Oil & Gas
Metals Analysis in Used Oil
Dec. 6 2019
Table 1: Metals and Contaminants
| METAL | ENGINES | TRANSMISSIONS | GEAR SYSTEMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum alloying element or cast metal | Aluminum oxides present in the environment, typically associated with silicon (dirt) contamination. | ||
| Pistons; bearings; ushings; blocks, main and accessory cases and housings; some oil-cooler tubing; some retainers; seals; baffles. | Some cases; impellers; bushings and retainers. | Bearings; bushings, retainers, and thrust washers; oil-cooler tubing. | |
| Copper alloying element | Bearings; wrist pin and valve train bushings; Some main and accessory bearing retainers; other bushings and thrust washers; oil-cooler tubing. Also may be present as an oil additive or a crossover contaminant from a leaking transmission seal; some oil-control valves. | Discs; bearings; bushings and thrust washers; retainers and separators; oil-cooler tubing. | |
| Iron alloying element or cast metal | Gears and shafts; block; cylinder liners; valve train; connecting rods, rings and oil pump; some bearings; pumps; housings; some pistons; some accessory systems. | Gears and shafts; bearings; brakes and disks; pumps and shift spools; PTO; housing. | Shafts and gears; bearings; housing. |
| Chromium alloying element or plating | Liners and rings; shafts; valve train; bearings; shafts and gears; seals. | - | Bearings; shafts; seals. |
| Lead & Tin alloy or flashing | Bearings; some pistons, bushings and thrust washers. | ||
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| Nickel alloying element or plating | Gears and shafts; valve train; bearings. | - | Gears and shafts; bearings |
| METAL | HYDRAULIC | COMPRESSORS |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum alloying element or cast metal | Aluminum oxides present in the environment, typically associated with silicon (dirt) contamination. | |
| Some pump housings. | Case; impellers, some pistons and rossheads; retainers. | |
| Copper alloying element | Bearings and bushings; swash plate cups; valves; some pistons; some pump cylinders; oilcooler tubing. | Bearings; bushings, thrust washers and retainers; oil-cooler tubing. |
| Iron alloying element or cast metal | Rotors, vanes, pistons, and rods; housing and bores; gears and shafts; valves. | Gears and shafts; case; valves; cylinder liners; crossheads; rings and screws or turbines; bearings; some oil-cooler tubing. |
| Chromium alloying element or plating | Rods; valves. | Liners and rings; shafts; valve train. |
| Lead & Tin alloy or flashing | Pump thrust plate; bushings. | - |
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| Nickel alloying element or plating | Gears and shafts; bearings | Bearings; bushings. |
| METAL | ENGINES, TRANSMISSIONS, GEAR SYSTEMS, HYDRAULIC, COMPRESSOR |
|---|---|
| Antimony alloying element | Certain types of journal-bearing overlays. |
| Beryllium | Thrust washers of aircraft engines. Component of ceramic material. |
| Lithium | The sign of grease contamination. |
| Magnesium alloying element | Cases and housings. |
| Molybdenum alloy or flashing | Typically found only in certain aerospace and heavy-duty commercial or industrial steels. May also be present in fuels as heavy crude residual material. |
| Silicon | Silicon is typically associated with dirt contamination. This contamination can result from any condition that allows dirt to enter a component oil system. Other sources of silicon include seals, oil and coolant additives and greases. |
| Silver plating; tracer | Some bearings and bushings; oil cooler solder; seals. Silver is also occasionally used as a physical “tracer” to indicate wear has progressed to a certain point. In this application, silver is either plated directly onto a part surface or incorporated into a layer under the surface. The wear condition of the part can then be related to the amount of the tracer deposited in the oil. This usage is most often found in aerospace applications. |
| Titanium alloying element | Some shafts, bearings, and gears. Typically found only in certain aerospace and heavy-duty commercial or industrial steels. |
| Vanadium alloying element | Typically found only in certain aerospace and heavy-duty commercial or industrial steels. May also be present in fuels as heavy crude residual material. |
| Zinc alloying element | Brass fittings (with copper); galvanized surfaces. |
Table 2: Additive Metals
| METAL | USE |
|---|---|
| Barium | Corrosion and rust inhibitors; detergent; anti-smoke additive in fuels. |
| Boron | Detergent, dispersant; anti-oxidant in oils and coolants. |
| Calcium | Detergent, dispersant, alkalinity increaser. |
| Magnesium | Detergent, dispersant, alkalinity increaser. |
| Molybdenum | Extreme pressure additive or solid lubricant in specialty oils and greases; corrosion inhibitor in some conventional coolants or supplemental additives. |
| Phosphorus | Anti-wear; combustion chamber deposit reducer; corrosion inhibitor in coolants. |
| Potassium | Corrosion inhibitor; trace element in fuels; also found as a mineral salt in sea water (marine cooling systems). |
| Sodium | Corrosion inhibitor in oils and coolants. |
| Zinc | Anti-wear, anti-oxidant, corrosion inhibitor. |
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