Here we will dissect a page from a typical oil analysis report. We do our best to make our reports as clear and intuitive as possible, but there is no harm in spending a few minutes to familiarise yourself with the layout. If multiple samples are being reported you may find that an overview page, has been included at the beginning of the report. This lists the samples in the order of their sample number. Sample date, site name, plant ID, unit name, sample point and lubricant type are also listed together with a “traffic light” status of the different test categories: Ferrography – indicates if an Analytical Ferrography test has been completed, staying grey if not done, and uses colour to indicate the status of the ferrographic investigation. Elemental Analysis – Wear, Contaminant and Additive elements. Physical Tests – ISO Code for particulates, PQ Index, Water Content, Flash Point and Insolubles/Soot, where available. Acidity – Total Acid Number (TAN) and Total Base Number (TBN), pH for aqueous fluids. Viscosity – Viscosity at 40oC and 100oC where appropriate. Infra Red Spectroscopy – where available. The significance of the colours is as follows:
The condition of the sample with respect to physical contaminants is indicated with a colour bar at the bottom of the section. The next section describes the sample’s acidity and contains results of acid and base number measurements. For aqueous samples, such as anti-freeze coolants, acidity and alkalinity are expressed in terms of pH and reported in the TAN field with the suffix “pH” (e.g. “9.6pH”). The condition of the sample with respect to its acidity is indicated by the colour of the bar at the bottom of the section.