THE TRIBOLOGY ZONE There is a film dimension beyond that which is known to common man. It is a dimension as vast as clearance space and as timeless as momentary. It is the middle ground between contact and hydrodynamic, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of Man’s fears and the summit…
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About: Mary Messuti
Recent Posts by Mary Messuti
Introduction to Elemental Spectroscopy
Introduction to Elemental Spectroscopy Elemental spectroscopy measures in-service fluid samples for wear metals, additives, and contaminants. The method used to perform the measurement is properly termed Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and the results are commonly referred to as ICP or spec results. The measurement is performed by diluting a sample with solvent…
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Sources of Iron
Sources of Iron Iron is commonly expected to be found in samples as a wear metal, as it is the foundation element in all forms of steel, which is by far the most prevalent material in lubricated machines. It will often correlate with other metals like chromium, titanium, molybdenum, and vanadium; if the correlation remains…
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The Butterfly Effect
The Butterfly Effect How a seemingly throwaway line on a resume led to a fulfilling career in tribology The downturn in employment opportunities over the past several years reminds me of the difficulties I faced upon graduating…the first time. There I was, freshly out of my school’s chemical engineering program and waiting to hear back…
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Pining for the holidays
Pining for the holidays Making the holidays ‘greener’ still takes trees. With the holiday season upon us, many people are shopping for a pine tree or wreath to decorate their homes. Certainly the downside of using living trees or branches over artificial plastic decorations is dealing with the needles, but many think the wonderful aroma…
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Sources of Tin
Sources of Tin Tin is another wear metal expected in any machine using plain bearings, as lead and tin are the most predominant metals used in Babbitt overlay, with lesser amounts of copper, antimony, and/or arsenic. Typically, increasing levels of tin from this layer are not considered actionable, not until metals like copper or nickel…
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