Lubrizol reveals how additives work at a nano level.
For the first time ever, scientists have been able to show the direct interaction between lubricant additive layer and metal surfaces in a visual manner.
At a nano-metre level, that's a scale of one billionth of a metre, Lubrizol scientists have managed to physically extract and directly visualise how the molecules they've been putting into oils for the last 80 years react with the surface of engine parts and protect the engine.
Over a 24-hour period, they used, quite literally, cutting edge technology - an atomic knife with a precision needle to remove a small cross section of a sample of the additive layer for chemical analysis, zooming scientists into a world they'd never seen before.
The knowledge is set to dramatically enhance the understanding of the role additives play in creating a protective film between metal parts and, thus, further improve lubricant development and performance.