Fast? Conforming to an ASTM? Or just the way you’ve always done it? Whichever way you need to run your TAN titration, we have the solution.
In heavy machinery, engine fluids and oils are a key ingredient to smooth operation. Poor quality oil can cause breakdowns, frequent maintenance requirements and long down time for machinery. On the other hand, hundreds of litres of engine fluids can be required during a maintenance.
By monitoring a number of key indicators, fluid changes and machinery maintenance can be scheduled as required rather than on a set time basis. Monitoring of engine fluids means less downtime and more efficient use of engine fluids.
Total Acidity Number, or TAN, is a key indicator for oil quality and degradation making it an essential test for tribology laboratories the world over. High TAN points to high potential for corrosion, maintenance required! Low levels, in conjunction with other indicators, point to machinery that is in optimal working condition, business as usual.
TAN analysis, historically, has used a potentiometric titration, conforming to ASTM D664. Potentiometric titration is a certified method, however, it comes with high maintenance requirements as sample and reagents tend to block electrode diaphragms. While new electrodes have been developed to ease the maintenance requirements, analysis time of a few minutes is normal, electrode conditioning is also required.
More recently, thermometric titration has come to the fore. While the application for TAN analysis using thermometric titration has been available on the market for a while, ASTM approval has only recently been confirmed, ASTM D8045.
Thermometric titration provides a number of advantages in comparison to potentiometric titration.
- The thermistor used for analysis requires almost no maintenance and no conditioning time.
- Solvent volumes required are significantly lower
- Analysis time is much faster, typically sixty seconds.
Which analytical technique should you use for TAN in the future? Happily, the choice is yours.
Metrohm provide standalone and automated instrumentation for potentiometric analysis, using the Solvotrode easyClean to lower the maintenance burden. Metrohm have also lead the way in developing standalone and automated instrumentation for thermometric titration.
