The Q8Oils facility in Antwerp, Belgium, is one of the largest and most advanced lubricating oils blending plants in Europe. In its busy quality control center, four QC laboratory specialists work to ensure that lubricant and biolubricant products meet specified targets for quality and consistency.
A critical task: testing up to 50 samples per day to determine which chemical elements are present in each sample, in precisely what amounts. In some cases, the lab wants to make sure elements such as calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn), and phosphorus (P) were introduced into the oil in proper proportions as part of an additive package. In other cases, such as a turbine lubricating oil, calcium or zinc would be a contaminant — so the lab must detect even trace amounts of these elements. False positives could mean off-spec product is shipped to customers; false negatives could lead to wasteful reprocessing.
When time came to replace the old instruments, the Q8Oils team ended up evaluating two final candidates: a new SPECTRO XEPOS ED-XRF versus a competitor’s more expensive wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF) spectrometer. The most important factor was achieving the lowest possible limits of detection (LODs).
Learn more in this compelling case study.
