Wear metals
Iron, chromium, nickel, titanium, silver, aluminum, lead, copper, tin, vanadium and cadmium, by elemental spectroscopy (ASTM D5185).
Technical services · Oil analysis
Oil analysis: what the lubricant says about the inside.
Lubricant analysis identifies contamination, wear metals, oxidation, moisture and other signs of internal component wear, without opening the compressor.
What we measure
Where the readings come from.
Contamination
Water (ASTM D6304) and contaminant elements such as silicon, sodium and potassium.
Fluid condition
Acid number (ASTM D974) and additive levels, to judge whether the oil is fit for further service.
Visual
White metal, yellow metal, precipitate and silt in the sample.
What it tells us
Signatures, and what they mean.
- Rising wear metals between samples
- A developing bearing, gear or rotating-component problem, often before vibration or heat show it.
- Water or contaminant elements
- Ingress from coolers, seals or intake, which shortens bearing and oil life.
- Rising acid number
- Oxidation: the oil is wearing out and protecting less.
- All within limits
- No reason to intervene; resample at the established interval and keep trending.
Oil analysis report Diagnosis: wear normal · no contamination · fluid fit for service
| Group | Test | Method | Limit | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wear metals | Iron | ASTM D5185 | >50 ppm | 0 |
| Wear metals | Copper | ASTM D5185 | >50 ppm | 1 |
| Wear metals | Aluminum | ASTM D5185 | >25 ppm | 0 |
| Contamination | Water | ASTM D6304 | >0.1% | NEG |
| Contamination | Silicon | ASTM D5185 | >25 ppm | <1 |
| Fluid condition | Acid number | ASTM D974 | mg KOH/g | 0.09 |
| Visual | White metal, yellow metal, silt | Visual | None | None |
From a recent assessment
A clean result is still data.
On one recent unit the lab found all component wear rates normal, no contamination, and an acid number acceptable for the fluid. The recommendation was simply to resample at the next service interval.
That result, read alongside a strong surge test and clean vibration and thermal surveys, is what let the compressor stay in normal service with confidence instead of being opened on a guess.
What you receive
Evidence, not a sales pitch.
Oil analysis is one of four disciplines read together in every condition assessment. One finding can be noise; several pointing the same way is a diagnosis.
- Lab results for every sample, against limits and previous samples
- A diagnosis for wear, contamination and fluid condition
- A recommendation: resample, investigate or act
- A trend that makes the next result meaningful
The other disciplines
Vibration analysis Bearings, rotors, gears, alignment, looseness and imbalance, stage by stage. Learn more Thermal imaging Abnormal heat, stage-to-stage imbalance, bearing, cooling and lubrication problems. Learn more Performance & surge testing Pressure, flow, efficiency and how much operating margin is left. Learn more
Find out what your compressors actually need.
A condition assessment reads vibration, heat, oil and performance together and gives every machine a plain verdict.