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Reply to "What is the best oil analyzers?"

It is unlikely that you will find an all-in-one oil analysers that fits your needs. There would be probably two to three groups of equipment you will require.

1. Physicochemical property: Like Viscosity, Flash Point, Pour point, TBN, Moisture etc.,needs a set of Lab equipment.
2. Used Oil analysis: Requires Spectrometer (ICP) which breaks down the component of used oil to detect metals, additives etc. This is best used with the contamination is sub 10 micron. As the particles get larger the data generated is fuzzy and not consistent. You may not be able to measure physicochemical properties like viscosity, Flash, Pour Point etc.
3. For larger sized particles of wear,(10 micron plus, Ferrography may be used. Where, as the name suggests a strong magnetic force is applied as the used oil flows and the ferrous particles are pulled out. The non magnetic particles are thereby separated. When these are placed on a slide and viewed under a very powerful microscope. The images magnified 100x times reveals a graphic picture of the shape, size, colour of the wear particles. This may then be matched with a database and conclusions obtained. Again physicochemical properties of oil cannot be measured.

Thus, you would require Lab equipment for measuring Viscosity at 40 C and or 100 C, Flash and Pour Point, TBN, Moisture plus Spectrometer type or Ferrography type equipment.

Ideally you should measure fresh (unused) oils values as benchmark and thereafter plot the progress of deterioration, called trend analysis.
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