The contribution of lubricating oil to exhaust deposits and exhaust particulates from gasoline engines - a radiotracer method

摘要

A radioactive tracer method was used to measure the contribution of engine oil to deposits on exhaust system components and particulates in the exhaust gas of a gasoline engine. The technique involves the use of an oil molecule labeled with radioactive ~(14)C. By measuring the ~14C concentration in engine deposits, the fraction of carbon derived from the lubricating oil can be determined. Results show that depending on the location of the deposit, oil contributes from 1 to 8% of the carbon deposited, and is independent of engine operating conditions. Oil contribution to particulate filtered from the exhaust gas ranges from 2 to 30% of the carbon, which increases in proportion to engine speed.