Application of Penning mixture proportional counters for gas turbine engine x-ray fluorescence spectrometer wear metal monitor

The X-ray fluorescence spectrometry/analysis detection sensitivities for titanium, iron, copper, and silver in a lubricant oil matrix have been determined by using argon-neon, argon-xenon, and argon-isobutane Penning mixture proportional counters and curium-244, iron-55, americium-241, and cadmium-109 isotope source excitation. Three sigma wear metal detections under static conditions of 3 ppm iron, 1.2 ppm copper, 5.4 ppm titanium, and 9.6 ppm silver were achieved for a measurement time of 1000 s. The detection sensitivities of flowing analysis of used gas turbine engine lubricant were 3 ppm for iron and 1.8 ppm for copper. These values can enable the detection of abnormal wear metals in gas turbine engines. 10 references, 12 figures, 6 tables.