Valvoline research on boron based Nano lubricants.

[PimTac]

I brought this up in another thread and felt I should share it in its own thread.

https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/07/f17/ft018_erdemir_2014_o.pdf


I thought boron was a anti-wear and a dispersant as far as additives go? Researching a bit more brought up hexagonal boron nitride which if I am not mistaken is a component of the oil additive Ceratec. I have always considered boron as a key additive in oil but it gets overshadowed by molybdenum of which it is partnered with most of the time.

Pure speculation at this stage but I wonder if Valvoline is using this in their new Advanced Synthetic?

 

[ecotourist]

Nano seems to be the answer to every problem, and even every 'not a problem'.

From a medical point of view nano-particles are a big concern. Well known substances completely change their behaviour when they're nano-sized. Non toxics can become toxic. We won't know what the next cardiac or cancer causing substance will be until it's been tested (on us) for 10 or 20 years. Then the manufacturers will say "geez, how were we supposed to know that?"

Nano might be fine where there is a genuine problem to be solved. But we certainly don't need it for non-problems.

The environmental concerns are perhaps even greater. Who knows what will happen when nano-particles end up in the environment (air, water, soil, marine food chain, etc). But I don't expect it will be good.

 

[Garak]

How much of the use of the word "nano" in these contexts is marketing, rather than science? Chemical properties don't change regardless of amount of substance.

 

[PimTac]

The word nano does get used and abused in some cases, no doubt about that. One will have a hard time disputing any work coming out of Argonne.

Btw, I have fond memories of Borax. Our family used it for handwashing and laundry. Watching the 20 Mule Team commercials on Saturday night takes you back some. Even our school used Boraxo in the johns.

 

[DS9]

Also, Borax or sodium-tetraborate is used for a decades/century in devolepers for b/w photography.
When I see term nano in lubricants - I think about MoS2 or WS2 (molibden or tungsten disulphide)