A Preliminary Evaluation of Elemental Constituents of the Degraded Motor Engine Oil Using Neutron Activation Analysis

Abstract

The concentration of the elemental constituents of new and waste motor vehicle engine oil was determined using neutron activation analysis (NAA) technique. A neutron flux of 0.46E+10 cm-2s-1 at the Slowpoke-2 reactor of the Polytechnique Institute of Montreal for neutron irradiation, and a germanium detector for gamma-ray spectroscopy were employed. The waste oil was sampled from a public transport bus after operation over a cumulative distance of 13000 km. The concentration and degradation coefficient () were obtained for few elements detected in both samples indicating the degradation of the engine block itself. The study is aimed and enhancing the preventative maintenance of motor-vehicles and possibly the monitoring of the environmental impact of waste oil.