Lubricant Health Monitoring flash cards (MLA1)

1. What is a consequence of a loss of dispersancy?

 Soot can accumulate to form deposits, which can impair lubrication and oil flow.
2. What is a common cause of loss of dispersancy in motor oil?
Excessive blow-by
 This allows for soot to enter the oil. The dispersants are polar additives that will attach to the
soot particles, causing them to be used up prematurely.
3. What can chemically decompose additives in service?
Oxidation
 This process causes a chemical change in the composition.
4. Which test can be used to assess the depletion of antioxidant additives?
Colorimetric titration (ASTM D974)
 Also known as neutralization numbers, these are the terms used to identify the acid number
and base number. These tests identify antioxidant additive depletion.
5. What is oxidation?
Oxidation is the permanent degradation of a lubricant by chemical reactions involving oxygen.
 Byproducts include increasing viscosity, acids, gums, varnish and sludge.
6. Kinematic viscosity is measured using which apparatus?
 A capillary viscometer
7. Which two metals often seen on oil analysis reports come from the additive ZDDP?
 Zinc and phosphorus
8. How does soot in diesel engine oil affect oil viscosity?
Increases viscosity
 Soot increases the oil’s oxidation rate, which causes the viscosity to increase.
9. How might the properties change for an oil that has operated for an extended period of time with
depleted antioxidant additives?
 Acids will be created, which will cause the acid number (AN) to rise.
10. Which common indications of oil oxidation can be observed with the human senses?
 Darkening of the oil and a foul odor
11. How does glycol contamination affect oil viscosity?
Increases viscosity
 Glycol increases the oil’s oxidation rate, which causes the viscosity to increase.
12. Filters are rated in microns. What is the limit of human visibility in microns?
40 to 45 microns
 These particles are about the size of fine floor dust.
13. What impact will fuel contamination have on a lubricant’s viscosity?
Decreased viscosity
 Fuel contamination has a diluting effect on the oil, which reduces the viscosity.
14. How can heat permanently increase an oil's viscosity?
Volatilization
 Depending on the amount of heat added to the oil, the lighter molecules are volatilized, and
either escape as vapors or burned off. What remains are the heavier molecules, which will
cause an increase in the oil’s viscosity.
15. What does ASTM stand for?
 American Society for Testing and Materials

16. What effect does emulsified water have on oil viscosity?

 Increased viscosity
 Water leads to stable emulsions, higher viscosity and non-Newtonian properties (higher
viscosity and impaired load-carrying capacity).
17. Other than chemical breakdown, what process requires changing an oil?
 Additive breakdown
18. If rust suddenly appears on oil-wetted machine surfaces, which tests would help determine the
cause?
Karl Fischer, acid number (AN) and rust-inhibiting tests
 Karl Fischer is used to quantify water, while AN and rust-inhibiting tests measure the oil’s
corrosivity.
19. How can heat permanently decrease an oil's viscosity?
Molecular cracking
 Depending on the amount of heat added to the oil, the heavier molecules are cracked, the
covalent bond of the molecules are broken, and smaller molecules are the result.
20. The base number (BN) measures which trait of an oil?
Alkalinity
 It is measured in mgKOH/g of oil.
21. What adsorptive depletion methods can reduce additives from oil during service?
 Water washing, particle scrubbing, rubbing contacts and surface adsorption
22. What would be the optimum oil level in a worm gearbox with the worm located above the wheel?
 Wheel immersed between the tooth depth and half diameter depending on the speed
23. Which pro-oxidants speed up the oxidation process?
 Water, heat, air and metal catalysts (WHAM)
24. How is oxidation affected by wear metal particles?
Wear metals act as a catalyst and increase the speed of reaction.
 This is especially true with copper and when water contamination is present.
25. What is a common cause of oil darkening in non-engine applications?
Thermal or oxidative degradation
 Photocatalytic reaction from sunlight can cause darkening as well.
26. What is the effect of water contamination on rolling-element bearing life?
 Bearings can lose 75 percent of their expected service life due to water at less than 0.1 percent,
or before it becomes cloudy.
27. What is the most destructive type of chemical reaction affecting in-service oils?
Oxidation
 This leads to other issues, such as corrosion, varnish buildup and the reduction of lubricating
ability.
28. Ten percent equates to how many parts per million (ppm)?
100000
 Ten percent of 1 million is 100,000.

Lubricant Health Monitoring practice exam (MLA1)

1. What is the approval authority for many of the lubricant testing procedures and processes?
o NLGI
o ASTM
o API
o ISO
2. In regard to lubricants, what would high temperature, moisture, metal particles and air be
considered?
o Additives
o Antioxidants
o Tolerances
o Pro-oxidants
3. What common indication of oil oxidation is observed with the human senses?
o Decrease in base number
o Viscosity increase
o Darkening of the oil
o Increase in acid number
4. Which test can be used to assess the depletion of antioxidant additives?
o Colorimetry
o Calcium hydride comparator
o Neutralization number
o Calcium sulfonate comparator
5. Which of the following is a common cause of a loss of dispersancy in motor oil?
o Fuel dilution
o Cold starts
o Overfiltration
o Excessive blow-by
6. Which of the following is a consequence of a loss of dispersancy?
o Increased moisture
o Increased acid number
o Decreased viscosity
o Engine deposits
7. When an oil has been in service for an extended period of time with depleted antioxidant additives,
how might the properties of the oil change?
o Viscosity decreases.
o Acid number increases.
o Oil becomes hazy.
o Acid number decreases.
8. Which two metals often seen on oil analysis reports come from the additive ZDDP?
o Aluminum and silicon
o Zinc and copper
o Zinc and phosphorus
o Iron and copper
9. Which of the following processes can chemically decompose additives in service?
o Oxidation
o Settling
o Filtration
o Adsorption
10. Which of the following is a mechanical method of additive depletion as opposed to a chemical
method?
o Oxidation
o Water washing
o Hydrolysis
o Thermal degradation
11. Kinematic viscosity is measured using which apparatus?
o Brookfield viscometer
o Cold cranking simulator
o Capillary viscometer
o Rotating pressure vessel oxidation test
12. What happens to the molecules in a mineral oil that is heated to the point that the oil’s viscosity
increases?
o The lighter fractions are converted into heavier molecules.
o The lighter fractions are volatilized and burn off.
o The heavier molecules swell, becoming even larger.
o The lighter and heavier molecules merge so none of the lighter molecules remain.
13. What happens to the molecules in a mineral oil that is heated to the point that the oil’s viscosity
permanently decreases?
o The molecules are heated to the point of cracking.
o The lighter and heavier molecules merge so none of the heavier molecules remain.
o The molecules shrink due to the heat.
o The lighter molecules expand or swell.
14. Which of the following will cause an oil’s viscosity to drop?
o Water contamination
o Fuel contamination
o Soot contamination
o Particle contamination
15. What effect does emulsified water have on oil viscosity?
o No effect
o Increases it
o Decreases it
o Initial increase then a decrease
16. How does soot in diesel engine oil affect the viscosity?
o Decreases it
o After an initial increase, it will decrease.
o Soot has no effect on the viscosity.
o Increases it
17. How does glycol contamination affect oil viscosity?
o After an initial increase, it will decrease.
o Increases it
o Decreases it
o Glycol has no effect on the viscosity.
18. The base number (BN) measures which oil property?
o The baseline particle count
o The oil’s alkalinity reserve
o The base oil’s viscosity
o The number of additives in the oil
19. Ten percent equates to how many parts per million (ppm)?
o 1,000,000 ppm
o 100,000 ppm
o 1,000 ppm
o 10,000 ppm
20. If rust suddenly appears on oil-wetted machine surfaces, which test likely would not help determine
the cause?
o Karl Fischer
o Rust inhibiting
o Copper corrosion
o AN
21. What commonly causes darkening of the oil in non-engine applications?
o Water contamination
o Degradation of the base oil
o Wear debris buildup
o Dye in the oil
22. Besides a chemical breakdown, what process requires changing the oil?
o Photocatalytic effect
o Additive breakdown
o Top-ups
o Filtration
23. Which of the following parameters would be useful in determining when an oil should be changed?
o Reduction in particle count
o Increase in oxidative life
o Reduction in flash point
o Increase in filterability
24. What is the most destructive type of chemical reaction affecting in-service oils?
o Oxidation
o Diffusion
o Chelation
o Osmosis
25. Sludge, tar, varnish and acid are byproducts of which lubricant degradation process?
o Decomposition
o Adsorption
o Hydrolysis
o Oxidation
26. How is oxidation affected by wear metal particles?
o They are neutral, as oxidation involves oxygen.
o They slow oxidation by reducing reactions.
o They act as catalysts and increase the speed of reaction.
o Oxidation is constant and can’t be altered.
27. Which of the following would cause a decrease in an oil’s viscosity?
o Soot contamination
o Fuel dilution
o Oxidation
o Polymerization
 28. Name an effective onsite test for diesel engine crankcase oils.
o Elemental analysis
o FTIR
o Ferrography
o Blotter spot test
29. When is the color of fresh, new lubricant significant to its performance?
o Medicinal and white oils
o Always
o Grease applications and food-grade oils
o Never

Answers
1. ASTM
2. Pro-oxidants
3. Darkening of the oil
4. Neutralization number
5. Excessive blow-by
6. Engine deposits
7. Acid number increases.
8. Zinc and phosphorus
9. Oxidation
10. Water washing
11. Capillary viscometer
12. The lighter fractions are volatilized and burn off.
13. The molecules are heated to the point of cracking.
14. Fuel contamination
15. Increases it
16. Increases it
17. Increases it
18. The oil’s alkalinity reserve
19. 100,000 ppm
20. Copper corrosion
21. Degradation of the base oil
22. Additive breakdown
23. Reduction in flash point
24. Oxidation
25. Oxidation
26. They act as catalysts and increase the speed of reaction.
27. Fuel dilution
28. Blotter spot test
29. Medicinal and white oils