The Aging of Lubricating Oil, The Influence of Unburnt Fuel and Particulate SOF Contamination 872085

The role of lubricating oil as a sink for polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC) and alkanes derived from unburnt fuel is described for two different oils used in two different DI diesel engines. The diesel engines used were, an older technology Petter AV1 single cylinder mine pumping engine and a Perkins 4.236 current technology engine. Analysis of the oil was by gas chromatography using simultaneous parallel triple detection, allowing analysis of hydrocarbons and nitrogen and sulphur containing compounds. Analysis of unused lubricating oil showed negligible concentrations of PAC and low molecular weight alkanes (< C20). The oil from each engine was analysed periodically during use and showed a rapid and significant accumulation of hydrocarbons which reached significant concentrations after only 10 hours use. The older technology engine showed a much higher accumulation rate. The suggested origin of both the PAC and the alkanes is from a dual source, from unburnt fuel and from the solvent organic fraction of the particulate. Internal ratios of alkanes to C 16 and PAC to phenanthrene suggest the particulate derived SOF source of hydrocarbons is more significant for the Perkins engine than for the Petter engine.