Oil testing kit Beta programme - Sample scanning notes

Contributors: @TedF and @cindy_excites

Date: 4/Nov/2015

Here we document our experience using the Public Lab Spectrometer 3.0 (assembled using these instructions) to scan our Oil Testing Kit Beta samples, which arrived with our OTK packages.

1) Scanning Mineral oil

We begin by sampling mineral oil. First without laser attenuator:

Mineral Oil similar matches (by clicking on the "Find similar" button):

Then tested the Mineral oil with the attenuator:

NOTE: Unfortunately, we cannot accurately tell which gradation of attenuation we used as the attenuator slider is slid into the black cuvette frame. But perhaps this does not matter?

Then compared the two - without and with attenuator (by clicking on the "Compare" button):

Mineral Oil similar matches (by clicking on the "Find similar" button):

This exercise was most useful in familiarising myself with the different functions of Spectral Workbenck [ https://spectralworkbench.org/ ] and the different parts of the spectrometer. I also realised that the spectrometer had some technical issues, which I fixed using Lego blocks. [ HYPERLINK HERE ].

2) Scanning unknown sample # 26

We proceed to scan sample # 26 and we carry out three repetitions of the scan. For each rep I turned the cuvette around (to scan from the other side).

Note: For (nearly) all samples that follow I have created screen clippings for the capture page, the annotation pages, and the similar spectra page of each rep, as well as the compare all reps page.

Scanning of sample # 26, rep a:

Sample # 26 similar matches for rep a (by clicking on the "Find similar" button):

Scanning of sample # 26, rep b:

Sample # 26 similar matches for rep b (by clicking on the "Find similar" button):

Scanning of sample # 26, rep c, capture page:

Scanning of sample # 26, rep c - sample annotation:

Sample # 26 similar matches for rep c (by clicking on the "Find similar" button):

Comparison of all 3 reps (by clicking on the "Compare" button):

3) Scanning unknown sample # 79

We then scan sample # 79 and we carry out three repetitions of the scan. Scanning of sample # 26, rep a:

Sample # 79 similar matches for rep a:

Scanning of sample # 79, rep b, capture page:

Scanning of sample # 79, rep b - sample annotation:

Sample # 79 similar matches for rep b:

Scanning of sample # 79, rep c:

Sample # 79 similar matches for rep c:

Comparison of all 3 reps for sample # 79:

4) Scanning unknown sample # 111

We continue with scanning sample # 111 and carry out three repetitions of the scan

Scanning of sample # 111, rep a, capture page:

Scanning of sample # 111, rep a:

Sample # 111 similar matches for rep a:

Sample # 111 similar matches for rep b:

Sample # 111 similar matches for rep c:

Comparison of all 3 reps for sample # 111:

4) Scanning unknown sample # 5w-30

Next we scan sample # 5w-30 and carry out three repetitions of the scan.

Scanning of sample # 5w-30, rep a, capture page:

Scanning of sample # 5w-30, rep a:

Sample # 5w-30similar matches for rep a:

Scanning of sample # 5w-30, rep b:

Sample # 5w-30similar matches for rep b:

Scanning of sample # 5w-30, rep c:

Sample # 5w-30similar matches for rep c:

Comparison of all 3 reps for sample # 5w-30:

5) Scanning unknown sample # 20w-30

Next we scan sample # 20w-30 and carry out three repetitions of the scan.

Scanning of sample # 20w-30, rep a, capture page:

Scanning of sample # 20w-30, rep a:

Sample # 20w-30 similar matches for rep a:

Scanning of sample # 20w-30, rep b:

Sample # 20w-30 similar matches for rep b:

Scanning of sample # 20w-30, rep c:

Sample # 20w-30 similar matches for rep c:

Comparison of all 3 reps for sample # 20w-30:

6) Scanning unknown sample # 80w-30

Next we scan sample # 80w-30 and carry out three repetitions of the scan.

Scanning of sample # 80w-30, rep a, capture page:

Scanning of sample # 80w-30, rep a, annotation:

Sample # 80w-30 similar matches for rep a:

Scanning of sample # 80w-30, rep b:

Sample # 80w-30 similar matches for rep b:

Scanning of sample # 80w-30, rep c:

Sample # 80w-30 similar matches for rep c:

Comparison of all 3 reps for sample # 80w-30:

Note: I thought I had forgotten to compare all three reps for this sample, but it was not possible to go back and select them after I had done many other readings; only recently captured spectra apprear in the compare window and the search function does not return results outside the listed recently selected spectra

7) Scanning the Diesel sample

Next we scan the Diesel sample and carry out three repetitions of the scan.

Scanning of the Diesel sample, rep a, capture page:

Scanning of the Diesel sample, rep a, annotation:

Diesel sample similar matches for rep a:

Scanning of the Diesel sample, rep b:

Diesel sample similar matches for rep b:

Scanning of the Diesel sample, rep c:

Diesel sample similar matches for rep c:

Comparison of all 3 reps for the Diesel sample:

7) Scanning the Crude sample

Next we scan the Crude sample and carry out three repetitions of the scan.

Scanning of the Crude sample, rep a, capture page:

Scanning of the Crude sample, rep a, annotation:

Crude sample similar matches for rep a:

Scanning of the Crude sample, rep b:

Crude sample similar matches for rep b:

Scanning of the Crude sample, rep c:

Crude sample similar matches for rep c:

Comparison of all 3 reps for the Crude sample:

My favourite functions in Spectral worksbench in this exercise was the "Find similar" button. I will in the future go back and write a bit more about some of the interesting 'similar' spetra that I found. It would have been useful to have a "how to dispose of your samples" and "how to clean your cuvettes" guides. I first used acetone but it damaged my cuvettes (I lost two in the experiment). I then used dishsoap but to no effect. I then used window cleaner and that seemed to do the trick!

Related research notes:

Oil testing kit Beta programme - Package content

Oil testing kit Beta programme - Assembly: cuvette frame

Oil testing kit Beta programme - Assembly: spectrometer

Oil testing kit Beta programme - Calibration

Oil testing kit Beta programme - Technical adjustments (hack!)