Impact of Nanotechnology in Alberta
TITLE
High Performance Lubricants
SUMMARY
Machines with moving parts are susceptible to the effects of friction. Friction
dissipates energy and cause wear, leading to a waste of energy and damage to
equipment. In the United States, the costs of friction are estimated at $200B per
year. The way to ensure that frictional effects are minimized is through proper
lubrication.
It was not until the 1960s that the science of tribology evolved into a dedicated
field. Tribology is the study of friction, wear, and lubrication of contacting
surfaces in relative motion. In trying to understand the consequences, losses in
efficiency can be minimized. The estimate in costs savings is proportional to the
gross domestic product in that as the economy grows, the potential for savings
also grow at the same rate. The implications affect all industrial sectors.
The latest innovation in lubricant technology is the incorporation of new
chemistries in the field of nanotechnology. Nanolubricants are made of oils that
contain spherical nanoparticles that enhance coverage by penetrating into
smaller spaces and adhering to the surfaces in contact. The particles in contact
can behave like ball bearings, sliding past one another.
The benefits of lubrication can be summarized in three categories: operational,
economic, and environmental benefits. Reducing friction will improve
performance of machinery, and reduce wear. As a result, the frequency of
maintenance can be reduced as well as the number or repairs or parts
replacement. The economic benefits are that with good lubrication, less fuel is
consumed and the life of the machinery extended. Down times are less frequent,
cutting losses from lack of productivity. Environmental benefits include improved
fuel efficiency and a reduction in emissions and particulate matter.
The benefits of lubrications can be further enhanced through nanotechnology.
In addition to improved performance characteristics, nanolubricants are
commonly made from nontoxic materials that are environmentally friendly. These
lubricants will be able to meet the stricter regulations regarding release of
lubricants to environment.
Maryn International Ltd. Is a Calgary based developer of high performance
lubrications, additives, and finished oil. Maryn has an ongoing research program
investigating the benefits of nanotechnology to their product lines. They forecast
that 25-35% of all industrial and commercial lubricant formulations will have
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incorporated components of nanotechnology within the next 5 years.
The value of effective lubrication is estimated to be 1.0-1.8% of an economy's
GDP. This ratio is expected to hold steady through 2020. The Alberta provincial
budget is planning to have the GDP grow at a sustainable 3% to $388 billion in
2020. As a result, the provincial wide savings from effective lubrication is
estimated to be between $3.88 and 6.98 billion. The contribution made by
nanotechnology will have an impact between $0.97 and 2.44 billion in the
province in 2020.
ORIGINS
Whenever moving parts come into contact, there is a force transfer. Any relative
motion between interacting surfaces causes wear and friction, creating loss of
material and loss of energy. The study of this concept has been largely neglected
because of its multidisciplinary nature and evaluation of losses due to friction was
largely unknown until a report estimated the loss at one percent of the gross
national product.1 A new word was created to describe the study of the
interaction between rubbing surfaces: tribology.
A tribologic system is made up of four elements: the contacting element, the
opposing element, the interface and the environment. The ultimate goal is to
minimize the amount of friction so that the harmful consequences are also
minimized. Even though the surfaces are polished there will always be
irregularities that will cause friction.
The interface can be treated as a film that separates the two elements. If the
surfaces do not come into contact, the friction is determined by the viscosity of
the fluid in the interface. In most cases, the surfaces are in contact, and friction is
generated, wasting energy and causing wear. As the wearing process becomes
more severe and increase in maintenance, repair and replacement of equipment
becomes necessary. In addition, there is a loss of productivity when the
machinery is halted during these times.
Another important factor is the environment in which the lubricant is to perform.
The lubricant must be appropriate to the environment and unfortunately most
have an optimal performance over a limited temperature or pressure range that
may not encompass that of the entire environment. For example, two lubricants
for curved rail tracks in Alberta were needed to ensure the safe passage of
trains. One is suitable for the winter and the other for the summer. These
lubricants must be removed and replaced between seasons. Engine lubricants
are designed to withstand extreme temperatures and pressures during
combustion.
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Tribology - Origin and Future, H. Peter Jost., 1990
The goal of tribology is to minimize the friction between moving parts, capturing a
savings through efficiency. There is a direct reduction in heat generation and
noise production through proper lubrication. In addition, there are many
accompanying benefits such as reduced wear, decreasing the frequency of
maintenance and prolonging the life of equipment.
Annually, the costs of operation and repair account for a third of all power
generated globally and up to a quarter of materials used. The energy lost to
friction corresponds to three times the energy needed for repair.
Traditional lubricants include grease and hydrocarbons and mineral oils.
Unfortunately, usage of many of the lubricants can have harmful consequences.
For example, the grease used to lubricate curved rail tracks can inadvertently
leak into the environment. Furthermore, some lubricants are toxic, and can cause
health problems for workers who are exposed. New regulations have been put in
place to address these concerns.
One case study examined the benefits from replacing the lubricant in a Canadian
sawmill2. The original mineral oil based lubricant was effective but caused health
problems for workers. A team was formed to create a new biodegradable
lubricant. The resultant was a formula with an improved water solubility formula
that not only performed better when cut with more water, but also worked as a
better coolant. It was better at removing sawdust, and it was possible to use
thinner blades which meant there was less loss of timber.
There were other benefits not relating to the performance of the lubricant. The
workers saw a reduction in respiratory health problems and a reduction of
occurrence of skin rashes. The waste sawdust was now nontoxic and could now
be incinerated. Finally, there was an increase in productivity due to less frequent
saw blade changes.
The next innovation of lubrication technology incorporates nanotechnology. The
inspiration for nanolubricants is the spherical carbon molecule, the fullerene.
Fullerenes are hollow spheres formed by a network of at least 60 carbon atoms.
Different researchers have experimented with different nanomaterials. Friction is
reduced by multiple mechanism one whereby the nanoparticles behave like ball
bearings in the interface between the two surfaces. The small size allows the
particles to penetrate into smaller surfaces, creating a more complete coverage.
Van der Waals forces ensure that the particles adhere to the surfaces and
tribochemical reactions can also occur modifying the metal into a low friction
surface.
These particles are non reactive so they can be added to existing lubricants.
The Real Costs of Lubrication, Dr. Roger Melley Peter and Wissner,
P.Eng., April 1997
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Furthermore, these particles are non toxic and are environmentally friendly.
Nanotechnology can be the innovation that will allow lubricant products to meet
environmental regulations, mitigating costs for the company as stricter
regulations regarding release of lubricants to environment can result in fines.
DEVELOPMENT
Professor Reshef Tenne, head of the Nanomaterials Synthesis Group at the
Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, was a pioneer in the field of
nanolubricants. In 1992 he discovered an inorganic nanoparticle that
spontaneously forms spherical molecules similar to carbon fullerenes. The
commercial arm of this institute, Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd,
licensed the innovation to ApNano Materials in New York, U.S.A. for
development of commercial applications in 2002.
Apnano developed NanoLub™, the world's first commercial solid lubricant based
on nanotechnology. The novel nanoparticles were incorporated into NanoLub™.
The nanoparticles can penetrate into smaller surfaces and reduce agglomeration,
increasing coverage of the surfaces. They adhere to the surfaces and prevent
direct contact. The particles slide over one another like miniature ball bearings.
Its ability to coat surfaces more thoroughly frees manufacturers from further costs
associated with minimizing wear. Smooth surfaces can be machined with looser
tolerances.These saving can be beneficial in reducing the costs of production.
NanoLub™ works well on rough surfaces so an extra cost savings can be
captured here.
NanoLub™ can be used as an additive for oil and greases or as a coating for
machine parts. It extends the longevity of the lubricant reducing the necessity for
a lubricant change. Its benefits include further reduction of friction, reducing
maintenance costs and extending equipment lifetime. Through laboratory tests,
Nanolub™ has been proven to be environmentally friendly and non-toxic.
Nanotech Lubricants LLC is a competitor that has developed Nano-diamond
technology. The approach to reducing friction is the same as with NanoLub™ but
with an additional claim that the nano-diamonds polish the internal parts of the
engine.
Maryn International Ltd is a privately held Calgary Alberta company that develops
and sells high/extreme performance lubrication products. Researchers at Maryn
are developing products incorporating nanotechnology to improve all of their
product lines.
The research department at Maryn is headed by Dr. Brett Chandler who is
currently working on a borate based nanoparticle project funded in part by
Alberta Ingenuity. Maryn is working actively to incorporate nanotechnology in
new products and expects first sales in the first quarter of 2011.
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KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS
The study of tribology can be concentrated into three areas: operational
reliability, economic pressures and environmental pressures. The operational
benefits include the reduction in power consumption and the reduction of friction.
The reduction of friction leads to less wear and less necessary maintenance and
a longer life for the machinery.
The economic benefits include the cost savings from reduced fuel usage.
In addition, the reduction in down time from maintenance and repair reduces to
loss of productivity from down time.
The environmental benefits of effective lubrication include better fuel efficiency,
which translates to a reduction of pollutants released into the environment. Also,
the reduced wear will promote the conservation of materials and energy.
Bucket wheel reclaimers are gigantic vehicles that are employed in mining
operations in the oils sands of northern Alberta. They excavate from 5500 to
6500 tonnes of oil sand each hour. In November 2009, crude was priced at $77
per barrel resulting in a cost of $120,000 for every hour these units spent
undergoing maintenance or repair due to lost production alone.
Large rotating bearings and bearings in the conveyor pulley shaft in these
machines required lubricants that were effective for specific seasons. A summer
grease and winter grease were needed to perform during these two vastly
different environments.
There was a failure rate of one bearing per bucket wheel reclaimer per year and
conveyor pulley shaft bearings had a service life of one year.
To mitigate these costs, a team was established to design a single lubricant that
would be a suitable replacement. The properties of this lubricant had to have an
effective temperature range that covers the -40 to 40 C temperature range of the
Alberta climate. A semi-synthetic lubricant was developed, but at double the cost
of the previously used greases.
Despite the higher price, there was a cost savings due to the improved life span
of the bearings and a drastic drop in down time over the next three years. Large
bearings needed no replacement over the next three years. The conveyor pulley
shaft bearings needed 49 replacements in the year prior to the new lubricant,
needed only eight on average the next three years. In each of those years, there
were approximately 5000 less hours of down time.
In a related field study, it has been shown that additives can be added to an
existing lubricant to dramatically improve performance. A dragline drag drum
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gearbox was tested for performance improvements after the introduction of an
extreme pressure/ anti-wear additive. The study on the gearbox revealed a 6%
reduction of temperature as well as a 2% drop in noise after one hour of
operation.
Curved sections of railroads require lubrication to ensure proper train movement.
The conventional grease used was not biodegradable and leaks into the
environment. In Canada 600,000 kg of rail curve grease is released into the
environment each year. This product will take over 100 years to completely
biodegrade, leading to an accumulation of 60 million kg per century. The
development of a biodegradable lubricant not only met environmental needs but
attained better performance. The amount of wear was reduced 15%, extending
the life of the rail from 22.23 to 26.15 months. The annual savings from rail
replacement alone is $20,420 per kilometer. This does not include savings from
operating costs, such as rail and wheel wear, fuel, down time, maintenance or
clean up costs.
The benefits of lubrication can be further improved by introducing
nanotechnology. Nanoparticles can penetrate into smaller spaces and adhere to
surfaces, forming a more complete coverage of the interface. The innovation can
be made into additives that can increase the longevity of the carrier lubricants.
Nanotechnology enhanced lubricants are often made from non toxic and
environmentally friendly materials. The benefits derived from this include the
reduction of health problems of workers who would otherwise be exposed to
hazardous products. There is also a benefit in preventing environmental
accidents. The release of 400 liters of oil into a river in Western Canada cost
$80000 to clean up. It is difficult to measure the costs savings of the associated
environmental disaster. Although the environmental impact of nanolubricants is
still undergoing research, nanolubricants have the benefit of being nontoxic and
nonreactive.
INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
Maryn International Ltd in Calgary, Alberta is the leading developer and
manufacturer of high performance industrial additives and biodegradable
finishing fluids. Maryn has expanded into an international organization with sales
agents in the US, China, Thailand, the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, the
UK, France and Turkey. The target markets for Maryn are the agriculture,
transportation and mining industries. Maryn has developed nanotechnology
enhanced products that are not currently in the market. They expect to see the
first sales in the first quarter of 2011.
ApNano Materials, from New York, produces NanoLub, a solid lubricant based
on inorganic nanoparticles. ApNano sells the world's first commercial solid
lubricant based on its novel inorganic nanoparticles. Their target markets are
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industries require maintenance free operations, clean manufacturing
environments, heavy loads, extreme environments, stringent requirements,
military applications and composite films. Those industries include aerospace
and space agencies, to semiconductor fabrication labs among many others.
Nanotech Lubricants Inc. in Wheeling, Illinois claims to be the only true nanolubricant company in the United States. Their technology uses patented nanodiamonds which can be an additive to existing lubricants. The Russian space
agency has been a customer for nano-diamond as a lubricant that could
withstand the extreme conditions in outer space.
DRIVERS
The benefits of lubrication are most beneficial to industries in agriculture,
transportation, and mining. These industries are machinery intensive, requiring
proper lubrication for ideal operating conditions. Lubrication mitigates friction
which leads to unnecessary energy consumption, and wear. The reduction of
friction will directly improve fuel economy, reducing fuel costs. Furthermore, the
rate of wear will also decrease, reducing the frequency of maintenance and
repair, extending the life of the machinery.
The addition of nanotechnology can further improve these benefits.
Nanolubricants can be added to existing lubricants and provide better lubrication
and extend the longevity of the lubricant. Many nanolubricants have also been
shown to be non toxic and environmentally friendly so there are added benefits in
that exposure to these particles does not lead to health problems for workers or
that release into the environment will not be disastrous. Lastly, these non-toxic
improvements will allow the lubricant to comply with stricter environmental
regulations.
ALBERTA COMMERCIAL IMPACT
Proper lubrication reduces friction between surfaces in relative motion. Friction
dissipates energy and causes wear. In machines, it is beneficial to reduce friction
the improve energy efficiency, decreasing fuel consumption. Furthermore,
reduction of wear can result in fewer repairs and replacement, thus extending the
life of the machine. Friction cannot be completely eliminated, but there is
continuous research to develop better lubricants. The introduction of
nanotechnology is a breakthrough that has improved the performance of existing
lubricant technology.
The benefits of lubrication are far reaching. The average motorist can benefit
from the use of improved lubricants. Lubricants that are further improved with
nanotechnology have the potential to eliminate one oil change per year in an
average truck. Even down to the individual motorist, the benefits of improved
lubrication can be enjoyed.
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The Jost Report on Tribology calculated that the benefits of good lubrication
alone are 1.0 to 1.8 % of the GDP. This value represents the direct and indirect
loss to industries. This report conducted a study of all industries in the United
Kingdom in 1966 but a study by the National Research Council for Canada in
1980 yielded a similar value. It is reasonable to assume that Alberta’s benefit will
also be 1.0 to 1.8% of provincial GDP. This value is likely to remain steady into
the future since the increase in the level of manufacturing will be offset by
improvements in lubrication technology.
Alberta's GDP in 2008 was $291.7 billion. This translates to a savings of $2.92
billion to $5.25 billion. The economy contracted by 3.4% in 2009 and is expected
to grow by 2.4% in 2010. The Alberta government is planning a sustainable
growth rate of 3% per year. Extending this rate to 2020, the Alberta GDP will be
$388 billion. The value of benefit that lubrication will bring to the province will be
somewhere between $3.88 and 6.98 billion.
The benefits of nanotechnology are most evident in specialized lubricants that
focus on extreme pressure, anti-wear or performance. Experts at Maryn forecast
the penetration of nanotechnology into the lubricant industry will be 25-35%
giving a value of $0.97 to 2.44 billion for the province in 2020. This value may be
much higher if the costs of manufacture become less prohibitive for common
usage.
TOXICOLOGY
Many nanotechnology based lubricants have been tested to be virtually non toxic
and environmentally friendly. However, this may not be the case for the carrier
lubricant.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
ApNano Materials has a patent for making NanoLub™. It has an exclusive
license to use inorganic fullerene nanoparticles from the Yeda Research and
Development Co. Ltd. The nanoparticle itself is undergoing patent approval
process.
Nanotech Lubricants Inc. holds two patents on their nano-diamond technology.
NanoLube™ was developed from patented technology and their non detonation
diamond is undergoing patent approval process.
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