Elemental analysis of oils is an important application. It’s essential for oil production and quality control, for condition monitoring of equipment, for waste recycling, and finally even for oil disposal. Oil types to be analyzed range from crude oils and new or used lubricating oils to gas oils and fuel oils. Elements that must be analyzed vary with each product and application.
ICP-OES instruments are frequently used for these analytical tasks especially now that recent advances in technology have made entry-level models much more affordable.
This paper covers the analysis of oils using the SPECTROGREEN ICP-OES with dual side-on plasma observation. It examines whether the technique and the instrument used displayed the required characteristics — in terms of precision, stability, low detection limits, and efficient sample preparation — for the fast, simultaneous determination of trace elements, wear metals, and additives in oils.