When blending base oils and additives for use as lubricants, it is important to know and control the concentrations of certain elements for optimal performance and longer engine life. Because this process is so crucial, ASTM developed a method for monitoring this procedure – ASTM method D4951 – which covers barium, boron, calcium, copper, magnesium, molybdenum, phosphorus, sulfur, and zinc. However, not all these elements need to be measured all the time – the blends and additives are specified to meet certain performance specifications which can vary among oil types, depending on their final use.

This work demonstrates the ability of the Avio^® 220 Max hybrid simultaneous ICP-OES to accurately and rapidly analyze additives in lubricating oils following ASTM method D4951.