Category Archives: Data Interpretation

Sources of Calcium Calcium is an additive metal commonly used in detergent additives. Only when the calcium level deviates more than 25% from the new oil or reference value should a concern be raised, but the likeliest cause is mixing or topping off with a different product. With normal and expected additive depletion due to…

Sources of Vanadium Vanadium is another wear metal commonly found alloyed with other metals. Vanadium may also be found in the coating of parts like valves, rods, rings, and bearings. Typically, increasing levels of vanadium, and possibly chromium, disproportional with iron, indicate coating wear, whereas proportional increases suggest hard steel alloy wear. One form of…

Sources of Silver Silver is a wear metal used as an overlay on some bearings, such as journal bearing for gas turbines or wrist pin bearings on EMD locomotive engines. Silver from these parts will increase disproportionately with iron. Zinc additized oils will accelerate the corrosion of silver in these applications, therefore the use of…

Sources of Copper Copper usually appears in fluid samples as a wear metal, most often arising from brass or bronze components. Whether gears, bearing cages, guides, bushings, or piston shoes, brass and bronze parts are alloys of copper lead, tin, and/or zinc. Being an alloy, the wear metals from these parts will remain proportional as…