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Advanced Oil Analysis - A Peek at ExxonMobil's Paulsboro Technical Service Lab
These are easy questions to ask, but as any good analytical chemist knows, they are challenging to answer. Good answers often require a substantial investment in analytical equipment and a dedicated staff with the experience and knowledge to solve these complex questions.
Most oil analysis programs focus on trend analysis - determining the condition of used oil and if the oil is good enough for continued use. There are well-established methods that can answer these questions. On the other hand, using oil analysis methods to determine the cause of lubricant-related problems, or conducting investigative analysis to determine the nature and source of oil contamination is much more difficult. That’s because there are no standard test methods to measure these undefined contaminants and it often requires detailed lubrication and application expertise.
Not all suppliers or outside labs can provide these resources. Having access to deep analytical resources is increasingly one of the criteria driving a user’s decision to select a lubricant supplier. The ExxonMobil Lubricants and Specialties North American Investigative Lab, also known as the Paulsboro MTS Lab, is capable of executing the routine tests performed by a used oil analysis lab, but is equipped like a research facility. It has a sister lab in Kansas City that focuses on Mobil lubricant routine used-oil analysis, freeing the MTS lab to focus on the difficult, perplexing problems . . . mysteries that require intricate analytical investigation and more sophisticated testing.
This lab has the capability to support every Exxon and Mobil product manufactured by ExxonMobil in North America - oils, greases, base stocks, waxes and process oils. The MTS lab receives about 1,300 investigative inquires in a year. It employs an array of analytical techniques including liquid chromatography (LC), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), gas chromatography (GC), GC/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS), LC/MS, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), FTIR/microscopy, GC/FTIR/MS, X-ray diffraction, DC-arc emission spectroscopy (solids), fluorescence spectroscopy, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS). In addition, the lab has the capability to run many standard ASTM bench tests designed to measure properties and performance of petroleum products, but the advanced analytical capabilities are what really set Paulsboro MTS apart.
A Different Way of Doing Business
Two aspects immediately differentiate the MTS lab from the typical used oil analysis lab: (1) the ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Center is close by, and (2) it is solely focused on advanced analytical support for Exxon and Mobil lubricant customers.
The MTS lab is part of an overall technology support matrix at ExxonMobil. For example, in its day-to-day activities, MTS Laboratory chemists, technicians and product specialists may receive research analytical support and expert product formulation guidance from ExxonMobil Research and Engineering personnel at the Paulsboro Technology Center in Clinton, New Jersey.
On the other end of the spectrum, the MTS Laboratory relies on the Mobil Lubricant Monitoring Center (LMC) in Kansas City to perform more routine analysis work. The LMC processes several hundred thousand samples a year with rapid turnaround and high efficiency.
Quote:
Printer Friendly Version
Advanced Oil Analysis - A Peek at ExxonMobil's Paulsboro Technical Service Lab
These are easy questions to ask, but as any good analytical chemist knows, they are challenging to answer. Good answers often require a substantial investment in analytical equipment and a dedicated staff with the experience and knowledge to solve these complex questions.
Most oil analysis programs focus on trend analysis - determining the condition of used oil and if the oil is good enough for continued use. There are well-established methods that can answer these questions. On the other hand, using oil analysis methods to determine the cause of lubricant-related problems, or conducting investigative analysis to determine the nature and source of oil contamination is much more difficult. That’s because there are no standard test methods to measure these undefined contaminants and it often requires detailed lubrication and application expertise.
Not all suppliers or outside labs can provide these resources. Having access to deep analytical resources is increasingly one of the criteria driving a user’s decision to select a lubricant supplier. The ExxonMobil Lubricants and Specialties North American Investigative Lab, also known as the Paulsboro MTS Lab, is capable of executing the routine tests performed by a used oil analysis lab, but is equipped like a research facility. It has a sister lab in Kansas City that focuses on Mobil lubricant routine used-oil analysis, freeing the MTS lab to focus on the difficult, perplexing problems . . . mysteries that require intricate analytical investigation and more sophisticated testing.
This lab has the capability to support every Exxon and Mobil product manufactured by ExxonMobil in North America - oils, greases, base stocks, waxes and process oils. The MTS lab receives about 1,300 investigative inquires in a year. It employs an array of analytical techniques including liquid chromatography (LC), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), gas chromatography (GC), GC/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS), LC/MS, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), FTIR/microscopy, GC/FTIR/MS, X-ray diffraction, DC-arc emission spectroscopy (solids), fluorescence spectroscopy, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS). In addition, the lab has the capability to run many standard ASTM bench tests designed to measure properties and performance of petroleum products, but the advanced analytical capabilities are what really set Paulsboro MTS apart.
A Different Way of Doing Business
Two aspects immediately differentiate the MTS lab from the typical used oil analysis lab: (1) the ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Center is close by, and (2) it is solely focused on advanced analytical support for Exxon and Mobil lubricant customers.
The MTS lab is part of an overall technology support matrix at ExxonMobil. For example, in its day-to-day activities, MTS Laboratory chemists, technicians and product specialists may receive research analytical support and expert product formulation guidance from ExxonMobil Research and Engineering personnel at the Paulsboro Technology Center in Clinton, New Jersey.
On the other end of the spectrum, the MTS Laboratory relies on the Mobil Lubricant Monitoring Center (LMC) in Kansas City to perform more routine analysis work. The LMC processes several hundred thousand samples a year with rapid turnaround and high efficiency.
