DataSight™ LoginCall: (216) 251-2510Search   

Blog

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…
Read more

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…
Read more

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…
Read more

Ferrous Wear Concentration versus PQ Index

Ferrous Wear Concentration versus PQ Index
Ferrous Wear Concentration versus PQ Index Since elemental spectroscopy is generally accepted as having lower accuracy measuring wear particles larger than approximately 10 microns, most labs employ some form of simple, large particle analysis specific to ferrous content. Ferrous content is chosen not only because it tends to represent the most common metal in machines,…
Read more

Understanding MPC Results

Understanding MPC Results
Understanding MPC Results According to ASTM test method D7843, Membrane Patch Colorimetry (MPC) is intended to serve as a “guide to end-users on the formation of lubricant-generated, insoluble deposits”. The issue, however, is that the results do not seem straightforward. Fundamentally, MPC is measure of the insolubles found dissolved or suspended in the fluid, and…
Read more

What Failed Demulsibility Results Mean

What Failed Demulsibility Results Mean
What Failed Demulsibility Results Mean Demulsibility, or more correctly, water separation, is a measure of a lubricant’s ability to separate from water. Lubricants and water have a natural tendency to separate because most basestock molecules are non-polar, while water molecules are polar and will seek each other out instead of mixing with the basestock. Water…
Read more