OBJECTIVES:

1. To be able to determine the carbon residue of sample lub oils.

THEORY/HYPOTHESIS:

If lubricating oil is heated to a high temperature in an enclosure where there is a limited supply
of air, the greater part of the oil will be distilled and there will remain a residue of carbon. The
amount of this carbon residue in lubricating oil is an indication of the extent of its decomposition
when used for high-temperature lubrication.

Carbon residue determinations are generally made by the method introduced by Conradson and
the apparatus being used consists of the following equipment:

1. Porcelain crucible glazed throughout, 25 to 26 cubic centimeter capacity, 46 millimeters

in diameter.
2. Skidmore iron crucible, 45 cubic centimeters capacity, 65 millimeters in diameter, 37 to
39 millimeters high with cover, without delivery tubes and one opening closed.
3. Wrought iron crucible formed from spun sheet iron with cover, about 180 cubic
centimetres capacity, 80 millimeters in diameter, 58 to 60 millimeters high. At the bottom of
this crucible a layer of sand is placed about 10 millimeters deep or sufficient to bring the
Skidmore crucible with cover on, nearly to the top of the wrought iron crucible.
4. Triangle, pipe stem covered, with a projection so as to follow the flame to reach the
crucible on all sides.
5. Sheet iron or asbestos hood provided with a chimney about 2 to 2 inches high, 2 1/8 to
2 inches in diameter, to distribute the heat uniformly during the process.
6. Asbestos or hollow sheet iron block (insulator), 6 to 7 inches square, 1 to 1 inches high,
provided with opening in the center, 3 inches in diameter at the bottom, and 3 inches in
diameter at the top.
To determine carbon residue by Conradson apparatus, the oil sample, in the crucible, is heated at
a state rate and caused to vaporize. After ignition and further heating for a specified time, the
residue is cooled and weighed. Duplicate tests should agree within 10 per cent if the carbon
residue is about 2 per cent or within 20 per cent if the residue is above 0.5 per cent (see ASTM
D-189).

For oils without detergency additives, carbon residue by the Conradson test is a rough index of
the tendency of the oil to decompose in service and to leave carbon residue on hot surfaces.

In order to get accurate results, the dimensions of the apparatus used must be as nearly as
possible the same as those specified in this description. Special precautions must be taken to
observe the first appearance of vapors. In order to make this observation as accurate as possible
the gas burner may occasionally be momentarily removed to facilitate this observation. If, at any
time during the test the vapors from the oil exceeds the 3 inch specification above the chimney of
the hood, the gas burner may be removed for a short interval until the size of the gas flame can
be reduced sufficiently to keep the vapour flame about 2 inches above the top of the chimney.

LIST OF APPARATUS:

1. Meker Gas Burner 2. Conradson Apparatus

3. Tripod 9. Skidmore crucible

4. Wire mesh 10. Nichrome wire triangle

5. Chimney 11. Asbestos cylindrical block (insulator)

6. Digital Balance 12. SAE10

7. Crucible tong 13. SAE 30

8. Iron crucible
PROCEDURE:
1 Weigh the porcelain crucible.
2 Fill the porcelain crucible with 10g of SAE10
3 Set-up the apparatus by placing the wire triangle on top of the tripod and then the
refractory block insulator ring on top of the wire triangle.
4 Place the porcelain crucible inside the skidmore crucible and then place the
skidmore crucible inside the nickel crucible. Cover the skidmore crucible and then
cover the nickel crucible.
5 Place the nickel crucible inside the insulator ring.
6 Place the carbon residue apparatus hood on top of the insulator ring.
7 Light up the h-5550 burner and place it under the tripod.
8 Start the timer and wait for the hood to produce smoke and flame.
9 Once the hood stops producing smoke and flame, record the time.
10 Wait for the crucible to cool down and then check for residue.

TOLERANCES: Weights of oil sample should be accurate to within 5 mg. Tests

should be run in duplicate and repeated if necessary until the percentages of carbon
residue differ by not more than 10 per cent from an average.

SET-UP OF APPARATUS
Figure 1. Weighing of crucible Figure 2. Applying heat from a gas
burner

Figure 3. Empty crucible (no

carbon residue)
VI. Final Data Sheet

Weight of
Test Oil Weight of Weight of
Carbon Percent of
Crucible Lub Oil
Trials Residue Carbon Time
(Oil
Residue
Specification) W1 W2
W3

1 SAE10 21.20g 10g 0g 0% 7 min, 54sec

2 SAE 30 21.20g 10g 37.8mg 0.378% 15 min, 6sec

VII. Sample Computation

W3
C.R.% 100%
W2
W3 weight of the crucible and carbon residue weight of crucible
W2 weight of the crucible and oil weight of crucible

Trial 2 (SAE1=30)

W3
C. R.= 100
W2

37.8
C. R.= 100 =0.378
10
TEST DATA ANALYSIS

The third experiment concerns with the determination and analysis of the carbon
residue that will be formed after the combustion of certain carbon-rich materials (fuel, oil
or lubricant) on an enclosed space or vessel. The experiment is divided into three trials,
trials for the SAE 30 and SAE10 lubricants respectively. A special characteristic of
lubricating oils is that they contain high percentage of carbon in combined form. On
heating the decompose deposits a certain amount of carbon, the deposits of such carbon
in the machine is intolerable. They are particular in particularly in internal combustion
engines and air compressors. The basis for a good lubricant is that upon the combustion
for example in the internal combustion engine, a lubricating oil present upon the addition
of heat shall not leave any carbon residue. A good lubricant should deposit least amount
of carbon inuse.

The percent of coked material remaining after the sample of the lubricating oil has been
exposed to high temperature is called the carbon residue. As far as the effect of residue on
performance, one option is that the type of carbon that is more important than it quantity.
Since compounded oils contain metallic additives that generally leave a residue, other
testing should be done to identify the type of residue rather than just the amount. A higher
carbon residue is the one responsible for the heavy smoke emission from the engine. The
overall relationship between actual diesel engine performance and carbon residue is poor,
however, the carbon residue value is considered by some to give an indication of the
combustibility and carbonaceous deposit forming tendencies of a fuel.
The carbon residue provides information on the
carbonaceous deposits which will result from
combustion of the fuel. For fuels with a high
carbon- high carbon/hydrogen ratio, it is proved
more difficult to burn them fully, which results
in increased deposits in the combustion and
exhaust spaces. Fuels with a high carbon residue
value may cause problems in older engines
when they are operating under part load conditions. The carbon residue value of a fuel
depends on the refinery processes employed in its manufacture. SAE10 has a zero percent
of carbon residue while SAE30 has a 0.378% residue. This implies that after
burning/combusting, different lubricants will yield different percentage carbon residue
result; there are some which has and other which has no residue. Light oils have a lower
value for the carbon residue while those that are heavy oils have a higher percentage.
Also, the time required to completely burn heavy oil is much longer compared to light
oils and also lubricants can be classified into grades, which are dictated by the amount of
carbon residue formed after combustion. The smaller the remaining carbon residue on the
test, the better the lubricant is. This provides the ground n w hat lubricant to be used on a
specific material. The flame of SAE10 lasts for about 7 minutes and 54 seconds for SAE
30 and 15 minutes and 6 seconds. This indicates that the all the fuel are burned up until
the duration of the flame.

The carbon residue value of a fuel depends on the

refinery processes employed in its manufacture. For
straight run fuels, the value is typically 10 - 12% m/m,
while for fuels from secondary refining processing the
value depends on the severity of the processes applied. In
some areas it can be as high as 20% m/m.

The carbon residue value of burner fuels serves as a rough approximation of the tendency
of the fuel to form deposits in vaporizing pot type and sleeve- type burners. Similarly,
provided alkyl nitrates are absent, the carbon residue of diesel fuel correlates
approximately with combustion chamber deposits. The carbon residue value of gas oil is
useful as a guide in the manufacture of gas from gas oil. In a gas turbine it can be an
indication of the tendency to form carbon deposits in the combustion chamber.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. What is pyrolysis of petroleum materials?

Pyrolysis is a form of treatment that chemically decomposes organic materials

by heat in the absence of oxygen. Pyrolysis typically occurs under pressure and at
operating temperatures above 430 C (800 F). In practice, it is not possible to achieve
a completely oxygen-free atmosphere. Because some oxygen is present in any
pyrolysis system, a small amount of oxidation occurs. If volatile or semi-volatile
materials are present in the waste, thermal desorption will also occur.

Pyrolysis transforms hazardous organic materials into gaseous components,

small quantities of liquid, and a solid residue (coke) containing fixed carbon and ash.
Pyrolysis of organic materials produces combustible gases, including carbon
monoxide, hydrogen and methane, and other hydrocarbons. If the off-gases are
cooled, liquids condense producing an oil/tar residue and contaminated water.

2. What are the two types of carbon residue produced by pyrolysis?

Char (or biochar and/or coke) and ashes are the two carbon residue of
pyrolysis. Biochar is one of the solid residues of pyrolysis of various materials,
mostly organic waste. Biochar improves the soil texture and ecology, increasing its
ability to retain fertilizers and release them slowly. It naturally contains many of the
micronutrients needed by plants, such as selenium. It is also safer than other "natural"
fertilizers such as manure or sewage, since it has been disinfected at high
temperature. Ashes, meanwhile, are powdered grayish residue of combustion of the
pyrolysis of organic material such as wood scraps.

3. What is fixed carbon?

Rams bottom Carbon Residue, which abbreviation is RCR, is well known in
the petroleum industry as a method to calculate the carbon residue of a fuel. The
 carbon residue value is considered by some to give an approximate indication of the
combustibility and deposit forming tendencies of the fuel. For the test 4 grams of the
sample are put into a weighted glass bulb. The sample in the bulb is heated in a bath
at 553C for 20 minutes. After cooling the bulb is weight again and the difference
noted. Rams bottom Carbon Residue test method is limited to those samples that are
mobile below 90C.

4. What is incomplete combustion? How does it occur?

Incomplete combustion is a phenomenon in which oxidation of the fuel is
incomplete, meaning there is insufficient amount of oxygen for the fuel to completely
burn. Incomplete combustion occurs when a substance is burned with limited oxygen,
producing a more diverse range of products than that of complete combustion or
when there isn't enough oxygen to allow the fuel to react completely to produce
carbon dioxide and water. It also happens when the combustion is quenched by a heat
sink such as a solid surface or flame trap. For most fuels, such as diesel oil, coal or
wood, pyrolysis occurs before combustion. In incomplete combustion, products of
pyrolysis remain unburnt and contaminate the smoke with noxious particulate matter
and gases.

5. What is the ignition quality in smaller engines?

Ignition quality is the property of a fuel that ignites when injected into the
compressed-air charge in a diesel engine cylinder; measurement is given in terms of
cetane number. Diesel, as we all know, is a compression-ignited fuel. The higher the
compression ratio of the diesel fuel, the better the engine efficiency. This high
compression ratio can only be achieved by using a high cetane-rating diesel fuel.

High cetane diesel fuel mean that the pre-ignition time of the fuel is less, thus the
fuel ignites faster and produces more energy at faster rate.

6. What will happen when fuels have high cetane numbers?

 Cetane number is actually a measure of a fuel's ignition delay. This is the time
period between the start of injection and start of combustion (ignition) for the fuel. In
a particular diesel engine, higher cetane fuels will have shorter ignition delay periods
than lower cetane fuels. This means a better engine performance.

7. What is definition of cetane number?

Cetane Number is a measure of the ignition quality of a diesel fuel. It is often
mistaken as a measure of fuel quality. Cetane number is actually a measure of a fuel's
ignition delay. This is the time period between the start of injection and start of
combustion (ignition) for the fuel. In a particular diesel engine, higher cetane fuels
will have shorter ignition delay periods than lower cetane fuels.

8. What is definition of Diesel index?

Diesel index is a measure of the ignition quality of a diesel fuel calculated
from a formula involving the gravity of the fuel and its aniline point. Diesel fuel
rating/index is based on ignition qualities; high-quality fuel has a high index number.
The higher the grade of the diesel fuel, the better its performance.
CONCLUSION

The group was successful in attaining the objectives. First obviously, by doing the
experiment and getting the results. The other objective, to learn about carbon residue test
was also achieved by performing the Conradson Carbon Residue Test and by explaining
the importance of knowing a lubes carbon residue.

By measuring the weight of the porcelain crucible, the amount of the carbon residue can
be determined, setting it as reference weight (to simplify calculations), pouring 10g of
test oil, and measuring of weight before and after the experiment. The Meker burner can
vaporize lubricating oil quickly.

It is very important to get the amount of residue since these residues may cause some
failure in the purpose of lubricating machine parts, thus resulting in the failure or
brokerage of the engine and the machine itself. Thats why the cleaning and removing of
these residues are important matter in machine safety and maintenance. Aside from these,
carbon residues are life threatening to people since these substances are toxic. Knowing
this property of a lubricant, a machinist, engineer, or an ordinary person may choose the
best oil for a specific application.

Carbon residue is what remains after the combustion of a carbon rich material under high
temperature. Moreover, carbon residues have a large implication on the performance of
an engine running on fuels and lubricants. Finally, lubricants can be classified into
grades, which are dictated by the amount of carbon residue formed after combustion. The
smaller the remaining carbon residue on the test, the better the lubricant is. This provides
the ground in what lubricant to be used on a specific material.

I think there is only one thing that may have caused an error in the results. The residue in
the glass crucible was poured in the digital balance by using a brush. From this
happening, we can say that there is already a decrease in the mass of the carbon residue.
Overall, the whole experiment is successful and follows the theories applied.
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Young, Hugh D. and Roger A. Freedman. 2007. University Physics. California:

Pearson Education Inc.
Britannica Encyclopedia Volume 11.1994.USA: Encyclopedia Britannica Inc.
Bar-Meir, Genick.2011. Basic of fluid mechanics. Chicago: Genick Bar-Meir
Pulkrabek,Y. 1997. Internal Combustion Engine. New York: Pearson
www.engne101.com
www.machinelubrication.com
www.shxf17.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrolysis_oil
http://www.bunkering.co.kr/bunker_spec/carbonresidue_1.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-carbon-residue.htm#did-you-know
http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/411
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