Application of an x-ray fluorescence instrument to helicopter wear debris analysis [electronic resource] / Andrew Becker

This report describes the application of an X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) instrument to determine the composition of wear debris collected from helicopter magnetic chip detectors and oil filters. The Twin-X XRF (assessed in this report) is a commercially produced bench-top XRF and has not previously been applied to wear debris analysis of Australian Defence Force aircraft. The primary aim is to establish its ability to identify the composition of wear debris locally (i.e. at the operational base level). This will enable timely and informed decisions to be made regarding maintenance action following magnetic chip detector indications or oil filter bypass events. This report has shown that the Twin-X XRF is capable of providing valuable information about the composition of wear debris from aircraft oil-wetted systems.