Mid-ftir and atomic absorption spectroscopy based evaluation of oxidation tendencies of lubricating oils for effective oil and gas operations

Abstract

Lubricants help combat an array of challenges posed during both onshore and offshore operations including in the application of thrusters, mud pumps, mud agitators, drive systems, lifts/hoists systems etc. The evaporation loss of lubricating engine oil can significantly impact the engine's performance and emissions, by thermal degradation and corrosion. The present research focuses on challenges arising due to oxidation of lubricating oils used in different machinery by implementing thorough quantitative analysis. The interferometry was adopted to test oil samples and infrared rays were resolved into its component wavelength relative to associated functional group such as C=O and O-H groups. The frequency domain was retrieved from interferometric data by Fourier transformation with the help of FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Ray) spectrometer. To comprehensively understand the wear and tear process inside the peripheries of the engine, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used for determination of metals concentration. The changes in physical and chemical properties of oil samples were discussed to retrieve useful interpretations including percentage of wear and tear was found to be 15.2% at 3000 engine running hours. The research concluded by addressing the potential impact of oxidation by-products on the lubrication performance which ultimately influence the efficiency of the oil and gas upstream operations. The research inferred to contribute towards establishing a relative deterministic approach for predicting the oxidative tendencies of lubricating oils whilst keeping in view its physical characteristics.