Use of FT-IR Spectrometry as a Replacement for Physical Property Testing of Railway Lubricants

Abstract

The railway industry has long used physical property tests to determine the condition and suitability of lubricating oils for continued use in locomotive diesel engines and air compressors. This paper describes the adaptation and implementation of FT-IR spectral analysis as a means of determining lubricant physical and chemical parameters at Canadian National Rail (CNR). Specifically the paper reviews the application of traditional FT-IR measurements for fuel dilution, water contamination, insolubles loading, and oil oxidation, and describes the implementation of new measurement parameters for viscosity and total base number. A study of atomic emission and FR-IR data from over 8000 locomotive samples provides summary data on the reliability of the FR-IR for routine diesel engine oil analysis.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1996
Accession Number
ADP010151

Entities

People

  • David E. Crutcher
  • Larry A. Toms
  • Roger Gervais

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Application Software
  • Calibration
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Contamination
  • Diesel Engines
  • Engine Components
  • Engines
  • Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
  • Frequency
  • Measurement
  • Physical Properties
  • Sodium
  • Spectra
  • Standards
  • Test Methods
  • Viscosity

Readers

  • Facility/Structural Engineering.
  • Image Processing and Computer Vision.
  • Petroleum Engineering