ASTM D8112, which was originally a standard specifically for sampling in the power industry, is now being expanded to serve as a guide for sampling in-service lubricants across all industries.

Until now, there has been no comprehensive guide for sampling in-service lubricants. Samples were often collected using methods intended for handling new lubricants during manufacturing, packaging, and delivery. However, sampling in-service fluids in industrial applications has specific requirements that existing standards do not sufficiently address. Key considerations—including equipment, operating environment, hardware, collection points, containers, and fill levels—are not readily available.

Lubricating oils, hydraulic fluids, and transformer fluids play essential roles in various industrial applications. However, prolonged exposure to operational and environmental conditions can lead to the deterioration of these fluids, altering their physical and chemical properties. Such degradation and contamination can negatively impact the fluids’ capacity to perform their intended functions. Furthermore, as lubricating oils continuously circulate through critical contact surfaces, monitoring the condition of these fluids allows users to detect early signs of specific failure modes. Representative samples must be collected using methods that do not compromise or alter valuable information. 

 The effectiveness of this condition monitoring process depends on understanding system design, knowledge of fluid deterioration processes, and awareness of potential failure modes. The in-service fluid sampling process is a critical component of this condition monitoring approach.

It is important to note that due to the wide variety of lubricated equipment designs, users typically focus on lubricant sampling and analysis only on safety-related equipment or those critical to the production process. Perhaps even that should be reviewed.