After five years of exclusive use by its luxury car subsidiary AMG, Mercedes-Benz will now use its Nanoslide spraying technology in series production diesel engines.

In Nanoslide technology, twin-wire arc spraying is used to melt iron and carbon wires and spray the melted metal onto the cylinder surfaces of the light-weight aluminum crankcase. The result is a nano-crystalline iron/carbon coating with an extremely fine finish. The almost mirror-like, smooth surface with fine pores reduces friction and wear between the piston assembly and the cylinder wall. Other advantages cited by the company include lower engine weight, reduced fuel consumption and lower emissions.

Nanoslide is one element of what Mercedes-Benz calls BlueEfficiency, a range of measures aimed at reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Nanoslide technology help ensure that the piston moves up and down within the cylinder with less friction.

After deposition, a special honing process gives the nano-crystalline coating an extremely smooth finish, after which it has a thickness of only 100 to 150 microns. The honing process also exposes pores in the material that retain oil and ensure optimal lubrication of the piston assembly. The result, Mercedes-Benz says, is up to 50 percent less friction compared to grey cast iron cylinder liners, along with extremely high wear resistance.

In a V6 diesel engine, Nanoslide reduces engine weight by 4.3 kilograms compared to the conventional engine, and provides an additional 3 percent fuel savings. Combined with Mercedes-Benzs exhaust treatment, the M-Class model meets the Euro VI emission standard slated to take effect in 2014. The engine consumes 6.8 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers, and carbon dioxide emissions have dropped from 235 to 179 grams per km.

MWF Must Keep Pace

Manufacturing processes and facilities are evolving at a rapid pace, and fluids and chemicals used inside them need to keep up.

That was one of the main messages from the 4th Symposium on Metal Removal Fluids, held in September in Barcelona. In the words of Houghton Internationals John Burke, chairman of a track of presentations about innovation, [T] he factories of the future will be different, and so will the chemicals inside them.

Organized by the European Union of the Independent Lubricants Industry (UEIL) in partnership with North Americas Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association and the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, the conference featured dozens of papers about challenges posed by metalworking fluids and possible solutions.

According to Burke, the future of metalworking fluids stands to be affected by a number of factors, including demands by organized labor, public pressures and government regulations.

Targeted chemicals include borates, formaldehyde, chlorinated paraffins and alkenes, tungsten cobalt carbide, siloxanes, castor oils and many more, Burke said. People will stop using them, even when the science isnt clear.

Because there is an infrastructure to recycle used mineral oil, it will remain king because it can be reused over and over, he continued. Substitute chemistries, including many esters, will face disposal challenges.

Congruent chemistry is the vision to the future, Burke contended, explaining that the chemistries of machine oils (hydraulic fluids, way oils, spindle oils, gear oils, greases) must become not just compatible with the metalworking fluids with which they inevitably mix. They need to enhance the coolant performance, Burke said. Likewise, the chemistry for cleaners must also be based on the same platform so the chemistries work together. It can be done.

In 10 years, minimum quantity lubrication will gain but not be dominant; many chemistries will disappear; less metalworking fluid will be consumed per chip produced; and more water will be reused after treatment, Burke said. And the factory of the future will be managed by outside services more and more.

Russia Raises Oil Export Duty

Russia raised the export duty on petrochemicals, including lubricants, on 1 October. However, industry insiders dont expect higher international market prices for Russian base oil.

The decree set the flat export duty rate for lubricants, black oil, rerefined products, petroleum ointments and paraffins at 66 percent of the crude oil export duty, up from 47 percent. We dont expect any international market price increases for the base oils produced in Russia, said Natalia Kuznetsova, base oil trader at Litasco SA. These petrochemical product duty tweaks are common in Russia, and the government relies on them to regulate the supply-demand trends on the domestic market.

One reason the government imposes petrochemical product export duties is to prevent gasoline deficits in the country. In addition, some observers believe that these measures aim to encourage refiners to complete long-promised modernization plans. The export duty increases are primarily prompted by the gasoline supply crises in Russia this past spring, said Dmitry Ksyunin, head of the Gazpromneft-Lubricants export department. He also confirmed that Gazprom doesnt expect price increases for base oils produced in Russia.

Croda Grows U.S. Esters

U.K.-based Croda opened 1 July a facility to make esters for lubricants at its Atlas Point manufacturing site in Delaware, U.S., on 1 July. The project increased the companys U.S. capacity for all esters by 15 percent.

According to Croda, the site will now be able to manufacture synthetic esters of sufficient quality to be used in high-performance automotive and industrial lubricants. Demand for such lubes is growing, driven by increasing market demands for improvements in fuel economy and sustainability. Examples include synthetic motor oils and transmission fluids, fire-resistant hydraulic fluids, and metalworking fluids.

The Atlas Point site will supply food-grade esters for lubricant base fluids and additives in addition to water-soluble lubricity additives for stamping and drawing lubricants. Food-grade esters are used as base fluids and additives in ovens and in hydraulic systems where food is prepared and processed. Water-soluble lubricity additives are used in metal-forming applications such as can drawing and tube forming.