PURPOSE: To quickly analyze oil or a fluid on-line for remaining effective life and pollution level through the simple operation by measuring an electric current flowing through a sample or the conductivity of the sample by dipping electrodes in the sample. CONSTITUTION: Used oil, lubricant, or fluid is circulated through a device 12, a return pipeline 14, an oil reservoir 24, and a line 26. An analyzer 16 is composed of a working micro electrode 18, a reference electrode 20, an auxiliary electrode 22, and lead wires 19 and positioned in the chamber 17 of the pipeline 14. The species of an antioxidant are oxidized by applying a potential across the oil or fluid from the electrodes 18, 20, and 22 and periodically changing the potential to a second value from a first value and the oxidized products are reduced by returning the potential to the first value. Then peroxides and other oxidized species are reduced by changing the potential to a third value from the first value and the reduced products are oxidized by again returning the potential to the first value. The remaining effective life and pollution level of the oil or fluid are decided from the height of the oxidizing and reducing current waves and the conductivity of the fluid by measuring a generated electric current and the conductivity of the fluid.
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