Measurement of water by oven evaporation using a novel oven design. 2. Water in motor oils and motor oil additives.

The measurement of water in lubricating oils is important because water accelerates the corrosion of metal parts and bearings in motors. Some of the additives added to lubricating oils to improve their performance react with the Karl Fischer reagent (KFR) causing a positive bias in the water measurement. A new oven evaporation technique for measuring water in oils has been developed that is automated, requires less sample handling, is easily calibrated, and is capable of measuring relatively small mass fractions of water (> or =50 mg/kg sample).

Measurement of water by oven evaporation using a novel oven design. 1. Water in water-saturated 1-octanol, coal, cement, and refined oils.

Using an automated oven evaporation technique combined with the coulometric Karl Fischer method, the mass fraction of water has been measured in cement, coal, and refined oil samples. The accuracy of this method was established by using SRM 2890, water-saturated 1-octanol that was added to white oil. The samples were analyzed for total reactive Karl Fischer reagent (KFR) material, for interfering materials, and for material that does not react with the aldehyde-ketone KFR.