USED OIL ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS - INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS

ELEMENT SOURCE OF ELEMENT

Aluminium Aluminium – Pistons, blower (aluminum alloy), camshaft intermediate bearings,
AI (13) turbo bearings crankshaft thrust bearings and coolers.
Barium Barium – Lube oil detergent additive. Also, sometimes used as a “smoke-
Ba (56) depressant” additive for diesel fuel. Extremely uncommon in today’s fuels and oils.
Boron Boron – Supplementary coolant inhibitor additive (anti-freeze), lube oil detergent
B (5) additive.

Calcium Calcium – Lube oil detergent additive; also, sometimes used in road salt; frequently
Ca (20) present in “hard” water.

Chromium Chromium – Piston ring face (“chrome”), rings, bearings and rods.
Cr (24)
Copper Copper – Oil cooler, slipper (wrist pin) bushings, connecting rod and crankshaft
Cu (29) main bearing matrices, cam follower roller bushings, rocker arm clevis bushings,
connecting rod bushings, camshaft thrust washers. Also used in some passenger car
oil additive packages.
Iron Iron – Grey iron cylinder liners, malleable iron pistons, hardened steel camshafts,
Fe (26) crankshafts, gears. Cast iron induction-hardened rocker arms, valve bridges, alloyed
steel cam follower rollers, rust, etc.
Lead Lead – Primarily overlay material on engine bearing. Also, matrix material in
Pb (82) copper-lead bearing.

Magnesium Magnesium – Lube oil detergent additive, traces in aluminum alloys, frequently
Mg (12) present in “hard” water.

Molybdenum Molybdenum – Antiwear coating on some piston rings. Lube oil friction modifier,
Mo (42)antiwear and antioxidant additive.

Nickel Nickel – Valves.

Ni (28)
Potassium Potassium – Anti-freeze and coolant system inhibitor.
K (19)
Phosphorus Phosphorus – Lube oil wear and oxidation inhibitor additive.
P (15)
Silicon Silicon – “Silicone” gaskets; “Silicone” antifoam additive in lube oil additive; Silicon
Si (14) dioxide from ingested airborne sand or dust.

Sodium Sodium – Supplementary coolant inhibitor additive, lube oil additive, road salt.
Na (11)
Tin Tin – Piston skirt coating (tin) in some pistons mixed with lead in overlay of engine
Sn (50) bearing.

Titanium Titanium – Lube oil additive.

Ti (22)
Zinc Zinc – Lube oil wear and oxidation inhibitor additive.
Zn (30)

Performance you can rely on.

© Infineum International Limited 2017. All rights reserved. 2017208G
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