MOLYBDENUM
DISULFIDE
Molybdenum is a very
hard metal with a number of industrial uses:
It is combined with chromium
in steel to make the steel harder and more resistant to bending. Most of
the bicycle frames produced today use chromium and molybdenum steel. Because
the steel is so much harder, the manufacturers can use less, thereby making
the frame lighter.
Molybdenum Disulfide
(Moly) has been used for decades in lubricating
pastes and greases because it is slippery and forms a protective coating
on metal parts:
Moly
exists as microscopic hexagonal crystal platelets Several molecules make
up one of these platelets. A single molecule of
Moly
contains two sulfur atoms and one molybdenum atom. Moly
platelets are attracted to metal surfaces. This attraction and the force
of moving engine parts rubbing across one another provide the necessary
thermochemical reaction necessary for Moly to
form an overlapping protective coating like armor on all of your engine
parts. This protective armor coating has a number of properties that are
very beneficial for your engine.
The Moly
platelets that make up the protective layers on your engine surfaces slide
across one another very easily. Instead of metal rubbing against metal,
you have Moly platelets moving across
one another protecting and lubricating the metal engine parts.
This coating effectively
fills in the microscopic pores that cover the surface of all engine parts,
making them smoother. This feature is important in providing an effective
seal on the combustion chamber. By filling in the craters and pores Moly
improves this seal allowing for more efficient combustion and engine performance.
This overlapping coating of Moly
also gives protection against loading (perpendicular) forces. These forces
occur on the bearings, and lifters. The high pressures that occur between
these moving parts tend to squeeze normal lubricants out.
Eventually, there is metal
to metal contact, which damages these moving parts and creates large amounts
of heat. Fortunately, this is not the case with some lubricants.The layer
of moly that forms on these moving surfaces can withstand pressures of
500,000 psi, without being squeezed out.
Engineers and scientists
have tried for years to use Moly in
motor oils but they had been unsuccessful because they could not find
a way to keep Moly in suspension. Once
Moly
was put into suspension it would gradually settle out. It was easy to see
it come out of suspension because a black sludge would collect on the bottom
of the oil containers. In engines it would settle to the bottom of the
crankcase or clog oil pathways and filters.
Engineers have overcome these
obstacles. They have developed a process that keeps Moly
in suspension and isn't filtered out. Since that time the product has undergone
extensive independent testing in labs and in the field for many years to
insure that the product stands up to the rigorous needs of today's engines.
With the plating action of Moly reducing
friction which reduces heat, this helps keep rings free from carbon buildup,
prevents
blow-by, decreases emission, and extends oil life.
For more pictures and details on
moly click here
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