SBIR-STTR Award

The threshold objective of SBIR topic DLA211-002 is to develop a database of physical and chemical properties for MIL-PRF-17331 oils as a function of manufacturer, additive composition, shelf-life, and contamination with corresponding FTIR spectra. This is part of a broader objective to develop a comprehensive understanding of the factors that lead to oil degradation and ways to prevent and/or mitigate those factors to prevent product loss. METSS is addressing both the immediate and long-term goals with a multi-faceted approach to compile data from historical, current, and model oil systems; identify the mechanisms that lead to oil degradation; identify the most efficient screening methods for rapid and efficient quality assurance testing; and propose corrective actions to address quality degradation.

DLA is seeking to prevent product waste and replacement of lubricating oils like 2190-TEP by 1) understanding the degradation processes for lubricating oils and their additive packages, 2) establishing effective screening methods to identify premature product degradation, and 3) implementing measures to bring the oil back into specification if it occurs. The Phase II approach is built upon the successful completion of two Phase I projects by METSS Corporation and FTL Labs Corporation. The two projects showed complementary strengths that DLA recommended be combined in Phase II. Specifically, METSS conducted extensive fluid studies in Phase I: modifying existing formulations, simulating thermal degradation of commercial oils, and correlating physical property changes to changes in the composition of the oil and the most responsive laboratory screening methods. In Phase I, FTL conducted proof-of-concept studies with various portable analysis techniques and developed a product concept in which a hardened spectrometer and particle imager system are used to extract spectral and contaminant information from a small sample of oil: the SpOilEye system (Spectral Protection OilEye). As envisioned, the Phase II project will combine the strengths of these two companies, resulting in a hardware solution from FTL whose development will be advanced and validated through METSS’s expertise in oil composition, failure modes, and fluid analysis