ASTM D7414 - Condition Monitoring of Oxidation in In-Service Petroleum and Hydrocarbon Based Lubricants by Trend Analysis Using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectrometry

Significance and Use

5.1 A large number of compounds, such as aldehydes, ketones, esters, and carboxylic acids, are produced when oils react with atmospheric oxygen. Oxidation is measured using a common FT-IR spectral feature between 1800 cm–1 and 1670 cm–1 caused by the absorption of the carbonyl group present in most oxidation compounds. These oxidation products may lead to increased viscosity (causing oil thickening problems), acidity (causing acidic corrosion), and formation of sludge and varnish (leading to filter plugging, fouling of critical oil clearances and valve friction). Monitoring of oxidation products is therefore an important parameter in determining overall machinery health and should be considered in conjunction with data from other tests such as atomic emission (AE) and atomic absorption (AA) spectroscopy for wear metal analysis (Test Method D5185) and physical property tests (Test Methods D445), base reserve (Test Method D2896 and D4739), acid number tests (Test Methods D664 and D974) and other FT-IR oil analysis methods for nitration (Test Method D7624), sulfate by-products (Test Method D7415), and additive depletion (Test Method D7412), which also assess elements of the oil’s condition, see Refs (1-6

Scope

1.1 This test method covers monitoring oxidation in in-service petroleum and hydrocarbon based lubricants such as in diesel crankcase, motor, hydraulic, gear and compressor oils, as well as other types of lubricants that are prone to oxidation.

1.2 This test method uses Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry for monitoring build-up of oxidation products in in-service petroleum and hydrocarbon based lubricants as a result of normal machinery operation. Petroleum and hydro-carbon based lubricants react with oxygen in the air to form a number of different chemical species, including aldehydes, ketones, esters, and carboxylic acids. This test method is designed as a fast, simple spectroscopic check for monitoring of oxidation in in-service petroleum and hydrocarbon based lubricants with the objective of helping diagnose the operational condition of the machine based on measuring the level of oxidation in the oil.

1.3 Acquisition of FT-IR spectral data for measuring oxidation in in-service oil and lubricant samples is described in Practice D7418. In this test method, measurement and data interpretation parameters for oxidation using both direct trend analysis and differential (spectral subtraction) trend analysis are presented.

1.4 This test method is based on trending of spectral changes associated with oxidation of in-service petroleum and hydrocarbon based lubricants. Warnings or alarm limits can be set on the basis of a fixed minimum value for a single measurement or, alternatively, can be based on a rate of change of the response measured, see Ref (1).

Extracted, with permission, from ASTM D7414-21 - Condition Monitoring of Oxidation in In-Service Petroleum and Hydrocarbon Based Lubricants by Trend Analysis Using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectrometry, copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428. A copy of the complete standard may be purchased from ASTM International, astm.org