Total Base Number (TBN)

Diesel engine oil is continuously exposed to acidic combustion products and these must be neutralised before they can corrode engine parts. Alkaline additives are present to neutralise both the acids derived from combustion (mainly strong sulphuric and nitric acids) and those weaker, organic acids resulting from oxidation of the oil during its ageing. The TBN of an oil is the measure of the alkaline reserve rather than a measure of how alkaline an oil is, and is used to determine the ability of the oil to neutralise acids from combustion.

Maintaining the correct alkaline reserve is critical to preventing unnecessary corrosion of the upper piston, piston rings and top end bearing. Severe depletion of the TBN results in acid corrosion and fouling within the engine, and additionally, low TBN is indicative of reduced oil detergency.

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Kittiwake Base Number Products

• TBN Electronic Test - available as a stand-alone kit, or as part of a comprehensive suite of electronic equipment.   The TBN Cell works in conjunction with a highly accurate electronic console and optional software allowing the data to be downloaded from the console to a PC.

• DIGI TBN Test - Kittiwake’s DIGI Cell has become a universally favoured test method for on-site and on-board testing and its sister product, the DIGI TBN Test Kit provides state of the art, digital analysis, providing fast, accurate results for in-depth monitoring of trends.