Lion77
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Address - https://www.nasa.gov/technology/tech-transfer-spinoffs/5-auto-innovations-driven-by-nasa/
Hyperlink: 5 Auto Innovations Driven by NASA - NASA
The purpose of this post is informational for anyone interested in learning about and then taking advantage of In Situ Hydrogenated DLC Coating technology, otherwise known as TriboTEX. I am not a chemical engineer but am a degree Electrical Engineer working the field of Plasma Technology and automotive systems are a hobby of mine.
I generally apply the same level of scrutiny and study to automotive technologies that I do in my professional capacity and am sharing what I have learned over the years studying Extreme Pressure Additive Packages (EP additives) like MoDTC organic moly and ZDDP in motor oils, base oil formulations like PAO, Ester, Group III+'s etc. as being someone who is passionately curious.
I generally try to avoid relying on here say such as "this person said this and did this etc.". Sometimes there is merit to it, sometimes there is not. This post is primarily focused on real data and real-world standardized testing (see links and attachments).
Background Information
1. I do not use "oil additives", unless you know the chemistry, you're upsetting the balance of the oil's additive package, and it could lead to unintended consequences. For example, people used to add MoS2 (moly) to motor oil as an EP additive to reduce wear rates and improve power by reducing friction losses in ICE's. What they didn't know at the time is that when MoS2 is exposed to moisture, it absorbs hydrogen, rapidly breaks down and becomes abrasive! So MoS2 (non-organic moly) works well in hermetically sealed applications like CV joint grease, but not in motor oil.
2. Manufacturers across all companies have been using vapor deposited DLC coatings for quite some time on factory engine parts to enhance service life. The problem with vapor disposition is that once the coating wears off the part, you would have to disassemble the engine and replace or resurface / recoat the part, making factory DLC coatings a one and done deal.
DLC Coatings
3. Once OEs started to use DLC coatings, they realized that current motor oil formulations at the time (early 2000's) did not provide adequate wear protection for them as ZDDP tended to not form a tribofilm on DLC coated wear surfaces like it does on bare steel (i.e., cam lobes, piston rings / cylinder walls, main bearings etc.). Parts that were DLC coated from the factory might be something like a valve stem to enhance the seal of brass bushings and limit oil loss for example, also reducing heat and wear rates, thus extending service life and reducing oil loss. So, Infineon developed MoDTC, an organic moly compound EP additive that is now common in modern motor oils and works synergistically with DLC coatings while also being a primary friction reducer, something ZDDP does not do (e..g., ZDDP can actually increase friction slightly, but the tribofilm forms rapidly over the bearing surface that operate in boundary layer lubrication regimes, aka metal on metal contact where there is not enough velocity to form a hydro film or fully form a hydro film).
DLC Coatings for Valve Train Components
Terms and Definitions
ZDDP - Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate, a common EP additive in motor oil that gives it the "golden color". This additive is the primary EP additive that reduces wear during boundary layer and mixed mode lubrication regimes where there is direct metal on metal contract. Boundry layer or mixed mode lubrication regimes occur when there is not enough velocity between rubbing pairs or when the load exceeds the capacity of the film at a given velocity. ZDDP forms very rapidly but also decays very rapidly. It is ecologically toxic to aquatic life and one reason why the EPA has been putting increasingly stringent limits on ZDDP concentrations in modern motor oils, consequently that works against wear. There is also an optimal concentration, too little or too much yields sub-optimal wear. ZDDP tribofilms also tend to increase friction slightly but significantly reduce wear rates.
MoS2 - Non-organic EP additive that was also developed in the 1940's. It was initially used in aircraft engine oils to permit short term dry running operation of the piston engines in case the oil pan was shot out during combat (allows for a few minutes of dry running of the engine giving the pilot a chance to land). It's a common EP additive in heavy duty greases but is highly susceptible to water absorption in which it turns abrasive. So, it is not ideal for motor oil applications despite its excellent EP properties but does work well in grease applications that are hermetically sealed like CV joints.
MoDTC - organic derivative of MoS2 designed to eliminate the water absorption issue and is now a common EP additive in modern motor oils. For example, Mazda uses it in their "Moly 0W-20 and 5W-30" motor oils. I believe Ford and others are using it now in their factory oils to enhance fuel economy and reduce wear rates of factory DLC coated parts. It was developed by Infineon in 2009.
What is TriboTEX and Why Do You Care?
TriboTEX, otherwise known as Synthetic Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide, is an In Situ DLC coating originally developed for industrial and military uses. It was heavily funded by NASA, Argone National Labs and several other entities including the DoD. Early target applications included wind turbine gearboxes, hydro power generator reduction gearboxes and heavy truck differentials / transmission for military vehicles all of which are subjected to extreme torque loads. Currently it is being explored for additional uses in helicopter gear boxes to extend service life.
In Situ is Latin and simply means it "in process". As mentioned above, DLC coatings are not new, however In Situ DLC coatings are and provide key advantages over traditional Vapor Deposition methods: 1. can be retrofitted into existing mechanical assemblies using the lubricating oil as a carrier to locations of heat and pressure, which causes the film to form over time 2. Can be replaced at regular intervales as the film wears down after initial formation without disassembly.
Advantages of DLC Coatings
1. Reduce friction of rubbing pairs (i.e., bearing surfaces that do not have a complete hydro film during normal operation), in many cases to levels of "super lubricity".
2. Reduces wear on the metal surfaces, as the film is what is being worn away, not the surface of the metal bearing face. The film lasts longer due to high hardness than bare surface even with common EP additives like ZDDP in oils.
3. Can enhance film strength by enhancing oil adhesion to the surface, thus furthering the load bearing capacity of the fluid film and even allowing the film to exist under higher load conditions than it would otherwise.
Now that we understand the advantages of DLC coatings, I hope you can begin to see why an In Situ DLC coating is advantageous and why I personally use and recommend them.
Please see the attachments for detailed information. I will add subsequent posts with more information as time permits.
Recommendation's for Application
1. Dosing (quantity of material) is one of the most important aspects to get optimized. DLC coatings are a film that requires a certain amount of surface area to be covered in order to provide full benefit, if you don't use enough, the film will not completely form to reach super lubricity in the areas of heat and pressure. Conversely, more is not always better either, there's a point of diminishing returns, so just like additives developed and tested in motor oil formulations, use it in the recommended proportions for a given application.
2. Apply after fresh oil change to allow for maximum wear in time on engines. Typically, it takes 40 motor hours to fully form, in some instances a bit longer if loading is light. For transmission / gearbox / diff applications, as long as your not near the end of the fluid service life, your fine.
3. For transmission applications, NEVER use on transmissions with wet clutches (i.e., dual clutch transmissions or sport bikes) as the tribofilm will cause the clutch to slip!
- You might ask why it doesn't cause torque lock clutch plates to slip in automatics? Simple, the torque converter is handling most of the power transfer during the lockup phase, so the torque lock friction plates don't see much heat load during lockup on normal driving. I would NOT recommend towing during the wear in phase when apply to automatic transmissions. Just drive normally like during engine break in, then you can drive it hard / tow after wear-in. I have yet to see a single report automatic slip from Tribotex application and have used it on my own vehicle's multiple times at suggested intervals.
- Larger transmissions with more gears may require two applications due to the much greater surface area where tribofilms need to form. It's simple, a 10-speed auto in the RR is going to have much more surface area than the automatic in something like a Mazda 3 or Honda Civic. The same applies to engines.
4. Do NOT use on a new engine that is not fully broken in. You will interfere with the break-in process. I personally do not use until 10k to ensure all wear surfaces are fully worn in and I've removed production contaminants via oil changes.
Hyperlink: 5 Auto Innovations Driven by NASA - NASA
The purpose of this post is informational for anyone interested in learning about and then taking advantage of In Situ Hydrogenated DLC Coating technology, otherwise known as TriboTEX. I am not a chemical engineer but am a degree Electrical Engineer working the field of Plasma Technology and automotive systems are a hobby of mine.
I generally apply the same level of scrutiny and study to automotive technologies that I do in my professional capacity and am sharing what I have learned over the years studying Extreme Pressure Additive Packages (EP additives) like MoDTC organic moly and ZDDP in motor oils, base oil formulations like PAO, Ester, Group III+'s etc. as being someone who is passionately curious.
I generally try to avoid relying on here say such as "this person said this and did this etc.". Sometimes there is merit to it, sometimes there is not. This post is primarily focused on real data and real-world standardized testing (see links and attachments).
Background Information
1. I do not use "oil additives", unless you know the chemistry, you're upsetting the balance of the oil's additive package, and it could lead to unintended consequences. For example, people used to add MoS2 (moly) to motor oil as an EP additive to reduce wear rates and improve power by reducing friction losses in ICE's. What they didn't know at the time is that when MoS2 is exposed to moisture, it absorbs hydrogen, rapidly breaks down and becomes abrasive! So MoS2 (non-organic moly) works well in hermetically sealed applications like CV joint grease, but not in motor oil.
2. Manufacturers across all companies have been using vapor deposited DLC coatings for quite some time on factory engine parts to enhance service life. The problem with vapor disposition is that once the coating wears off the part, you would have to disassemble the engine and replace or resurface / recoat the part, making factory DLC coatings a one and done deal.
DLC Coatings
3. Once OEs started to use DLC coatings, they realized that current motor oil formulations at the time (early 2000's) did not provide adequate wear protection for them as ZDDP tended to not form a tribofilm on DLC coated wear surfaces like it does on bare steel (i.e., cam lobes, piston rings / cylinder walls, main bearings etc.). Parts that were DLC coated from the factory might be something like a valve stem to enhance the seal of brass bushings and limit oil loss for example, also reducing heat and wear rates, thus extending service life and reducing oil loss. So, Infineon developed MoDTC, an organic moly compound EP additive that is now common in modern motor oils and works synergistically with DLC coatings while also being a primary friction reducer, something ZDDP does not do (e..g., ZDDP can actually increase friction slightly, but the tribofilm forms rapidly over the bearing surface that operate in boundary layer lubrication regimes, aka metal on metal contact where there is not enough velocity to form a hydro film or fully form a hydro film).
DLC Coatings for Valve Train Components
Terms and Definitions
ZDDP - Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate, a common EP additive in motor oil that gives it the "golden color". This additive is the primary EP additive that reduces wear during boundary layer and mixed mode lubrication regimes where there is direct metal on metal contract. Boundry layer or mixed mode lubrication regimes occur when there is not enough velocity between rubbing pairs or when the load exceeds the capacity of the film at a given velocity. ZDDP forms very rapidly but also decays very rapidly. It is ecologically toxic to aquatic life and one reason why the EPA has been putting increasingly stringent limits on ZDDP concentrations in modern motor oils, consequently that works against wear. There is also an optimal concentration, too little or too much yields sub-optimal wear. ZDDP tribofilms also tend to increase friction slightly but significantly reduce wear rates.
MoS2 - Non-organic EP additive that was also developed in the 1940's. It was initially used in aircraft engine oils to permit short term dry running operation of the piston engines in case the oil pan was shot out during combat (allows for a few minutes of dry running of the engine giving the pilot a chance to land). It's a common EP additive in heavy duty greases but is highly susceptible to water absorption in which it turns abrasive. So, it is not ideal for motor oil applications despite its excellent EP properties but does work well in grease applications that are hermetically sealed like CV joints.
MoDTC - organic derivative of MoS2 designed to eliminate the water absorption issue and is now a common EP additive in modern motor oils. For example, Mazda uses it in their "Moly 0W-20 and 5W-30" motor oils. I believe Ford and others are using it now in their factory oils to enhance fuel economy and reduce wear rates of factory DLC coated parts. It was developed by Infineon in 2009.
What is TriboTEX and Why Do You Care?
TriboTEX, otherwise known as Synthetic Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide, is an In Situ DLC coating originally developed for industrial and military uses. It was heavily funded by NASA, Argone National Labs and several other entities including the DoD. Early target applications included wind turbine gearboxes, hydro power generator reduction gearboxes and heavy truck differentials / transmission for military vehicles all of which are subjected to extreme torque loads. Currently it is being explored for additional uses in helicopter gear boxes to extend service life.
In Situ is Latin and simply means it "in process". As mentioned above, DLC coatings are not new, however In Situ DLC coatings are and provide key advantages over traditional Vapor Deposition methods: 1. can be retrofitted into existing mechanical assemblies using the lubricating oil as a carrier to locations of heat and pressure, which causes the film to form over time 2. Can be replaced at regular intervales as the film wears down after initial formation without disassembly.
Advantages of DLC Coatings
1. Reduce friction of rubbing pairs (i.e., bearing surfaces that do not have a complete hydro film during normal operation), in many cases to levels of "super lubricity".
2. Reduces wear on the metal surfaces, as the film is what is being worn away, not the surface of the metal bearing face. The film lasts longer due to high hardness than bare surface even with common EP additives like ZDDP in oils.
3. Can enhance film strength by enhancing oil adhesion to the surface, thus furthering the load bearing capacity of the fluid film and even allowing the film to exist under higher load conditions than it would otherwise.
Now that we understand the advantages of DLC coatings, I hope you can begin to see why an In Situ DLC coating is advantageous and why I personally use and recommend them.
Please see the attachments for detailed information. I will add subsequent posts with more information as time permits.
Recommendation's for Application
1. Dosing (quantity of material) is one of the most important aspects to get optimized. DLC coatings are a film that requires a certain amount of surface area to be covered in order to provide full benefit, if you don't use enough, the film will not completely form to reach super lubricity in the areas of heat and pressure. Conversely, more is not always better either, there's a point of diminishing returns, so just like additives developed and tested in motor oil formulations, use it in the recommended proportions for a given application.
2. Apply after fresh oil change to allow for maximum wear in time on engines. Typically, it takes 40 motor hours to fully form, in some instances a bit longer if loading is light. For transmission / gearbox / diff applications, as long as your not near the end of the fluid service life, your fine.
3. For transmission applications, NEVER use on transmissions with wet clutches (i.e., dual clutch transmissions or sport bikes) as the tribofilm will cause the clutch to slip!
- You might ask why it doesn't cause torque lock clutch plates to slip in automatics? Simple, the torque converter is handling most of the power transfer during the lockup phase, so the torque lock friction plates don't see much heat load during lockup on normal driving. I would NOT recommend towing during the wear in phase when apply to automatic transmissions. Just drive normally like during engine break in, then you can drive it hard / tow after wear-in. I have yet to see a single report automatic slip from Tribotex application and have used it on my own vehicle's multiple times at suggested intervals.
- Larger transmissions with more gears may require two applications due to the much greater surface area where tribofilms need to form. It's simple, a 10-speed auto in the RR is going to have much more surface area than the automatic in something like a Mazda 3 or Honda Civic. The same applies to engines.
4. Do NOT use on a new engine that is not fully broken in. You will interfere with the break-in process. I personally do not use until 10k to ensure all wear surfaces are fully worn in and I've removed production contaminants via oil changes.
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