If there was any significant amount of Fe in the baseline formulation, it would be liberated from any additive compounds when the oil is burned in the extremely high temp, plasma arc of the mass spectrometer. The 1-2 ppm of iron you see in some oils is from rusty pipes somewhere in the processing equipment - at least that's what Dr Dyson calls it.
The iron showing up in batch after batch of analyzed oil is MOST CERTAINLY wear. It's generated by the processes of adhesion/abrasion and from chemical/corrosive wear - this is ALWAYS true, regardless of the oil used. It may be in the form of iron borate or iron sulphide or iron phosphate, but it's coming off the surfaces of the engine that are subject to high pressures and temperatures. It's NOT just sluffing off the inside of the block on a continual basis - unless the rust protection of the lube is just horrible.
Do you honestly think these various ferrous compounds somehow magically replate themselves to the valve train parts and cylinder walls - just before the used oil is drained out of the engine? LOL!
Akems Razor: "The simplest answer is usually the correct one...."
The iron showing up in batch after batch of analyzed oil is MOST CERTAINLY wear. It's generated by the processes of adhesion/abrasion and from chemical/corrosive wear - this is ALWAYS true, regardless of the oil used. It may be in the form of iron borate or iron sulphide or iron phosphate, but it's coming off the surfaces of the engine that are subject to high pressures and temperatures. It's NOT just sluffing off the inside of the block on a continual basis - unless the rust protection of the lube is just horrible.
Do you honestly think these various ferrous compounds somehow magically replate themselves to the valve train parts and cylinder walls - just before the used oil is drained out of the engine? LOL!
Akems Razor: "The simplest answer is usually the correct one...."