The InfraCal Soot Meter, from Wilks Enterprise, gives users an approved ASTM testing method for measuring the percent level of soot in diesel engine lubricating oils -- ASTM Method D7686 entitled “Test Method for Field-Based Condition Monitoring of Soot in In-Service Lubricants Using a Fixed-Filter Infrared (IR) instrument.”

While there is widespread disagreement on used-diesel oil condemning limits, it is well known that excessive soot in the lube oil causes abnormal valve and injection-train wear. It can also increase exhaust emissions and clog filters. Typically, the suggested limit for soot is in the neighborhood of 3% but can go higher. This ASTM Method gives truck, bus, ship, locomotive, and off-highway equipment fleet operators, power generation plants, as well as used oil labs and engine test facilities, an easy, on-site analysis method that accurately measures soot percent levels in under 30 seconds – without sample preparation, dilution, solvents, or messy transmission cells to clean.

This ASTM test method for field-based condition monitoring of soot in in-service lubricants uses the InfraCal Soot Meter which is a filter-based infrared analyzer. The Soot Meter is factory calibrated for measuring levels up to 12%-15% and provides a fast, simple field spectroscopic check for helping to diagnose the operational condition of the diesel engine in less than 30 seconds.

The InfraCal Soot Meter is portable, weighs less than 5 pounds, and is roughly a 6 inch cube in size. Its rugged construction which is sealed against accidental spills, plus no moving parts, makes it the perfect instrument for field-based operation and easily operated by non-technical personnel. However, it can easily be used in the lab to free-up an FTIR spectrometer for more complex analyses. It is also relatively low-cost when compared to more sophisticated and time-consuming analytical instrumentation such as FTIR or thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Analyzing a used oil sample with the InfraCal Soot Meter takes only a couple of quick steps – apply a sample to the built-in ATR crystal, push the run button, and the percent soot is displayed in seconds.