A smart coating designed to enable virtually any machine to operate more efficiently, while reducing fuel costs by around 11 per cent and emissions, where applicable, by up to 60 per cent, has been introduced by Nanolia, a new division of Technology Marketing Management.
Nano Tec is added to engine or gearbox oil to provide a low-cost way to reduce the cost of operating machinery — from the smallest motors and generators to the largest marine diesel engines and including pumps, gearboxes and winches. It can, says TMM, even be used to good advantage to save the cost and extend the life of company vehicle fleets: one application is said to be good for 100,000km — even if the oil is changed many times in that period. And after 100,000km it can simply be reapplied to further the vehicle's life.
Conventional lubricants work by creating a protective film that avoids direct contact of the metallic surfaces. However, lubricants alone may not be able to protect the metal surfaces under all conditions and permanently. This new nano coating technology works by actually modifying the surface texture of frictional metal parts and creates a new, very smooth metal silicate coating.
This metal silicate coating reduces friction and increases efficiency, especially in older engines and gearboxes. Due to optimisation of compression pressure in engines, oil and fuel consumption, emissions and CO2 exhaust gases are reduced.
When added to the original lubricant, Nano Tec is is carried to the affected areas of the engine or gear box. In the abrasion area, the metal silicates react due to high temperature and/or high partial pressure and conjoin with the metal surfaces, filling the smallest corrugations, pores or micro cracks in the metal surface, forming an extremely smooth and solid metal silicate layer. The treated metal silicate surfaces have a much lower friction coefficient and allow for a better and faster build-up of a lubricating film.
The effect on wind turbines, says TMM, is significant in terms not only of extended gearbox life, but also increased power generation.
