Hard lubes piston coating brings fuel savings
Powertrain specialists, Federal-Mogul have launched a new piston which uses hard lubricants to reduce friction and fuel consumption.
The US-based company recently launched the pistons with a specially designed EcoTough® coating which, according to Federal, integrates solid lubricants in a high-temperature anti-friction coating with a carbon fibre-reinforced polymer base. The lubricant elements include graphite and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as well as the carbon fibre itself.
According to the company, because the coating thickness is greater and more robust than conventionally coated pistons, the new pistons are well-suited for high-volume manufacturing. With no toxic solvents in the product, the pistons also meet stringent environmental standards.
Bench tests revealed the new coating reduced piston friction by as much as 18%, with overall engine parasitic loss improved by up to 3%. The tests also showed that under normal driving conditions fuel economy increased by between 0.4 and 0.8% with surface wear reduced under both full-load and cold start conditions.
