Nanostructured polymers for detecting chemical changes during engine oil degradation

Abstract

Organic and inorganic polymers nanostructured by molecular imprinting yield functional materials for detecting engine oil degradation. Using both fresh and waste oils as templates, respectively, allows us to selectively tune the polymer to incorporate either fresh or used lubricant. FT-IR studies on polymer pellets prove bulk incorporation of the analyte. By the same strategy sensitive materials can be designed for selectively determining fuel in the engine oil. Waste oil selective sensor layers yield signals that are clearly correlated both to the oil age (known from test stand measurements) and standard oil parameters, such as the total base number (TBN). TBN and sensors additionally show the same time behavior.