Apparatus and method for particle analysis

A method for wear analysis comprising:

• introducing a plurality of machine lubricant samples, each of which carries suspended particles associated machine wear, into a corresponding plurality of elongate receptacles, each receptacle within the plurality of receptacles comprising:
• a plurality of tubes pairwise detachably fastened to each other in an end-to-end fashion to jointly define a continuous channel within the receptacle, wherein an uppermost tube is configured to receive the lubricant sample;
• and
• a plurality of filter patches, each filter patch within the plurality of filter patches disposed between pairwise fastened tubes and each filter patch within the plurality of filter patches having a predetermined pore size;
• centrifuging the plurality of receptacles simultaneously for displacing the lubricant sample within each receptacle along a length of the channel of each receptacle,
• trapping lubricant sample particles on at least one filter patch within the plurality of filter patches of each receptacle;
• removing the plurality of filter patches from each receptacle by way of detaching pairwise fastened tubes from each other;
• and
• subjecting at least one filter patch removed from each receptacle and upon which lubricant sample particles are trapped to a set of thermal, optical, or chemical tests to characterize the lubricant sample particles trapped thereby.

A system for wear analysis comprising:

• a plurality of tubes pairwise detachably fastened to each other in an end-to-end fashion to jointly define an elongate receptacle having a continuous channel therewithin, wherein an uppermost tube of the plurality of tubes is configured to receive a lubricant sample which is extracted from a machine and which carries suspended particles associated with machine wear;
• and
• a plurality filter patches carried by the receptacle, wherein each filter patch within the plurality of filter patches is disposed between pairwise fastened tubes for retaining at least portion of the suspended particles upon being subjected to centrifugal force,
• wherein pairwise fastened tubes are separable for removing or replacing a filter patch disposed therebetween.

A system for wear analysis comprising:

• a plurality of receptacles, each receptacle comprising:
• a plurality of tubes pairwise detachably fastened to each other in an end-to-end fashion to jointly define an elongate receptacle having a continuous channel therewithin, wherein an uppermost tube of the plurality of tubes is configured to receive a lubricant sample which is extracted from a machine and which carries suspended particles associated with machine wear;
• and
• a plurality filter patches carried by the receptacle, wherein each filter patch within the plurality of filter patches is disposed between pairwise fastened tubes for retaining at least a portion of the suspended particles upon being subjected to centrifugal force,
• wherein pairwise fastened tubes are separable for removing or replacing a filter patch disposed therebetween;
• and
• a centrifuge for simultaneously centrifuging the plurality of receptacles to displace a lubricant sample within each receptacle along the length of the channel of each receptacle.