding to CNG engines lubricated with
synthetic oil B. As can be seen, the behavior was quite similar
to the previous case. As can be seen in the zoomed graph,
highlighting wave numbers range between 1780 and 1680
cm
1
, fresh oil presented absorbance values slightly lower
than 0.2 Abs in zone A, and samples representing maximum
oil degradation reached values around 0.35 Abs. In this case
the mileage was substantially higher, reaching more than
30,000 km, caused due to the use of improved antioxidant
additive packages and base oil. The bottom left area of Figure
2 presents the results for oxidation quantication using the
PAI method for these samples and it can be seen that values
were 21 Abscm
1
/0.1 mm at the oil drain period.
Figure 3 represents the evolution of the oxidation of min-
eral oil (type C) samples from diesel engines. Similar behav-
ior was observed as in the previous result but with lower oxi-
dation values (PAI measurement) of about 12 Abscm
1
/0.1
Figure 2 | Results for CNG engines using synthetic oil B.
FTIR Method to Monitor Oxidation Levels 875
Fig. 2Results for CNG engines using synthetic oil B.
Sample Characteristics
Different types of samples were used, including samples ob-
tained from engines under real working conditions in an urban
transport eet and samples that were lab degraded.
Vehicles tested in the urban eet were powered by two differ-
ent types of engines: diesel and CNG engines. The main charac-
teristics of each type of engine are presented in Table 2. For CNG
engines, two types of engine oil were useda 15W40 mineral oil
(oil A) and a 10W40 synthetic oil with higher antioxidant addi-
tive package (oil B)in order to check the performance of the
oils under similar working conditions. A 15W40 mineral oil (oil
C) was used for diesel engines. Additionally, a synthetic engine
oil 5W50 (oil D), base oil API group IV, was used for lab tests.
The main characteristics of all of the oils employed in the present
study are summarized in Table 3.
Samples of used oil were taken for analysis every 5,000 km.
Additional samples were taken at the end of the oil drain pe-
riod15,000 km for CNG engines and 30,000 km for diesel engines.
Vehicles have frequent stop and go service, long periods of engine
idling, and average speed of 12.7 km/h. Vehicles were equipped
with automatic fresh oil relling systems.
A second group of samples was evaluated in the laboratory
after a specic degradation process using the same types of fresh
oils (A, B, C, and D).
Two degradation processes were considered, one representing
thermal degradation, which was simulated using a thermal bath at
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d
b
y
[
7
5
.
1
4
9
.
2
0
0
.
2
3
3
]
a
t
1
4
:
5
1
2
8
N
o
v
e
m
b
e
r
2
0
1
2
44 Triviaalert:Athimblefulofaneutronstarwouldweighmorethan100milliontons.
If you are looking to make your metalworking
fluids greener with vegetable oil-based formulations,
Huntsmans new SURFONIC
to Evaluate
Fundamental Oxidation Processes in
Low-Phosphorus Engine Oils, Tribolo-
gyTransactions, 50(1), pp 96103.
Figure 9 | Evolution of degradation by fuel dilution (B20). Engine oil type C.
Figure 10 | Evolution of degradation by fuel dilution (B20). Engine oil type D.
FTIR Method to Monitor Oxidation Levels 881
Fig. 10Evolution of oil degradation by fuel dilution (B20). Engine oil type D.
related to the peak located in zone B and associated with fresh
oil; this peak increased gradually in contaminated samples (up to
0.6 Abs measured as a PH with 20% of fuel dilution using a B20
blend; Fig. 9).
C-O and O-H vibrations are highly characteristic in this fre-
quency range.
Detection of fuel contamination could be performed in addi-
tional wavenumber ranges that those offered by the ASTM stan-
dard practice (835735 cm
1
).Taking into account the increased
use of biofuel blends, fuel dilution problems were much easier
Fig. 8FTIR spectra (range 17501640 cm
1
) for samples degraded by temperature. Engine oil type D.
Fig. 9Evolution of degradation by fuel dilution (B20). Engine oil type C.
50 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y W W W. S T L E . O R G
Changing the way you look at oil.
Making Sure Youre Good to Go.
SPECTRO, INC. 10 Ayer 8oad, L|tt|eton, NA 0140 U.S.A 978-431-1120 www.spectro|nc.com sa|es@spectro|nc.com An |S0 9001:2008 company
Oil Analysis When and Where You Need It.
Unplanned equipment downtime and the
loss of productivity due to wrong oil choice,
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As immediacy and up-time drive global industry
today, there is continuing pressure on equipment
owners and maintenance managers to ensure
uninterrupted service. Companies must be able
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make smart maintenance decisions quickly.
Spectro changes the way you look at oil.
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Fluidscan Q1000, packed with
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GULF OIL OF INDIA AcqUIRES
HOUGHtON INtERNAtIONAL
Gulf Oil Corp. has acquired Houghton in-
ternational, a global supplier of metal-
working uids, and is expanding its
lubricant operations in the industrial
and automotive sectors. Houghton
will operate as a sister company to
Gulf Oil.
Based in Hyderabad, India, Gulf Oil
is part of the Indian conglomerate
Hinduja Group, which consists of
Ashok Leyland (truck and bus manu-
facturing) and Gulf Oil International
(production and marketing of gaso-
line, lubricants, greases and other ma-
terials for industrial applications).
This marks a new and vital chap-
ter in Houghtons evolution and to join
forces with a successful and famous
global brand such as Gulf will offer
important future benets and oppor-
tunities to our stakeholders, says Paul
DeVivo, CEO of Houghton. We be-
lieve this new ownership will bring
considerable benets to Houghtons
customers, but for now its business as
usual with Houghton.
LONzA SELLS PERFORMANcE
UREtHANES AND ORGANIcS
bUSINESS
Lonza Group has announced an agree-
ment to sell the companys perfor-
mance urethanes and organics busi-
ness in Brandenburg, Ky., to Monument
Chemical, an international company
headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind.
We are pleased to have found a
strategic owner for our Brandenburg
facility, says Richard Ridinger, CEO of
Lonza. While performance urethanes
operations is not core to the Lonza
portfolio, the divestiture of the assets
provides the Brandenburg business
with the foundation for continued
growth and expansion. Additionally,
Lonza can continue to focus on further
shaping and moving forward with our
strategic activities.
In October 2011, Lonza acquired
Arch Chemicals Inc. and considered
the divestiture of certain Arch business
and assets. A formal divestiture pro-
cess for the Brandenburg facility was
initiated in July 2012.
RJS qUINN REPRESENtS
MNzING IN cANADA
Mnzing inc. has selected rJS Quinn as
the exclusive manufacturers represen-
tative for the companys industrial u-
id markets Foam Ban
and Foamtrol
defoamer lines in Canadas Quebec
and Ontario provinces.
These markets include the metal-
working and lubricant industries, sur-
face treatment, in-process waste treat-
ment and energy markets. For
information regarding Mnzing prod-
ucts, sampling or order placement,
contact Rick Quinn, (416) 993-8858,
[email protected].
52 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y W W W. S T L E . O R G
Performance and service that are
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Global Sales and Service
HONORS & AWARDS
ISRAELI RESEARcHER REcEIVES
2012 tRIbOLOGY GOLD MEDAL
Professor Jacob Klein of the Weizmann
Institute of Science in Israel has been
awarded the worlds highest award in
tribology, The Tribology Gold Medal,
presented to him on behalf of The Tri-
bology Trust.
Klein was recognized with the 2012
Gold Medal for his outstanding contri-
bution to tribology, particularly for his
work in the eld of molecular brush
lubrication, as well as hydration lubri-
cation, which has considerable poten-
tial applications in tissue engineering
and biomedical devices.
Kleins research includes several ar-
eas of tribology such as friction and
boundary lubrication by polymers at
surfaces and highly conned liquids,
especially his pioneering discovery of
hydration lubrication. This work was
based on Kleins
experi ment al
studies using
uniquely sensi-
tive, self-de-
signed devices
(Surface Force
Balances) for
force and fric-
tion measure-
ments at the molecular level.
Klein explored basic properties of
systems on a molecular scale, includ-
ing the friction and lubrication of
polymers. In particular, he developed
experiments investigating, at a molec-
ular level, the friction associated with
brush-like polymer boundary layers.
Hes known as a prime mover in devel-
oping the powerful concept of molecu-
lar brush lubrication, which has at-
tracted interest in various laboratories
around the world because of the dis-
covery of how boundary lubrication
operates at the solvated polymer-poly-
mer interface.
Klein studied at the University of
Cambridge (U.K.) where he researched
at the Cavendish Laboratory under the
guidance of professor David Tabor, the
rst recipient of The Tribology Gold
Medal (1972).
In 1977 Klein joined the Weizmann
Institute of Science in Israel and held
several positions such as professor
(1987), chair of the polymer research
department (1989-1991) and the Sci-
entic Council (1999-2000). In 2000
he was appointed the Dr. Lees profes-
sor of chemistry and head of the de-
partment of physical and theoretical
chemistry at the University of Oxford
(U.K.), and in 2007 returned full-time
to the Weizmann Institute where he is
the Herman Mark Professor of Poly-
mer Physics.
In addition, Klein has served as
consultant for several companies, in-
cluding Proctor & Gamble, Kodak,
Unilever and Exxon.
cRODAS IAN HObDAY REcOGNIzED AS
UKLA YOUNG EMPLOYEE OF tHE YEAR
Croda Lubricants has announced that
ian Hobday, lubricants applications
Send us your news releases and photos for publication in Newsmakers to TLT Magazine, Attn: Karl Phipps, 840 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, IL 60068, [email protected].
Professor Jacob Klein
www.nceed.com
1-888-726-3114
[email protected]
$3DUWQHUVKLSWKDWEHQHILWV\RX
NCeec i: ncw c civi:icn cf ChemCeec, cnc IhcI mecn: IhcI ycu wi||
receive Ihe :cme per:cnc| :ervice LuI wiIh increc:ec ccpcLi|iIie:. NCeec
i: prcuc Ic cffer cn expcncec prccucI |ine, mu|Iip|e :Iccking pcinI: Ic
en:ure :Ircng cvci|cLi|iIy cf prccucI:, repcckcging :ervice:, cn imprcvec
:curcing neIwcrk, cnc much mcrel
0RUHWR
2IIHU
Triviaalert:Theaverageicebergweighs20,000,000tons. 53
NewSMAKerS
team leader, is the recipient of the 2012 Young Employee of the Year
Award from the United Kingdom Lubricants Association.
Ian was recognized at the UKLAs annual dinner in London last
November for outstanding achievements during his four years work-
ing at Croda Lubricants.
During his time at Croda, Ian was instrumental in decommission-
ing the companys U.K. plant at Wilton and recommissioning it at the
Cowick headquarters. In addition, he supported the Croda business at
key customer meetings and presented new product developments at
global industry events. Most recently,
Ian led a technical group in develop-
ing new groundbreaking friction mod-
iers for automotive lubricants and is
now leading a technical team to de-
velop this project into an extension of
the product range, while continuing
to drive forward and support other
key R&D projects.
Ian has taken on enormous re-
sponsibility, both in terms of projects,
customer support and team manage-
ment, says Chris Nottingham, vice
president of Croda Lubricants. His
rise to this level within the technical
team has been swift due to his skills,
capabilities and can-do attitude.
54 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y W W W. S T L E . O R G
wATCH yOUr e-MAiL fOr 2013
STLe ANNUAL MeeTiNG TeCHNiCAL PrOGrAM
This month STLE is sending you a digital brochure with
the full technical program for its 2013 Annual Meeting
& Exhibition. The conference, the years premier tech-
nical event for the lubricant and tribology-research
communities, is May 5-9, 2013, at the Detroit Marriott
at the Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan (USA).
STLEs annual meeting features 350-plus techni-
cal-paper presentations, 12 industry-specifc educa-
tion courses, a 70-exhibitor trade show, the popular
Commercial Marketing Forum and a host of networking
events. The meeting typically attracts some 1,300 in-
dustry professionals from around the world, making it
a unique and truly international event.
Program details are available on www.stle.org.
If you register by April 1, you can save $100 on your
meeting registration fee. STLE non-members are wel-
come and invited to attend.
April 1 also is the reservation deadline for the special
room rates STLE has negotiated with the Marriott. How-
ever, rooms are still booked on a frst-come, frst-served
basis, and the Marriott cannot guarantee room availabil-
ity on April 1. If you plan to attend the STLE event, you
are urged to make your room reservation now.
ian Hobday, UKLA 2012 young
employee of the year, with
partner rachel Collins
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The U.S. government can help the
lubricants industry by continuing the
push for more efciency in indus-
try and transportation. World-class
lubrication is an important piece in
the efciency puzzle, and it should be
seen as an integral part of the solution
to reducing emissions.
Get out of the way.
Promote the Made in the USA mark by
encouraging companies to manufac-
ture in and export from the U.S.
Provide tax rebates to companies that
update their lubricants and improve
efciency. Focusing on system ef-
ciency rst will help lower emissions.
i suggest the president and Congress
remove authority from the EPA and
trim back regulations to promote
growth in the lubricants and energy
industries.
Promote U.S. manufacturing by offering
more incentives to assist new manu-
facturing startups and to help existing
manufacturers stay in the U.S.
resolving the gridlock in Washington
would go a long way toward a happier
New Year.
Promote U.S. manufacturing by
eliminating tax write-offs for U.S.
companies manufacturing products
overseas.
Promote U.S. manufacturing by mini-
mizing new regulations that put the
U.S. at a competitive disadvantage.
it is a wrong-headed government that
sees its job as helping industry du
jour. The best solution for promoting
U.S. manufacturing is to reduce tax
burden on all, not just some. And
tax burden cannot be fundamentally
and permanently reduced without
reducing spending. The nanny-state
must end.
Best way the government can help the
industry is to not get involved.
remove current ethanol for fuel
requirements.
How can President Obama and Congress
either help the lubricants industry,
promote U.S. manufacturing or
conserve energy in 2013?
SoundingBoardgaveTLTsinternationalaudiencetheissue
offbysendingthismonthssurveyquestionstoU.S.readers
only.ThemostcommonresponsesfromourAmericanreaders
includedreducingcorporatetaxratestomakeU.S.businesses
morecompetitiveworldwide,applyingamorecommon-sense
approachtoregulatorypolicyandtakinggreateradvantageof
naturalenergysourceswithinthecountry.Surveyrespon-
dentsalsofeltstronglythatthenewgovernmentshould
reducethenationsdefcitanddebtproblems.Severalsaid
theybelievethegovernmentshouldremoveethanolfromfuel
requirements,andotherswantedtoseeareductioninEPAs
authority.Butbyfarthemostcommonresponsewasthatthe
presidentandCongressshouldbelessintrusiveintheaffairs
ofbusinessandletthefreeenterprisesystemwork.They
shouldresolvetoleaveprivateindustryalone,saidone
respondent.Everythingtheytouchturnsintosomethingakin
toanincompatiblegreasemixture.
SOUNdiNG BOArd
56 Reserveboothspace:ExhibitboothapplicationformsavailableforSTLEs2013
we do not need the governments
interaction in our industry. We do not
need the governments interaction in
any business. The governments in-
volvement in business is called corpo-
ratism and is a cornerstone of Social-
ist and Communist societies, but it is
not a part of a Republic. We need to
do everything we can to eliminate the
government from our industry and
our business.
Step aside and allow the drilling
needed to get the U.S. off foreign oil
and back here at home!
The government needs to get tax rules
and laws cleared up to promote
investment in long-term capital im-
provements. It also needs to recognize
that while Green Energy is a noble
long-term goal, the reality is that
petroleum is the energy and lubrica-
tion source for now. Most biobased
products cannot compete in either
cost or quality without substantial
government subsidies which, in the
long-term, are not sustainable. Let the
market and technology work it out.
Give tax breaks to companies that
bring manufacturing back from
overseas. This would promote U.S.
manufacturing and help the lubricant
industry.
Promote U.S. manufacturing by easing
overly burdensome regulations and
promoting free market growth.
require plants to perform condition-
based maintenance as part of energy-
savings initiatives.
resolve to redouble the federal
governments efforts to provide
incentives to promote U.S.
manufacturing and conserve energy,
for both businesses and individuals.
Pass a law mandating all U.S.
government agencies including the
military purchase only lubricants
manufactured and sourced in the U.S.
drill, baby, drill!
reduce taxes for lubricant manufactur-
ers and all companies related to the
industry.
Promote technologies that are devel-
oped or in place that can improve the
economy and the jobs market. Dont
legislate wishful thinking on targets
like emissions, VOC, etc.
Change the tax code so that manufac-
turing in the U.S. is rewarded.
Promote U.S. manufacturing by
freeing capital and balancing the
federal budget.
eliminate the ePA and the irS. Give free
enterprise a chance.
focus on all types of energy, not just
green energy. Approve the construc-
tion of the Keystone Pipeline. Expand
drilling rights to states willing to
invest off their coastlines.
Create more manufacturing jobs to
support business in our country.
ease restrictions on drilling for oil in
the U.S.
Put a leash on the EPA.
There is nothing that government can
do to help industry. Government
involvement in any industry will
certainly have a negative effect.
www.synfluid.com synfluidCcpchem.com
Toll Free: 800.231.3260
2012 Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP. Synfluid
is a registered trademark
in the U.S. and other jurisdictions owned by Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP.
Q:
I hear your new high viscosity
Synfluid
mPAO is based on
a single monomer, AlphaPlus
1-Octene. The relative availability
of olefin monomer was certainly a
consideration, i.e. 1-octene vs. 1-decene.
More importantly, however, was
product performance. Chevron Phillips
Chemical`s proprietary manufacturing
process and monomer selection combine
to produce the ground-breaking
performance characteristics that our
customers expect from Synfluid
poly-
alphaolefins. The table below shows
how our new Synfluid
mPAOs offer
significant advantages in pour point and
viscosity index over conventional high-
viscosity PAOs.
Conven-
tional
CPC
Conven-
tional
CPC
Property H9G ,( eH9G ,( H9G )(( eH9G )((
Viscosity
Kinematic @ 100C, cSt 40 40 100 100
Kinematic @ 40C, cSt 395 348 1,231 992
Brookfield @ -8C, cP 12,200 6,500 51,400 24,000
Viscosity Index 147 170 167 194
Pour Point, C (0F) -36 -50 -30 -44
In addition to these properties, we`ve
also seen a significant reduction in the
traction coefficient as compared to
conventional high-viscosity PAOs.
For more details on how Synfluid
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give us a call.
with Ken Hope, Ph.D.
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annualmeetinginDetroit.ContactTracyVanEeat(630)922-3459,[email protected]. 57
SOUNdiNG BOArd
Provide additional incentives to small
manufacturing units for solar panel
installations.
The president can help all of the
industries in the U.S. by ending the
class war. By working with industries
instead of portraying them as greedy
destroyers of the environment and
workers, perhaps this country can
turn our economy back around.
Allow U.S. drilling to tap into the oil
supply we have available so we can
become independent of foreign oil
producers. This would create jobs,
boost the economy and, lets hope,
lower fuel prices at the pump.
Promote the use of gas-to-liquids
technology and support more use of
domestic natural gas in the transpor-
tation sector.
Manufacturing could be promoted by
requiring goods manufactured and
imported from overseas to be pro-
duced under the same requirements
(i.e., environmental registrations, labor
conditions, etc.) as those in the U.S.
relax regulations.
Promote U.S. manufacturing and stop
the spending.
The federal government should reduce
tariffs and eliminate tariff loopholes.
Make the tariff 3% for all items unless
we have a mutual free trade agree-
ment in place.
increase drilling production. Cut down
on the amount of time it takes for a
permit. Leave us alone!
Lower taxes.
Heighten awareness for and promote
alternative energy solutions to the
nations and worlds energy problem.
Wind turbines need lubricants as
well, and as such the eld of tribology
will not be weakened by their encour-
aged success.
Promote the coal industry. Stop over
regulating our natural resources.
Make the USA a more business-friendly
country.
Get out of our way.
Conserve energy by lowering emissions
requirements on vehicles so that they
can get better fuel economy.
reduce the corporate tax rate to 25%
and create a transportation infrastruc-
ture bank to enhance construction
projects using lubricants.
we must stop the U.S. job loss.
Lets conserve energy and get the
government out of the ethanol
business. I am tired of giving up
mpg due to fuel requirements.
58 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y W W W. S T L E . O R G
or
The ePA is overly involved
in everyday business and
making manufacturing in
the U.S. more difcult.
Actually, all three could
be encouraged with the
implementation of some
common sense regulations.
Not more regulations but
common sense, practical
equipment and, in many
instances, existing technol-
ogy. For example, billions
of dollars have been spent
to burn coal cleanly and efciently
lets use the technology instead of
outlawing coal. Anyone calculated
how many solar panels it would take
to replace a coal-red power plant?
Change the tax code to encourage
domestic manufacturing and penalize
companies that exploit overseas tax
shelters.
Simply get out of the way. Oil and gas
have been part of the U.S. economy
for more than 100 years. Stop the
regulating-to-death approach until
there is a viable alternative.
Solve the defcit and debt problems.
The best way to help the lubricants
industry is to make decisions regard-
ing taxation that encourage business
to invest and expand.
raise revenue by closing tax loopholes,
tax investment income like ordinary
income, reduce spending.
Lower taxes to spur economic growth.
im an engineer and dont have any
brilliant economic ideas, but it seems
to me that a good place to start would
be to work on our infrastructure.
Obviously, the economy is important
and improving it should take No.
1 position, regardless of the other
concerns. However, after the economy
improves, there will be only a nar-
row window of time to take action to
greatly reduce the decit or serious
ination will result.
(1.) Get off the backs of the petroleum
industry. (2.) Lay out a long-term
strategy for future stability of the
economy for planning. (3.) Stop
duplication/overlap of government
agencies, federal and state.
develop a real energy policy so Ameri-
can manufacturers can use lower
energy pricing to grow manufacturing
in the U.S. Take advantage of natural
gas for a competitive advantage.
Promoting U.S. business is paramount.
Promote the construction of additional
rening capacity, if not additional
crude inow (drilling, imports).
Stop using food products in motor
fuels.
Tax breaks or other nancial
incentives for manufactur-
ers to subsidize or reward
the use of lubricants that
improve energy efciency
and reduce carbon foot-
print.
eliminate about half the
federal government and put
control back to the states.
U.S. manufacturing would
be increased if the tax code
was revised and simplied
and corporate taxes were reduced (so
companies would bring foreign prots
back to the U.S.).
Help develop vegetable oil-based lubri-
cants.
drop any form of cap and trade, whether
it is in CO
2
emissions or energy regula-
tions. Look at what California has
done with it. Many small companies
cant afford to do business there. That
is what the rest of the nation will look
like if cap and trade goes forward.
Loosen restrictions on drilling on
federal land.
realistically assess the cost of govern-
ment regulations on industry.
Keep the Bush-era tax cuts.
Continuous posturing leads to stagna-
tion. Make the hard decisions now,
whatever they may be. The hardest
thing for businesses of all types to
overcome is uncertainty.
Editors Note: Sounding Board is based
on an e-mail survey of 13,000 TLT
readers. Views expressed are those of
the respondents and do not reect the
opinions of the Society of Tribologists
and Lubrication Engineers. STLE does
not vouch for the technical accuracy of
opinions expressed in Sounding Board,
nor does inclusion of a comment repre-
sent an endorsement of the technology
by STLE.
Lookingforwork?CheckoutSTLEsCareerCentertofndajobthatsrightforyou.Detailsatwww.stle.org. 59
New PrOdUCTS
REAL-tIME
PARtIcLE
MONItORING
MeTTLer-TOLedO intro-
duces the companys new
fBrM (focused Beam
reectance Measure-
ment) technology for
tracking the rate and
degree to change to par-
ticles, particle structures
and droplets at full pro-
cess concentration. FBRM
G600L quickly captures
particle-change informa-
tion for fast optimization
of crystallization, particle and droplet processes. Fewer experiments mean
lower ramp-up costs and faster time-to-market. With a pneumatic probe ide-
al for use in classifed laboratory hoods, FBRM G600L can be used in vessels
from 500 milliters-10 liters or inserted into a continuous pipeline. In each
application, FBRM G600L enables chemists and engineers to quickly link ex-
periment variables to changes in particle dimension, shape and count using
the same sensitive FBRM technology applied in other series entries: FBRM
G400, FBRM G600Ex and FBRM G600 Production). The ability to characterize
particle or droplet system response to changing experiment parameters
allows for faster process performance improvement, more uniform particle
distribution and enhanced product quality.
MeTTLer-TOLedO AutoChem, inc.
Columbia, Md.
(410) 910-8500
www.mt.com
ANtI-StAt PLEAt ELEMENtS
Schroeder industries introduces AntiStat Pleat
(ASP) elements. ASP Elements greatly reduce or elimi-
nate electrostatic discharge problems that can occur
during fltration of hydraulic and lubrication fuids. By
combining proven Excellement media and ASP tech-
nology, it is now possible to offer both high fltration
effciency and either prevent or signifcantly reduce
electrostatic discharge. ASP Elements inhibit element
damage and oil deterioration, decrease sludge and oil
sediment and extend system component life.
Schroeder industries
Leetsdale, Pa.
(724) 318-1100
www.schroederindus-
tries.com
DRAIN PORt ADAPtER KIt
des-Case Corp. introduces the drain Port Adapter Kit, which has been upgraded and provides an effcient
solution to draining oil from gearboxes, hydraulic reservoirs, totes and other industrial equipment. The kit now
comes equipped with a more durable oil-level indicator that features a sturdy, steel-protective outer sleeve,
offering more protection for equipment in high traffc areas susceptible to accidental bumps and knocks. Fea-
tures a quick connect plug for easy linkage to a fltration system. The kit can be modifed according to the tank
connection size, oil-level indicator size, sample port types and sight glass to easily view free-standing water.
des-Case Corp.
Goodlettsville, Tenn.
(615) 672-8800
www.descase.com
60 Justforlaughs:100Senators=Not1decision.
Send us your new product news with color photos to: TLT Magazine, Attn: Karl Phipps, 840 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, IL 60068, [email protected]
W W W. S T L E . O R G T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 61
NEXt-GEN LOAMS
Analysts, inc., has launched the companys highly anticipated next-generation LOAMS
and Oil Monitoring Analyst
(I&II) certications.
Basic Handbook of Lubrication
Third Edition
Oil viscosity & selecting correct grade
depending on temperature
Friction and lubrication regimes
Mineral base oils
Synthetic base oils and nished lubricants
Used oil re-rening to create base oils
Additives used in formulating lubricants
New lubricants analysis & testing
Bearing lubrication
Engine oils
(Stationary) natural gas engine lubrication
Enclosed gear oils: Classications and
additives
Hydraulics uids & related properties
Hydraulic system components
Hydraulic system components sample
calculation
Hydraulic system components sample
calculation appendix
Air compressor lubrication
Reciprocating natural gas compressor
lubrication
Lubrication of electric motor bearings
Turbine oils
Refrigeration system lubrication
Grease, an introduction
Solid lm lubricants
Metalworking & preservative uids
Environmentally friendly lubricants
Solvents & cleaners
Aftermarket additives
Centralized lubrication systems
Pneumatics
Filtration
Introduction to seals
Wear types
Degradation and analysis of oils
in service
Condition monitoring & industrial
machinery
Effective bearing failure analysis
A guide to purchasing lubricants
Storage of new lubricants (health, safety
and environmental considerations)
Used oil collection
Glossary of lubrication terms
Price: $125 to STLE members. $159 to others.
Comes in spiral-bound and perfect-bound editions.
Available only through STLE! Order at www.stle.org, or call 847-825-5536.
Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers
840 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, Illinois 60068
P: 847-825-5536 F: 847-825-1456 www.stle.org [email protected]
CHAPTER TITLES
The only reference you need to
understand tribology fundamentals!
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CERTIFIED LUBRICATION
SPECIALIST
Charles Daniel Adams
McPherson Companies Inc.
Tyler Allan
Schaeffer Manufacturing Co.
Daryl E. Andersen
Lubrication Technologies Inc.
David Edward Anderson
Millar Western Forest Products
Ltd.
Matt Arndt
Materion
William Robert Barnes, Jr.
Halco Lubricants, Inc.
Teo Keng Meng Benjamin
Tecsia Lubricants Pte. Ltd.
Denise A. Bhagwat
Neal and Massey Woodgroup
Limited
Lawrence S. Bouvier
Fuss & ONeill Manufacturing
Solutions, LLC
Layton Bowles
Amber Industrial Services
Keith Brady
Schaeffer Manufacturing
Charles W. Bragg, Jr.
Jay Gress, Inc.
Garland Bridgewater
Trico Corp.
Dwayne Bryan
Trinidad & Tobago National
Petroleum Marketing Co. Ltd.
Jonathon Cales
Valvoline
Joseph R. Cervassi
ExxonMobil
Aaron Chambers
Millar Western Forest Products Ltd.
Subrata Brad Chatterjee
Sobit International Inc.
Sam Cheng Siu Cheung
Gulf Oil Marine (Spore Branch)
David John Colpoys
BP Lubricants USA, Inc.
Robert Charles Cox
Constellation Energy Nuclear
Group
Kyle W. Creamer
PetroLiance LLC
Jordan Paul Day
Schaeffer Manufacturing Co.
John G. Delvecchio
Suncor Energy Inc.
Shane A. Dickson
Georgia Pacic
Jean-Claude Kwame Duho
Ashland Inc.
Hermie Dumbrique
Suncor Energy (Petro-Canada
Lubricants)
Blake Anthony Elderkin
Agrium
Daniel Rios Estrada
Pochteca Materias Primas
Sa De Cv
Terry D. Farrell
BP Lubricants USA, Inc.
Jamie R. Ferguson
Summit Industrial Products
Matt Ferguson
Parman Energy
Kevin Wayne Figgatt
Valvoline
Erin Findley
Valvoline
Aaron James Finney
Shoreside Petroleum
William R. Fisher
BP
Joseph Fotue
TOTAL Cameroon S.A.
Josh Frederick
Valvoline
Yutong Gao
Suncor Energy/Petro-Canada
Lubricants Inc.
Dr. Richard E. Gapinski
BP Lubricants USA, Inc.
Fabian E. Geniz
ExxonMobil Comercial, SA. De
C.V.
Hamsatun Abdul Ghani
Petronas Dagangan Bhd
Richard Ansel Greenwald
Greenwald Enterprises, LLC
Dennis Gregory
Associated Petroleum Products
Inc.
Mintah Gyampoh
Chemitech Lubricants & Car
Care Ltd.
John G. Hackman
Chevron Global Lubricants
Hugh Hanna
Parman Energy
Keith Hinson
Parman Energy
Toby B. Hlade
ExxonMobil Lubricants &
Specialties
Eric Hlookoff
Ke Reliability Services
Michael D. Holloway
NCH Corp.
Charles David Hood, Jr.
Midtex Oil
Jerry Wayne Hughes, Jr.
Best Wade Petroleum
Jeremy Hutchison
Parman Energy
Mark A. Isgette
PetroLiance
CONGRATULATIONS
TO STLES 2012 CERTIFICATION RECIPIENTS!
STLE would like to recognize the 187 lubricant professionals whove increased their technical knowledge by obtaining one
of STLEs three certications: Certied Lubrication Specialist (CLS), Certied Metalworking Fluids Specialist (CMFS)
and Oil Monitoring Analyst (OMA I & II). The value of STLE certication has been proven in the marketplace with increased
income and immediate respect and credibility with employers, customers and peers.
The society wishes to congratulate these individuals for their achievements in reaching this career milestone. Find out at www.
stle.org how you can add your name to the growing list of nearly 1,400 STLE certication holders.
W W W. S T L E . O R G T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 7 1
Thomas M. Johnson
Sandburg Oil Co., Inc.
Dale L. Jones
Allegheny Wah Chang
Kenneth Kapp
Maxum Petroleum
Michael Anthony Lawter
Maxum Petroleum
Christopher Sean LeTard
Smittys Supply Inc.
James D. Long
Rock Valley Oil & Chemical
Marcey Ann Lonning
Rainbo Oil Co.
Charles A. Marino
Schaeffer Manufacturing Co.
Mark Wade McKinney
Williams Midstream
Bruce Edward Miller
Valvoline
Royden Duncan Moon
Cenovus Energy
Christopher F. OConnell
Maxum Petroleum
Patrick Odneal
Shell Oil Products U.S.
Troy G. Olmsted
Transit Lubricants Ltd.
James P. ONeill
ConocoPhillips
Troy G. Olmsted
Transit Lubricants Ltd.
Brian Otto
Tyree Oil
Mookaiah Pandi
Shell Eastern Petroleum Pte. Ltd.
Clarence D. Parker, III
Lewis and Ravierson, Inc.
Gregory Bruce Peters
Imperial Oil
Jeff Priborsky
Shell Oil Products U.S.
Layne David Pynten
Husky Energy
Matthew Paul Quick
Fluid Life Corp.
Evangeline Ramos
High Tech Lubricants AP Pte.
Ltd.
Matthew B. Ramsey
Maxum Petroleum
Roger C. Rapelje
Prime Lube, Inc.
Douglas S. Rasmussen
Schaeffer Manufacturing Co.
Dennis Ray
Hy-Pro Filtration
Nathan Raymond
Proactive Lube Manager Inc.
Rod E. Raymond
Proactive Lube Manager Inc.
Faiz Regal
Chevron South Africa
Dr. Ning Ren
Valvoline Ashland Inc.
James R. Renick
McPherson Oil
Stephen K. Rober
Schaeffer Manufacturing Co.
Mark Rodgers
Hydrotex Inc.
Karl Rogers
Maxum Petroleum
Ronnie L. Rogers
Hunt & Sons
Raymond G. Rolston
Imperial Oil
Gordon John Rooks
Rooks Oilfeld & Engineering
Supplies Ltd.
Ellen L. Saiz
Freeport-McMoran Copper &
Gold, Morenci Ops
Amol Savant
Valvoline
Janson B. Seach
Maxum Petroleum
Mitchell Singh
Lubritech Caribbean Ltd.
Lorne Spendiff
Imperial Oil
Adam Edwin Sworski
Ashland Inc.
Clay L. Taylor
Chevron
Kevin Thompson
Parman Energy
Kurt Samuel Thompson
ExxonMobil Lubricants &
Specialties
Christopher Tomerlin
RelaDyne
Paul Travis
Hubert Glass Oil Co.
Allan Trout
Wheelabrator Technologies Inc.
Kau Chou Tseng
Gulf Oil Marine Ltd. (Singapore)
Sam D. Vallas
Chevron Global Lubricants
Matthew Vann
Richard Oil & Fuel
Mark Virant
Dow Corning Corp.
Michael Ray Wedding
Valvoline Ashland Inc.
Mark D. Wenzlaff
Schaeffer Manufacturing Co.
David E. West
Valero Port Arthur Refnery
Stephenie Wix
Mid-town Petroleum
Kelvin Chin Fat Wong
Shell Eastern Petroleum Pte.
Ltd.
Karen Lynn Wright
Schaeffer Manufacturing Co.
Dr. Gefei Wu
The Valvoline Co.
Dr. Z. George Zhang
The Valvoline Co.
Luis F. Urrutia
TECNOLUB, S.A.
Certified Metalworking
fluids speCialist
David Morrison
Castrol Industrial North
America, Inc.
Michael Pearce
W.S. Dodge Oil Co.
oil Monitoring analyst
Nnamdi Jude Achebe
Petrosave Integ. Serv. Ltd.
Julio C. Acosta
BP Lubricants USA, Inc.
Stanley D. Alldredge
Wise Alloys
Lee M. Bailey
Arch Coal Beckley
David Paul Beard
DPB Consultants
Nancy Boerma
ExxonMobil
Terry Lynn Bouchereau
Gaubert Oil Co., Inc.
Jennifer Bruce
Chevron
Sara D. Buchanan
ExxonMobil
Mark A. Carey
Imperial Oil
Margrethe R. Choroser
Chevron
Randy Scott Clark
POLARIS Laboratories
Charles C. Clay
Maxum Petroleum
John F. Craighton
DuPont Engineering Technology
Jeremy Health Crawford
Parrs Inc.
W. Wayne Cumby
Growmark, Inc.
Michael E. Darr
Shell Lubricants
Eric Delich
ExxonMobil
Dr. John K. Duchowski (OMA II)
HYDAC Filtertechnik GmbH
Delio Duque
Ontario Power Generation
Bruce Eldridge
Robinson Nevada Mining Co.
72 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y W W W. S T L E . O R G
Paul F. Farris
Seay Oil Co.
Christopher L. Foree
Farmers Cooperative Energy
Joshua French
Analysts, Inc.
Gabriel Giordano
Phillips 66 Co.
Thomas D. Griffn
Hollingsworth Oil Co.
Hugh Hanna
Parman Energy
Suelin M. Harrilal
National Petroleum Marketing
Co. Ltd.
Chris Higgins
Kimbro Oil Co.
Justin James Hilt
Analysts, Inc.
Keith Hinson
Parman Energy
Colin Hockenberger
Parman Energy
Terry Huffman
Maxum Petroleum
Kenneth Jay Humphries
Petro-Canada America
Dale L. Jones
Allegheny Wah Chang
Joshua E. Jones
Maxum Petroleum
Kevin Kelly
Hollingsworth Oil Company
Amanda L. Krefft
ExxonMobil
Richard C. Larson
Husky Oil
William J. Leeper, II
CITGO Petroleum Corp.
Cynthia Z. Melero
ExxonMobil
Brian D. Nahss
Colvin Oil
Rick Null
TIMET
Christopher F. OConnell
Maxum Petroleum
Justin C. Pajer
Chevron
Justin Pope
Robinson Nevada Mining Co.
Steve G. Popp, Jr.
E.H. Wolf & Sons
Jeff P. Raymer
Parman Energy
William F. Ridley
Suncor Energy
Don Sedrovic
Imperial Oil
Andrew D. Sit
Ontario Power Generation
Steven Slanker
Lake C. Speed, Jr.
Joe Gibbs Racing
Nathan C. Stephens
Chevron
Clay L. Taylor
Chevron
Rebecca L. Tolbert
ExxonMobil
Bill Ward
Parman Energy
Thomas S. Warren
F.L.A.G.
John W. Watling
Ontario Power Generation
Randy L. Weiss
Precision Lubricants/Mid-Town
Petroleum
Merritt L. Wikle, III
Chevron USA Inc.
Clark C. Wilhite
Growmark, Inc.
Michael J. Wingard
Lozier Oil Co.
Stephenie Wix
Mid-town Petroleum
Keith A. Wurm
ExxonMobil
Lindsey Yates
ExxonMobil
Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers
840 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, Illinois 60068 (USA)
Phone: 847.825.5536 Fax: 847.825.1456 www.stle.org
CErTifiEd LubriCaTion SpECiaLiST
The CLS is the only independent certifcation for the lubri-
cant professional that verifes broad lubrication engineering
knowledge and experience. Certifcation recognizes those
individuals who possess current knowledge of lubrication
fundamentals and best practices in lubrication maintenance
in industrial settings.
CErTifiEd METaLworking fLuidS SpECiaLiST
The CMfS verifes knowledge, experience and education
in this specialized and growing feld. This certifcation is
intended for:
Individuals with overall responsibility for metal-
removal or forming fuids management.
Specialists with on-site responsibility for metal-
removal or forming systems.
Professionals involved with research, instruction,
analysis, selection management, application and
handling of MWFs and related materials.
oiL MoniToring anaLyST i & ii
oMa is for the predictive maintenance professional who
demonstrates competence in the feld of oil monitoring for
machinery. Oil monitoring consists of sampling and analyzing
properties to assess whether the fuid needs service and to
assess the mechanical health of the equipment.
oMa i is for the oil sampler, the individual on the
shop foor responsible for sampling the oil and the
overall care of the equipment.
oMa ii is for the oil analyzer, the lab individual
responsible for properly running the appropriate
tests, data interpretation, program management and
related activities.
For more information on these certifcation programs and to
register for upcoming exam dates, visit www.stle.org.
WHICH STLE CERTIFICATION IS
RIGHT FOR YOU?
W W W. S T L E . O R G T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 73
SOCiAL MediA HAS eXPLOded in growth in recent years and is a sig-
nifcant part of our daily personal and business lives. There are seem-
ingly endless social networking venues, with Facebook, Twitter,
Google+, Plaxo, Flickr, MySpace, MyLife, Tagged and LinkedIn having big
membership numbers in the U.S.
In this column well focus on LinkedIn since it is by far the most
popular networking site among business professionals. LinkedIn has
187 million members and is adding two new members every second.
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are being used increasingly as hir-
ing tools by company recruiters, with LinkedIn as the leader being used
by over 90% of recruiters. No matter what your job situation, it is wise
to maintain a LinkedIn profle. It will help you stay connected with your
peers and provide you with industry visibility regarding your back-
ground, accomplishments, interests and goals.
Below are six actions to implement on LinkedIn to maximize career
benefts:
1. Post your background profle. Your background profle is the
core of your LinkedIn page and is, in effect, your resume in a non-tradi-
tional format. Length and detail depend upon your goals and your job
search intensity. Items to consider for your profle include:
employer list. Emphasize the last 10-15 years of your career.
Skill set. Your main talents and functions should appear be-
fore your employer list.
Accomplishments. Emphasis should be placed on successes
during the past 10-15 years.
education. Formal college education and certifcations should
appear after your list of jobs.
volunteer work. Volunteer efforts should be included along
your job timeline if they are career-related.
If you are conducting a confdential job search, your background
profle on LinkedIn will likely not alarm your current employer. If your
search is not confdential, convey clearly that you are looking for a new
position.
Whether you are job searching or not, it is common to list on your
LinkedIn page all eight potential areas of interest for being contacted,
including Career Opportunities and Job Inquiries. You can receive un-
limited InMails on LinkedIn and are more likely to be contacted in this
way about career opportunities if these areas of interest are listed.
2. Build your professional image. Your goal on LinkedIn is to con-
tinually enhance your professional image. Your background profle
should be kept updated and is a big part of the image you present.
Other actions that can improve your image and visibility beyond indus-
try peers include:
Join industry groups. Consider starting your own industry
group or subgroup.
Participate in group discussions. Start a new discussion as
well. Become recognized as an expert in your feld.
include a professional headshot photo.
Nothing off-color, controversial, religious or political. Most
CAreer COACH
Ken Pelczarski
dvancing through
social media
These six tips can help you
fnd a new job using LinkedIn.
Your goal on LinkedIn is to continually enhance your
professional image.
74 ConnectwithSTLE:LikeusonFacebook(www.facebook.com),Followus
employers screen candidates on social networking sites by
looking for inappropriate material, especially on Facebook.
3. Network and connect. You may be the most accomplished pro-
fessional in the lubricants industry, but few people will know it if you do
not build and maintain a strong professional network. LinkedIn is an
outstanding venue for professionals to network in many ways.
Locate colleagues and classmates. Search for other LinkedIn
users with different keywords and criteria and view 100 results
per search.
invite others to connect with you. Write a message along
with your invitation as a personal touch.
Accept invitations to connect with others. Write a thank you
note along with your acceptance.
Congratulate others on their accomplishments. A nice
touch to reach out to others.
introduce others to your contacts: You can also request up
to fve introductions at a time.
Make your connections available for viewing by those in
your network. For maximum networking benefts, both parties
should be able to view each others connections.
Offer to help others. State clearly in your profle that you are
willing to help, advise and network with others. Be more acces-
sible by listing your e-mail address and/or phone number.
4. request and provide recommendations and endorsements.
Recommendations and endorsements bolster the image of both the
giver and receiver:
Provide an endorsement. Endorse others for one or more of
their skills.
Provide a recommendation. Especially if others request a rec-
ommendation and you know them well, write a short recom-
mendation letter stating (1.) how you know them, (2.) how long
you have known them, (3.) how well you know their work and
(4.) their skills and attributes you recommend.
request an endorsement or recommendation. Dont hesi-
tate to ask others if you know them well.
5. Gather new information. LinkedIn offers many resources for
learning:
research potential employers. Study profles of companies,
their management and other employees in order to evaluate
company culture.
find hiring manager profles. For possible direct contact
about employment or networking.
read feature articles. Review articles by thought leaders on
career and industry topics.
follow group discussions. Learn new ideas, technologies and
industry trends from experts in your feld.
6. review job postings.
Search for career opportunities. There are currently more
than 100,000 job postings on LinkedIn, including 100-plus using
the key word lubricants.
find job postings in your feld. Discover personnel plans and
changes at competitor companies.
LinkedIn should remain the dominant social networking site among
professionals for a long time. Facebook will not be competing directly
with LinkedIn as it announced last November a new job site much dif-
ferent from LinkedIn or other job boards. Facebook will be an aggrega-
tor and has already posted 1.7 million job listings from various part-
ners.
Premium LinkedIn memberships are utilized mainly by recruiting
professionals. A basic free account is suffcient for most lubricant in-
dustry professionals and allows you to implement the actions de-
scribed above.
Good luckand stay connected!
Ken Pelczarski is owner and founder of Pelichem Associates,
a Chicago-based search frm established in 1985 and
specializing in the lubricants industry. You can reach Ken at
(630) 960-1940 or at [email protected].
onTwitter(@STLE_Tribology),joinourLinkedIngroup(www.linkedin.com). 75
85% Thats the percent of industry professionals who
gave a positive rating to education courses at STLes 2012
Annual Meeting in St. Louis. Heres what survey respondents
have to say about the value of education at STLe.
STLEs education courses have been very benefcial
in providing the training required for people seeking
to become CLS certifed.
I thought all of the instructors were extremely
knowledgeable. All the information was presented
clearly and questions were answered.
This was my frst time taking a basic lubrication
course at STLE. The course is setup perfectly to
give you a frm understanding of the basic prin-
ciples of lubrication. I would highly recommend it to
someone new to the industry.
You cannot fnd a better venue for networking or
education.
I liked how the course gave me what I really needed
to learn. This course gave me a good foundation.
Easy and convenient way to stay current in the feld
and learn new areas.
The instructors dont speak from a script, they
speak from experience.
Coursework was great and informative.
I did gain good knowledge from the course,
particularly about grease lubrication.
As always, STLE puts on a great show providing
educational and networking opportunities.
The real value of taking STLEs courses comes from
the speakers.
Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers
840 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, IL (USA) 60068 www.stle.org P: 847-825-5536 F: 847-825-1456 [email protected]
Follow us @
THE 2013 LINEUP
STLEs 2013 Annual Meeting & Exhibition is May 5-9
at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center in
Detroit, Michigan (USA). The education course
lineup includes:
Sunday, May 5
Basic Lubrication 101: Fundamentals
of Lubrication
Biofuels & Lubes
Condition Monitoring 301: CM in
the 21st Century
Grease and Rolling Element Bearings (New!)
co-hosted with ABMA
Introduction to Corrosion (New!) co-hosted
with ASM International
Metalworking Fluids 105: Metal-Forming
Fluids
Synthetic Lubrication 203: Non-Petroleum
Fluids & Their Uses
Wednesday, May 8
Advanced Lubrication 301
Automotive Lubrication Gasoline
Basic Lubrication 102: Components and
Applications
Hydraulics: Basic Fluids and Applications
Metalworking Fluids 250: Understanding and
Controlling Metal-Removal Fluid Failure
Visit www.stle.org for regular
program updates and to register for the
2013 STLE Annual Meeting & Exhibition.
People are talking about
STLE EDUCATION
A TyPiCAL SPeCTrOMeTriC MeTALS ANAL-
ySiS for an oil sample might entail as many
as 20-30 discrete elements even though
most individual sample results dont reveal
nearly that many different metals in signif-
cant quantities. But commercial labs in par-
ticular cater to a full gamut of component
types and applications such that they must
be ready for metals that might be present or
that are expected to be present for specifc
types of components or specifc manufactur-
ers and modelsthus the need for a full suite
of elements.
Theres no harm in monitoring as many
elements as the spectrometer is confgured
to analyze. All semiautomated and automat-
ed UV spectrometers adapted to in-service
lubricant testing simultaneously produce
their entire array of elemental trace data in
one testing pass, so theres no money to be
saved by selectively reporting elements
(though this is occasionally done for some
programs for various marketing and conve-
nience purposes). The ultimate beneft is
that, every now and then, a previously dor-
mant element suddenly presents itself, and it
should arouse some suspicions.
Lets look at a few.
Titanium (Ti). As a metal, Ti is frequently
found in aircraft parts, often presenting in oil
analyses, but its rarely (never?) found in die-
sel engines as a part construction element.
The frst time I saw Ti in an unfamiliar situa-
tion, it was the consequence of the applica-
tion, a titanium dioxide mine, at levels from
10-40 ppm! Thus in this situation, Ti was an
environmental contaminant just like Si might
normally be indicative of an air cleaner ele-
ment or housing compromise or possibly
poor lube transfer storage and practices. I
did well with thisI fgured it out in the frst
batch of samples, called the customer and
was informed about the substance being
mined. The rest was easy and normal diesel
sample evaluation. But Id had a previous,
embarrassing lesson, which prepared me for
this surprise.
Some columns ago I had mentioned that
as a neophyte in the business in the 1960s, I
mistakenly treated persistent Cu in several
ON CONdiTiON MONiTOriNG
Jack Poley
Non-routine elements from the spectrometer.
complexity in oil analysis: Part VIII
fe | Al | Cu | Pb | Si | Mo | Cr | Sn | Na | K | B | Mg | Ca | Ba | P | Zn | Ni | Sb | Ag | Ti | v
53
W W W. S T L E . O R G T R I B O L O G Y & L U B R I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3 77
dozen diesel engines as a wear metal when,
in fact, the engines were operating at a Cu
mine, the operation of which generated a lot
of Cu dust that permeated the engine sumps.
That experience trained me to always ques-
tion unusually large groupings of similar
samples with persistence of even a common
metal like Cu, as well as think spherically
from all sides of the puzzle at hand, in terms
of correctly sourcing a metal like Ti that sud-
denly appears or routinely appears but is
seemingly out of place. The modern term is
thinking outside the box.
One other (rare) source of Ti in non-air-
craft lube sumps might be from Stellite, a pro-
prietary alloy that is primarily cobalt (Co)-
based, but Ive never seen Ti present in this
fashion. It is likely that any concentrations
that might have existed were in amounts too
low to be detected by the spectrometer.
Cobalt (Co). The only time Ive seen Co is
in diesel engines, and I learned the source
was likely Stellite, a proprietary alloy of Co
that features Cr or possibly Mo and other
traces. When Co was presented, I noticed that
nickel (Ni) accompanied it more often than
not. Less occasionally, chromium (Cr) might
appear, but Im not certain that was necessar-
ily from Stellite as there were also piston
rings to consider as a source of Cr from
chrome plating. Perhaps Co would be present
at 6 ppm and Ni at 2 ppm.
1
It was further ex-
plained to me that the Stellite alloy was only
found in the exhaust valves of the engine,
where temperatures were highest in the valve
system. The effect was to minimize corrosion
and deformation of the valves and seats.
Its been decades since Ive seen any Co
(of course, some labs dont test for Co). Im
not sure if Stellite is still utilized in valve and
valve seat construction in the 21st Century. If
any reader is aware of such, or other Stellite
use in oil-wetted machinery, Id appreciate
being informed.
Nickel (Ni). Nickel is not really uncom-
mon, but neither is it presented routinely
because, although its a player in stainless
steel and construction of copper-lead sleeve
bearings and a variety of other places, its
concentration is usually too low to be seen
from sample-to-sample. In a way trace met-
als are good fags when they do show be-
cause it probably means that other metals
are presented at signifcantly higher levels of
concentrations beyond typical, thus escalat-
ing the urgency and severity of the evalua-
tors comments.
The non-hydrocarbon effect of trace
metals appearances. Unfortunately with to-
days plethora of synthetic oils, Ni (and other
elements) is presented regularly with many
formulations. Is there Ni present in these fu-
ids? I doubt it, and no ones ever contradicted
me in that regard. I believe it is an interfer-
ence phenomenon based on the spectrome-
ters calibration/standardization with hydro-
carbon fuids rather than the synthetic fuid
under examination. Most spectrometers are
set up and calibrated using hydrocarbon
standards. They are commercially available
and have served their purpose properly for
decades.
Synthetic lubes are not hydrocarbons by
defnition. Most of them do not combust as
readily as hydrocarbons, but in any case they
combust and react differently when fed into
the analytical gap of the spectrometer, par-
ticularly with rotating disc electrode systems
where the samples are analyzed neat. Still,
even ICP (inductively coupled plasma spec-
trometer) results have demonstrated arti-
facts (false presenting is perhaps better
phrasing on my part) of certain elements due
to light emission wavelengths that register
on detectors that are positioned in discrete
locations where Ni and other elements al-
ways appear, based on the wavelengths emit-
ted for those particular elements after re-
capturing electrons upon being ionized
.2
For our purposes here, the point is that
we may see false readings for the likes of a
number of metals, e.g., Si, Mo, Cr, Sb (anti-
mony), Sn, Ni, Co, Ti or others when certain
synthetics are being analyzed using a hydro-
carbon calibration for the spectrometer.
Since some of the listed metals (and the list
is not necessarily confned to these) are also
wear or contaminant or additive metals, it is
at times diffcult to speculate about their
source. The method I utilize is to look at the
unlikeliness of a metals presence in the situ-
ation. Ti, of course, comes to mind in this
type of case unless the sample is from, say, a
gas turbine!
Why dont labs calibrate for this? I expect
that some do, particularly private labs that
confne their analyses to only a few fuid
types. In a commercial operation, however, it
would be a signifcant task to sort out which
samples need such treatment (ahead of the
actual analysis) and to toggle between hy-
drocarbon and hydrocarbon basestocks. This
is especially true if several synthetics were
involved in the daily workload, as one would
need standards for each major chemistry
type of synthetic received for analysis in or-
der to truly address the artifacts that may be
presented.
There is also the fact that prepared syn-
thetic standards, to my knowledge, are not
commercially available in the marketplace.
Even should there be, the expense of main-
taining several sets of standards, coupled
with the logistical challenge of knowing
when to invoke the hydrocarbon calibration
substitution (many fuids are not suffciently
identifed when submitted). Thus a laborato-
ry would have to blend its own standards and
deal with often insuffcient information in
the main.
1
Here we are beginning to enter the lowest credible range of most spectrometers, though I then had the advantage of a three-meter spectrometer as opposed to todays more compact
spectrometer. The extra length provided somewhat greater resolution for many elements such that we could consistently see tenths of ppm in trace metals like Co, Ni and Ag (silver).
While most of the time this wasnt particularly necessary, I was able to use Ags resolution to some advantage when evaluating samples from Packard engine bearings utilized in U.S.
Navy minesweepers. Aluminum and other non-magnetic metals were employed as much as possible to minimize magnetic effects and interference with the minesweeping operation, the
boats sole purpose. Even the hull was wooden.
2
It is not within the purview of this article to fully explain the spectrometric process. Many resources are available on the Web to learn about this process more fully.
Theres no harm in
monitoring as many
elements as the
spectrometer is
confgured to analyze.
78 Didyouknow?STLEmembershavefreeaccesstomorethan50yearsworthof
This is a painstaking, expensive under-
taking. In truth, many experienced evalua-
tors are likely aware of the false presenta-
tions of various elements that exist for
samples routinely analyzed at their facilities
and can probably fnesse the situation ade-
quately most of the time, e.g., seeing 50 ppm
Sb and 0 ppm Fe, Al, Cu or Pb or even levels at
25 ppm (half the Sb) is simply not reasonable
given the composition of most components
lubricated parts.
3
By the same token, howev-
er, Sb is greatly diminished, if not disquali-
fed, as a wear metal indicator due to the
high amount of subtraction necessary due to
the baseline readings: if there is 5 ppm or
less Sb from wear (not untypical in a Cu/Pb or
Babbitt bearing wear scenario when it might
present), and 50-plus ppm from baseline
readings, this is a lot of noise in the normal-
ization calculation.
As shown in the fgure, here is an exam-
ple of false presenting for Sb in a new syn-
thetic compressor lubricant (I was not pro-
vided with fuid chemistry). Yes, the Sb could
be an additive, but in such a low quantity it
would seem ineffectual. There are Sb addi-
tives around, but all those instances Ive seen
are for EP (extreme pressure) agents, which
are generally in a thicker medium, not com-
pressor lubes, such as the example data
shown. Even the relatively low P (phospho-
rus) value is likely not therefor that matter
detecting P much below 50-100 ppm is mar-
ginal with most P spectral lines available.
Again, Id welcome additional input from
an informed reader on this elusive area.
Jack Poley is managing partner of Condition
Monitoring International (CMI), Miami,
consultants in fuid analysis. You can reach
him at [email protected].
For more information about CMI, visit
www.conditionmonitoringintl.com.
3
False readings are not necessarily confned to metals analysis and the UV spectrometer. Infrared spectroscopy is highly dependent on proper referencing. Failure to have a reasonably
close reference for a synthetic will virtually always result in questionable readings (e.g., the oxidation band, a staple of FTIR output, is hugely infuenced by certain types of synthetics,
especially those whose chemistry is signifcantly oxygenated). If proper referencing is not applied, the result is usually hugely false positives for oxidation, negating any useful assess-
ment of oxidation. The lucky aspect of this is that synthetics, for the most part, are far more resistive to oxidation than hydrocarbons. Therefore the odds of a masked oxidation condition
are rather low. Still, thats not good chemistry and certainly not good oil analysis, do you think?
output, is hugely influenced by certain types of synthetics, especially those that deviate vastly from
hydrocarbon chemistry). If proper referencing is not applied, the result is usually hugely false positives for
oxidation, negating any useful assessment of oxidation. The lucky aspect of this is that synthetics, for the
most part, are far more resistive to oxidation than hydrocarbons. Therefore the odds of a masked oxidation
condition are rather low. Still, thats not good chemistry and certainly not good oil analysis, do you think?
Pulled Quote:
Theres no harm in monitoring as many elements as the spectrometer is
configured to analyze.
researchpaperspublishedinTribologyTransactions.Formoreinfo,visitwww.stle.org. 79
AN iONiC LiQUid iS A SALT iN wHiCH THe iONS Are
POOrLy COOrdiNATed, which results in these chemicals
being liquid below 100 C or even at room temperature. At
least one ion has a delocalized charge, and one component
is organic that prevents the formation of a stable crystal
lattice. While ordinary liquids such as water and gasoline are
predominantly made of electrically neutral molecules, ionic
liquids are largely made of ions and short-lived ion pairs.
These substances are called liquid electrolytes, ionic
melts, ionic fuids, fused salts, liquid salts or ionic glasses.
The methylimidazolium and pyridinium ions have proven to
be good starting points for the development of ionic liquids.
By varying the combination of cations and anions used
to make an ionic liquid, their properties can be altered sig-
nifcantly, allowing a huge number of ionic liquids. Some
observers put the number of combinations at about 10
18
.
During the last 10 to 20 years, ionic liquids have attract-
ed considerable attention because of their fve unique char-
acteristics:
Powerful solvency properties
Negligible volatility
Non-fammability
High thermal stability
Low melting point.
Ionic liquids have been developed for many applications,
including chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing, cel-
lulose processing, algae processing, dispersants, gas han-
dling and gas treatment, nuclear-fuel reprocessing, solar
thermal energy, waste recycling and batteries. In addition,
ionic liquids have generally been found to exhibit low acute
toxicity and biological activity and ready biodegradability.
The properties of ionic liquids indicate a possible bene-
ft if they are used as lubricants. Different ionic liquids have
been found to have a wide range of viscosities and viscosity
indices. The frst studies into the tribology of ionic liquids
were reported 10 years ago. The results indicated reductions
in coeffcients of friction and wear with several metallic sur-
faces. Despite the huge number of possible combinations,
tribological studies have tended to focus on imidazolium
cations combined with hexafuorophosphate or tetrafuo-
roborate anions.
The tests used to assess the lubricating properties of
ionic liquids have tended to focus on laboratory test rigs
such as the oscillating friction and wear tester (SRV IV), ball-
on-fat reciprocating sliding machine, pin-on-disc unidirec-
tional sliding machine, ball-on-disc unidirectional sliding
machine and four-ball friction and wear tester.
In ball-on-disc tests, using aluminium alloy discs and
steel balls, some ionic liquids have exhibited lower friction
and wear than a 15W-40 engine oil. Similar results have been
observed in pin-on-disc tests using pins made from chromi-
um-plated piston rings and discs made of gray cast-iron.
Oil-miscible ionic liquids have been shown to be effec-
tive as additives in laboratory antiwear and antiscuffng
tests, as well as being non-corrosive to iron and aluminium.
1
Conductive greases based on 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium
ionic liquids and polytetrafuoroethylene (PTFE) thickener
have better friction-reducing and antiwear properties than
a polyalphaolefn-based grease in an Optimol-SRV recipro-
cating friction tester.
2
Unfortunately, all the tribological tests used to assess
the lubricating properties of ionic liquids have involved
laboratory test rigs. In my 40 years of industry experience,
Ive learned that the only reliable way to assess whether a
lubricant works effectively is to use it in real-life machinery.
Laboratory tests, as well as engine or equipment tests that
run under controlled conditions, are useful for identifying
lubricants that are unlikely to function in real-life.
More R&D work is needed, using extensive feld trials,
before ionic liquids are able to take their place alongside
other high-performance lubricating oils and greases.
These unique chemicals are used in several
applications and have a wide range of viscosities.
David Whitby is chief executive of
Pathmaster Marketing Ltd. in Surrey, England.
You can contact him at
[email protected].
REFERENcES
1. Qu, J., Blau, P., Dai, S., Luo, H., Bunting, B., Bansal, D. and
Yu, B., Ionic Liquids as Novel Engine Lubricants or Lubri-
cant Additives, Presented at the Directions in Energy-
Effciency and Emissions Research (DEER) Conference,
Detroit, Michigan, Oct. 6, 2011.
2. Wang, Z., Xia, Y., Liu, Z. and Wen, Z. (2012), Conductive
Lubricating Grease Synthesized Using the Ionic Liquid,
Tribology Letters, 46 (1), pp. 33-42.
Ionic liquids as lubricants The only reliable way to
assess whether a lubricant
works effectively is to use
it in real-life machinery.
wOrLdwide
R. David Whitby
80 Toawaitcertaintyistoawaiteternity.JonasSalk.
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