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Setting ISO Cleanliness Targets

Setting ISO Cleanliness Targets
Setting ISO Cleanliness Targets Part of a lubrication program involves establishing ISO cleanliness targets, whether for new lubricants, or for in-service machines. The two primary difficulties arise from finding a reputable source and trying to find an exact fit. A seemingly smaller concern, but one with greater ramifications, is defining the difference between a target…
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Setting Acid Number and Base Number Limits

Setting Acid Number and Base Number Limits
Setting Acid Number and Base Number Limits There is a rule-of-thumb that oil should be condemned at double its new oil Acid Number, or at half of its new oil Base Number. The problem with this rule is that is has too many exceptions to be valid. Rather than identify the valid instances, it is…
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Variability in Oil Analysis Results

Variability in Oil Analysis Results
Variability in Oil Analysis Results Two consecutive samples, at normal sampling intervals from the same machine, are never expected to have exactly the same results, but occasionally the second set of results appears to have either changed by more than a normal amount, or possibly have shifted in a counter-intuitive direction (i.e. gotten better without…
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What is in these oils, and which one is better?

What is in these oils, and which one is better?
What is in these oils, and which one is better? A relatively common request to an oil analysis lab is to identify the ingredients in samples of new lubricants and/or determine which lubricant will perform better. While this is possible with laboratory testing, it requires vastly different testing than is routinely performed. The predominant analysis…
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Oil Analysis Test Frequency Guidelines

Oil Analysis Test Frequency Guidelines
Oil Analysis Test Frequency Guidelines There is no universal formula for determining oil sampling frequency, but most experts consider monthly sampling to be optimum for critical machinery.  However, when making this decision, it is important to consider the objectives of the oil analysis program. If the only objective is to perform condition-based oil changes, the…
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Sources of Molybdenum

Sources of Molybdenum
Sources of Molybdenum Molybdenum is an additive metal commonly used in friction modifier additives. Only when the molybdenum 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. This type of friction modifier is found in…
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