Metrohm UK has announced that its 864 robotic balance sample processor can be used in the fully automated determination of TAN/TBN in industrial samples.
An important test carried out on oil is the determination of the total base number (TBN), which is a measurement of the reserve alkalinity of an oil to neutralise acids.
The resulting quantity is determined as mg KOH/ (gram of lubricant).
Analogously, total acid number (TAN) is the measure of a lubricant's acidity.
These parameters provide invaluable information regarding petroleum degradation (oil aging) as well as the corrosion-enhancement properties and alkaline buffer capacity of the material.
The standards ASTM D 664 and ASTM D 2896 describe two simple methods for the determination of TAN and TBN based on potentiometric titration of the acidic and basic constituents, respectively.
Despite being relatively simple, these procedures, if carried out manually, are time-consuming and labour-intensive.
Further drawbacks are the handling of toxic solvent mixtures and the tedious cleaning of oil-smeared beakers and electrodes.
The 864 robotic balance sample processor allows users to circumvent these drawbacks.
The fully automated and computer-controlled TAN/TBN determinations include weighing, solvent addition, waiting times for complete dissolution and optimised electrode conditioning procedures between samples, as well as convenient collection of all data in a sophisticated database.
Results are available within minutes and even very low TAN/TBN values can be determined with reproducibility better than two per cent.
The 864 robotic balance sample processor allows fully automatic weighing and analysis, with sample preparation and analysis combined in one device.
It is controlled by the Tiamo titration software.
