This application note describes a method for measuring additives in lubricating oils using the Agilent 4100 Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer (MP-AES). The MP-AES is a fast, multi-element technique that is capable of high sample throughput, making it an ideal method for measuring additives in lubricating oils.
The document details a method for tracking metal-containing additives in lubricating oils to gauge machinery condition. It highlights the use of the Agilent 4100 Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer (MP-AES) as a faster, multi-element alternative to flame atomic absorption spectrometry.
The note specifies the experimental setup, including the External Gas Control Module (EGCM), OneNeb nebulizer, and SPS 3 Sample Preparation System. It provides specific operating conditions, analyte settings for five elements, calibration parameters, and results demonstrating accuracy against NIST SRM 1085b.
It is used to measure additives in lubricating oils by analyzing elements such as Zn, P, Ca, Ba, and Mg.
The instrument's MP Expert software runs on the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system.
The analysis is set up to perform three replicates for each sample reading.