skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Inductively coupled plasma--atomic emission spectrometry: trace elements in oil matrices

Thesis/Dissertation ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5255296· OSTI ID:5255296
 [1]
  1. Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

The simultaneous determination of up to 20 trace elements in various oil matrices by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry is reported. The oil matrices investigated were lubricating oils (for wear metals), fuel oil, centrifuged coal liquefaction product, crude soybean oil, and commercial edible oils. The samples were diluted with appropriate organic solvents and injected into the plasma as an aerosol generated by a pneumatic nebulization technique. Detection limits of the 28 elements studied ranged from 0.0006 to 9 μg/g with the majority falling in the 0.01 to 0.1 μg/g range. Analytical calibration curves were linear over at least two orders of magnitude and for some elements this linearity extended over 4.5 orders of magnitude. Relevant data on precision and accuracy are included. Because metals often occur as particles in lubricating oil and coal liquefaction products, the effect of particles on the analytical results was examined. Wear metal particles in used oil did not appear to affect the analytical results. However, incomplete recovery relative to organometallic reference solutions was obtained for iron particles with a nominal mean diameter of 3.0 μm suspended in oil. It was shown that the following factors contributed to incomplete recovery for the particles: settling of the suspended particles in the flask, a difference in nebulization efficiency between particle suspensions and organometallic solutions, and indications of incomplete vaporization of the larger particles in the plasma.

Research Organization:
Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-82
OSTI ID:
5255296
Report Number(s):
IS-T-790
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English