Making Sure the Automotive Revolution Will Be Smooth

Examining the role lubricants play in the fast-changing automotive industry.

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Today’s automakers are seeing an industry being remade before their eyes by regulatory demands, evolving consumer preferences and the accelerating adoption of new technologies. Cleaner-burning combustion engines, the substitution of lightweight alternatives for traditional materials and the exponential growth of the electric vehicle (EV) segment are just a few of the trends currently in motion.

Lubricants play a vital role in improving vehicle safety, performance, and reliability. (Image: Hexagon.)

Lubricants play a vital role in improving vehicle safety, performance, and reliability. (Image: Hexagon.)

If manufacturers hope to remain relevant and profitable in a transformed industry, they need to explore different technologies as well as renew their attention to some of the less-heralded materials that support the performance and durability of the vehicles they make.

Lubricants have always played a fundamental role in powertrains, but their value extends far beyond that. They aid in reducing noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) in vehicles and help extend the life of seals, O-rings and weatherstripping.

Considering the demands we place on lubricants, it’s no surprise that many of them lack the performance characteristics needed to solve many of the current challenges in automotive. These challenges include:

Extreme temperatures

Many conventional lubricants are ill-suited for the harsh environments they encounter in modern vehicles. Most petroleum-based greases begin to break down at temperatures exceeding 100 C (212 F). Synthetic lubricants—including diesters, polyalkylene glycols and polyalphaolefin—are similarly prone to high-temperature degradation. While silicones exhibit a higher threshold, they lack the stability and longevity that extreme conditions demand.

Material diversity

The increasing use of lightweight alloys and composites in automotive design means today’s automakers need to employ lubricants that are compatible with a greater range of materials. Certain lubricant formulations degrade plastics and elastomers, while chemically inert lubricants prevent damage to vehicle materials, help eliminate NVH and enable the smooth ride consumers expect.

Electrical complexity

Dielectric grease has long served as a lightweight sealant and insulator, helping protect electrical connections against corrosion, heat and water damage. It also reduces the force and friction needed to establish reliable electrical connections, enhancing their strength and lifespan. These qualities are essential not only in internal combustion engines (ICEs) but even more so in EVs, which have more complex wiring requirements.

Lubricants have always been fundamental to powertrain performance, but their value extends far beyond that. (Image: Hexagon.)

Lubricants have always been fundamental to powertrain performance, but their value extends far beyond that. (Image: Hexagon.)

The Need for Outperforming Lubricants

Originally developed for military and aerospace applications, perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricants, which include Krytox brand greases and oils, are distinguished by their long-chain polymer structures, which gives them greater thermal stability, low volatility, chemical resistance and superior lubricating properties compared to conventional lubricants—even under extreme conditions.

Here are a few of the advantages PFPE lubricants offer over conventional lubricants across a variety of automotive applications:

Greater temperature performance

Depending on the specific product and operating conditions, PFPE lubricants maintain their lubricity from -73 C to more than 360 C (-99 F to 680 F). This thermal stability ensures reliable, long-term performance with less-frequent lubrication. In some cases, using PFPE lubricants can even extend vehicle warranties.

Inertness and compatibility

Another important feature of PFPE lubricants is their compatibility with a wide range of materials. They pose no harm to painted surfaces, plastics or elastomers, they’re engineered to resist migration and they’re compatible with nearly every material they’re likely to contact.

Chemical stability

PFPE lubricants are resistant to exposure from various automotive fluids, including fuels, coolants, brake fluid, engine oil, washer solvent and even battery acid. This chemical stability helps ensure long-term performance and reliability in demanding automotive environments.

Superior dielectric properties

PFPE lubricants are great insulators, making them useful for numerous automotive electrical applications. Their dielectric properties can help enhance the safety, efficiency and reliability of electrical systems while protecting against corrosion.

The crucial role of performance lubricants

Amid the ever-changing landscape of automotive technology, there are still constants. One of these is the importance of careful lubricant selection in delivering the performance and dependability the industry demands. Opting for the right lubricants is crucial to upholding the new standards of safety, efficiency, reliability and comfort in automotive design, both now and on the road ahead.

To learn more about automotive applications for PFPE lubricants, visit krytox.com/extremes