Table of Contents

1. TOTAL BASE NUMBER

2. SUMMARY
3. CAUSES OF TBN DEPLETION
4. TOP-UP TREND
5. ALL DG’s TREND

TBN (Total Base Number)

The alkalinity of a lubricating oil is defined as the quantity of hydrochloric acid or perchloric acid required to neutralize
one gram of oil, expressed in terms of the equivalent number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide.

Summary
The BN is a measure of an oil’s ability to neutralize strong acids, caused by combustion products condensing on the
cylinder walls and elsewhere within the engine. Sulphur in the fuel is converted to Sulphur oxides during combustion
and, although the majority of this is expelled with the exhaust gases, a small proportion of SO3 remains within the
combustion zone. Together with the water formed during the combustion process it condenses on the cylinder walls as
sulfuric acid. This acid must be neutralized by the alkalinity of the lubricant. Otherwise serious corrosive wear of the
cylinder walls and the piston rings will occur. This neutralization takes place with the formation of either calcium or
magnesium sulphates (depending on the additive contained in the oil) which inevitably become part of the insoluble
burden carried by the oil when returning to the crankcase.

The Causes of BN Depletion

➢ High Sulphur content of fuel
➢ Very low oil consumption; insufficient fresh oil top-up
➢ Very low cylinder liner temperature (low cooling water temperature)
➢ Ingress of drain water condensed at air cooler.
➢ Low load operation (cold operation)
➢ Bad combustion (soot generally contains Sulphur acid)
➢ Neglect of fresh oil top-up relative to regular top-up
➢ Top-up with low BN oil
➢ Excess blow-by into crankcase
➢ Raw residual fuel contamination / dilution of lubricating oil
➢ TBN depletion rate will increase if number of starts stop increases
TOP-UP TREND
The top-up trend shows that there is no top-up in DG # 02, 05 & 07 from 15-jan to 22-jan.

10- 11- 12- 13- 14- 15- 16- 17- 18- 19- 20- 21- 22- Befor 23- Total Tota
Runnin
Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan- Jan- Jan e Jan Add l
g Hrs
-19 -19 -19 -19 -19 -19 -19 -19 -19 -19 19 19 -19 Topup -19 Topup Days
100 0 0 0 150 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 250 189 14
200 0 200 150 100 100 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 850 800 1650 150 14
209 0 0 0 209 209 0 0 209 209 0 0 0 209 1254 179 14
209 0 0 209 418 209 209 209 209 418 0 0 209 209 2508 183 14
250 0 0 0 200 100 0 200 100 200 0 0 0 1050 600 1650 157 14
209 0 209 209 209 209 0 0 209 209 0 0 0 209 1672 219 14
200 0 0 0 100 150 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 450 800 1250 151 14
100 0 200 150 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 550 222 14
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10000 3000 0 0 13000 45 14
170 0 200 0 150 100 200 100 0 100 0 0 0 200 1220 202 14
0 0 0 200 200 100 200 100 100 250 0 0 0 200 1350 196 14

➢ Below trend shows that in DG # 02, a change of 1000ltr of fresh lube oil will increase 2 TBN and deplete the 0.32
to 0.35 TBN for 24 hours.
➢ TBN depletion rate will increase if number of starts stop increases.

DG # 2 DG # 05 DG # 07
7-Jan-19 23.37 7-Jan-19 24.32 7-Jan-19 24.76
9-Jan-19 24.72 9-Jan-19 25.83 9-Jan-19 24.88
10-Jan-19 25.01 - - 10-Jan-19 25.06
23-Jan-19 22.5 23-Jan-19 24.62 23-Jan-19 22.00
24-Jan-19 25.17 24-Jan-19 - 24-Jan-19 25.30

➢ Making sure that top-up quantities are kept at less than 10% of the charge during each top-up. This is no
different to normal good engineering practice. A poorly maintained engine which is left to become very dirty,
will show similar problems when suddenly topped-up with a large quantity of fresh oil, even without the change
of brand or grade. So, in general, good maintenance of the engine and good engineering practice in the topping
up procedure can demonstrate significant beneficial effects.
➢ Sweetening is better than Top-up.
➢ Make sure the Daily or routine Top-up.
 System 5-Oct 23-Oct 9-Nov 7-Dec 24-Dec 7-Jan 23-Jan
DG RHs 59652 59751 59884 59900 60072 60320 60509
LO RHs 348 99 133 16 172 248 189
TBN (mg KOH/g) U/M 45.18 43.6 43.77 39.89 36.89 34.07
Sweetning 13000 0 0
Top Up 0 0 300

21- 24- 23- 24- 23-

System 7-Jun 11-Jul 24-Jul 7-Aug 6-Sep 5-Oct 9-Nov 7-Dec 7-Jan
Jun Aug Oct Dec Jan
DG RHs 57114 57313 57589 57663 57927 58318 58602 58980 59015 59085 59106 59329 59635 59785
LO RHs 318 199 276 74 264 391 284 378 35 70 21 223 306 150
TBN 31.54 31.51 U/M 45.89 43.63 37.14 33.73 29.82 U/M 27.84 27.5 24.07 25.01 25.17
Sweetning 0 0 0
Top Up 500 0 1179
 21- 11- 24- 7- 24- 23- 9- 24- 23-
System 7-Jun 6-Sep 5-Oct 7-Dec 7-Jan
Jun Jul Jul Aug Aug Oct Nov Dec Jan
DG RHs 55789 56010 56371 56671 56982 57320 57607 57906 58020 58094 58117 58306 58550 58729
LO RHs 339 221 361 300 311 338 287 299 114 74 23 189 244 179
TBN 25.41 26.83 23.11 26.32 25.27 24.92 25.75 27.04 25.56 26.21 25.5 26.24 27.27 28
Sweetning 0 0 0
Top Up 1254 0 2928

21- 11- 24- 7- 24- 23- 9- 24- 23-

System 7-Jun 6-Sep 5-Oct 7-Dec 7-Jan
Jun Jul Jul Aug Aug Oct Nov Dec Jan
DG RHs 56776 56987 57303 57316 57550 57935 58227 58511 58602 58682 58704 58882 59118 59301
LO RHs 312 211 316 13 234 385 292 284 91 80 22 178 236 183
TBN 31.4 30.33 32.03 32.48 34.09 34.51 34.59 32.71 30.79 31.19 31.27 30.45 30.5 29.91
Sweetning 0 0 0
Top Up 2299 0 5852
 7- 21- 11- 24- 7- 24- 6- 23- 9- 7- 24- 7- 23-
System 5-Oct
Jun Jun Jul Jul Aug Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Dec Jan Jan
DG RHs 55581 55801 56180 56449 56756 57136 57445 57826 57967 58099 58122 58327 58621 58778
LO RHs 347 220 379 269 307 380 309 381 141 132 23 205 294 157
TBN 25.37 25.24 29.22 26.3 24.34 23.64 23.03 25.62 25.21 24.65 25.11 24.6 25.83 24.62
Sweetning 800 0 200
Top Up 1750 0 2825

7- 21- 11- 24- 7- 24- 6- 5- 23- 9- 7- 24- 7- 23-

System
Jun Jun Jul Jul Aug Aug Sep Oct Oct Nov Dec Dec Jan Jan
DG RHs 55190 55380 55728 56003 56277 56622 56917 57243 57345 57423 57444 57646 57878 58097
LO RHs 339 190 348 275 274 345 295 326 102 78 21 202 232 219
TBN 23.99 24.42 23.97 26.34 25.93 26.38 25.05 27.47 26.26 24.61 26.12 26.57 27.87 27.85
Sweetning 0 0 0
Top Up 1254 0 2928
 System 7-Aug 24-Aug 6-Sep 5-Oct 23-Oct 9-Nov 7-Dec 24-Dec 7-Jan 23-Jan
DG RHs 60683 60980 61250 61664 61843 61944 61967 62193 62525 62676
LO RHs 210 297 270 414 179 101 23 226 332 151
TBN U/M 42.63 39.91 33.62 31.18 30.6 29.6 26.91 25.06 25.3
Sweetning 0 0 0
Top Up 1150 0 1700

System 9-Nov 7-Dec 24-Dec 7-Jan 23-Jan

DG RHs 59830 59844 60018 60268 60490
LO RHs 7 14 174 250 222
TBN 48.48 48.57 45.19 41.42 37.64
Sweetning 0 0
Top Up 0 200
 7- 21- 11- 24- 7- 24- 6- 5- 23- 9- 7- 24- 7- 23-
System
Jun Jun Jul Jul Aug Aug Sep Oct Oct Nov Dec Dec Jan Jan
DG RHs 56544 56819 57215 57523 57792 58162 58473 58941 59063 59204 59237 59444 59732 59777
LO RHs 339 275 396 308 269 370 311 468 122 141 33 207 288 45
TBN 26.86 26.06 26.22 26.84 24.98 24.67 24.72 25.82 25.69 24.02 24.02 24.25 25.55 47
Sweetning 600 0 0
Top Up 1886 0 3100

System 9-Nov 7-Dec 24-Dec 7-Jan 23-Jan

DG RHs 59088 59095 59222 59497 59699
LO RHs 104 7 127 275 202
TBN 27.06 48.03 43.66 39.3 36.53
Sweetning 0 0
Top Up 13000 400
 System 24-Aug 6-Sep 5-Oct 23-Oct 9-Nov 7-Dec 24-Dec 7-Jan 23-Jan
DG RHs 58685 58834 59111 59231 59314 59333 59516 59765 59961
LO RHs 392 149 277 120 83 19 183 249 196
TBN 29.68 U/M 41.55 39.94 37.75 37.83 34.88 32.44 30.89
Sweetning 0 0 0
Top Up 750 0 2500