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Analytical Instrumentation - Spotlight on the Gulf Coast Conference
MINISCAN IR LOG Offers the LOGical Solution for Condition Monitoring of Lubricants, Oils and Greases
AMETEK Grabner Instruments has added a new lube oil and grease analyser to its portfolio. The MINISCAN IR LOG is a highly versatile and extremely fast FTIR analyser, designed for on-site condition monitoring of oils and greases, and capable of measuring low or high levels of water in oil accurately and quickly, without using hazardous reagents for sample preparation.
Lubricating oils and greases play a key role in the performance of today´s high-value machinery and motors. By reducing friction and wear between moving parts, they guarantee long-term economic and profi table operation of machinery used in industrial, petrochemical, and power generation plants, and by the mining and other industries. Lubrication oils and greases help preserve and protect vehicle and marine engines, both commercial and military.
If the condition of the oil and grease is not monitored continuously, additional costs are inevitable. The failure to predict oil degradation can lead to motor-repair expenditures that easily sum up to several hundred thousand dollars per year. An equal amount of costs can accumulate if oils and greases are changed too early.
The quality and the costs of todays´ oils also are increasing, and the premature exchange of expensive oils for naval vessel, automotive fl eets, wind farms and other large oil and lube consumers can have a severe effect on business profi tability. Those users need to consider the purchase of a condition-monitoring instrument that allows them to check lube oil and grease quality directly on-site and that facilitates a timely and accurate response to oil degradation, which can add up to a signifi cant hard- dollar-saving investment.
The compact, robust MINISCAN IR LOG FTIR analyser from AMETEK Grabner Instruments is uniquely designed to match the requirements of the lube oil and grease industry. Only one drop of a sample is required to accurately measure numerous oil and grease performance indicators. Depletion of anti-wear oxidation compounds and additives, as well as sulfate, nitration, soot and water levels, can be measured, and pass/fail information is displayed within minutes. Preconfi gured methods can be easily selected for measuring different types of lubricating oils, and the measurements can be done by untrained personnel.
Because the sample is directly applied to the measuring cell, rather than fl owing through the cell, the instrument´s performance is not limited by a sample´s viscosity or by particle contamination that can harm the measuring cell. Cell rinsing is not required. The cell can be cleaned with a simple tissue, and no chemicals are needed to perform reference measurements.
The instrument features a unique dial-path setup, which allows easy switching between sample cells. Three different path lengths are pre-installed: A 50-micron sample cell for quick screening, a 100-micron cell for ASTM and EN compliant measurements, and a 1000-micron cell that allows the detection of very-low levels of additives or contaminants in oil. This setup guarantees that the instrument conforms to and exceeds precision requirements specifi ed in various ASTM, EN or IP methods.
The MINISCAN IR LOG adds further value by being able to determine low or high levels of water in oil, offering a perfect alternative to Karl Fischer (KF) titration. The FTIR analyser reduces measurement time to minutes. No hazardous chemicals are required for testing, and the results are as analytically accurate or better than KF titration. Measurements are very easy to carry out and do not require special training.
Versatility, ease of use and the possibility to measure oil and grease directly on-site and in real time make the MINISCAN IR LOG a perfect solution for monitoring lubrication of engines, generators or turbines, as well as determining the degradation of hydraulic and transformer oils.
For additional information on the MINISCAN IR LOG please refer to
www.grabner-instruments.com or contact
grabner.sales@
ametek.com. For More Info, email:
46779pr@reply-direct.com
Grabner Instruments supports Ford Motor Company product development for Asia-Pacifi c and African vehicle markets
The Ford Motor Company uses analysers from Grabner Instruments to help guarantee vehicle performance. Engineers at the Ford research and development center in Nanjing, China, rely on the MINISCAN IRXpert fuel analyser from Grabner to assess the responses of engines under extreme operating conditions, including temperature, pressure and altitude.
email: For More Info, email: email:
Grabner Instruments, a subsidiary of AMETEK Inc., is a renowned manufacturer of petroleum testing equipment. It released the IROX, the fi rst completely portable fuel analyser, in 1994. That instrument was succeeded by the MINISCAN IRXpert in 2011 and the MINISCAN IR Vision in 2017.
The MINISCAN IR Vision fuel analyser uses Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to determine more than 100 components and properties of gasoline, jet and diesel fuels. The compact, versatile instrument weighs 12 kilograms and comes in a rugged carrying case. Its pre-loaded database includes more than 2000 fuels that have been measured in accordance with ASTM and EN standards worldwide. Thanks to its germanium-coated, potassium bromide (Ge/KBr) beam splitter, the MINISCAN IR Vision achieves excellent measuring precision. The beam splitter offers better optical transmission than splitters on other FTIR analysers on the market that use zinc-selenide (ZnSe). The Grabner fuel analyser’s optical resolution of 3.8 cm-1
also is better than that offered by many competing instruments.
The portability of Grabner’s analysers was a critical factor for the Ford Nanjing Test Center, which performs tests during product development. The center supports the development of vehicle models intended for the Asia-Pacifi c and African markets.
Completely adaptable fi eld tests are very important for China. Monitoring performance under different environmental conditions helps to ensure that a motor will behave the same way when used in cities, such as Turpan and Hainan that are known for scorching temperatures, or around Heihe and Qinghai Golmud that have milder weather. The engine performance is related to the composition of the fuel, which varies from one region to the other. Engines must be robust and capable of starting and running smoothly using different fuel blends.
The Asia-Pacifi c market presents additional challenges because the fuel standards it uses are local and unique. If cars are manufactured for Western countries, but are subsequently sold to China, differences in Chinese fuel composition may lead to problems with a motor’s cylinders. Therefore, Ford’s research at its Nanjing Test Center is analysing the anti-knock rating of Chinese gasoline and diesel fuels. Typically, a high octane rating is preferred, because high octane fuels can handle higher compression before ignition. That helps to reduce the risk of prematurely igniting fuel in the motor by the heat of compression, rather than the spark from the spark plug. This pre-combustion generates both ultra-high temperature and pressure, which can cause failure of a motor’s spark plug and cylinders. A high octane rating also increases acceleration and improves the engine’s response, when operating on uneven terrain and uphill.
Yet, a higher octane rating is not always better: If the octane rating is too high, gasoline is not fully combusted. Under optimal circumstances, fuel combustion results in lesser amounts of carbon residue and, consequently, less urban air pollution.
The measurement of benzene content in fuels is also highly important for automotive research. Due to its toxicity and carcinogenic properties, benzene content in fuels is strictly limited and closely monitored by regulators. The aromatic hydrocarbon increases octane rating, but also generates deposits in the combustion chamber, which can affect oxidation stability of the gasoline, lead to overheating of cylinders, motor vibrations, reduced engine power and increased fuel consumption.
Besides the Grabner MINISCAN FTIR fuel analyser, the Ford Nanjing Test Center also uses Grabner’s MINIVAP vapor pressure testers and MINIDIS ADXpert automatic distillation tester as part of its tool kit for fuel analysis and engine performance testing.
More information about Grabner Instrument´s automotive fuel testers is available via
www.grabner-instruments.com. For More Info, email:
46780pr@reply-direct.com
email: For More Info, email:
AUGUST / SEPTEMBER •
WWW.PETRO-ONLINE.COM
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