Team creates self-healing polymers
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Researchers at Warwick University have created self-healing polymers that could extend the lifetime of automotive oils.
The polymers are suitable for adding to lubricants and could maintain the physical properties of engine oils for longer, helping engine efficiency.
Polymers are often added to automotive oils to control important physical properties such as viscosity, but mechanical and thermal stress can break the polymers, decreasing their efficiency and how they affect the properties of the oils.
The research team, led by Prof David Haddleton from Warwick University, has now designed a self-healing, star-shaped polymer for use as a viscosity modifier.
The methacrylate polymer has long arms that can be broken off if stressed, reducing performance. However, the research team found that it could add a particular chemical combination to the polymer’s backbone, which, almost like a starfish, will allow the broken arms to reform in a self-healing reaction.
The team now plans to optimise the chemistry before passing the technology onto industrial collaborator Lubrizol for development in automotive lubricant applications, according to Haddleton.
Readers' comments (1)
Ahmed Soorma | 2 Feb 2010 7:54 pm
This is very interesting. I have used MOBIL1 a 5W-50 engine oil without changing it for 40,000km. I change the oil filter every 10,000 km and top up the losses. My vehicle a Toyota Corolla has performed very well and I would be very interested to learn how Lubrizol can come up with an engine oil which would give a 100,000 km run before the next oil change.
Similarly, I change the transmission oil at the same frequency 40,000 km.
If Lubrizol comes up with a 100,000 km life, that would be fantastic.
Hope to get regular feedbacks and the chance to try it out first with the new lubricant.
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