High-Performance Lubricants That Work in Demanding Real-Life Applications

Reliable high-performance lubricants from Krytox™ can stand up to even extreme conditions. Krytox™ oils and greases have proven properties to help solve the most critical issues in the automotive industry. Superior product performance, lower overall maintenance cost, and a lower environmental footprint help to meet evolving consumer expectations. For automotive manufacturers, this provides the opportunity to boost component reliability, offer extended warranties and enjoy improved productivity through reduced component failure.

Krytox™ oils and greases are exceptionally safe, reliable, and offer environmental benefits as well as longer lubricant life. These oils and greases will not burn or combust, even in 100% liquid or gaseous oxygen; they will also not degrade or break down in the presence of aggressive chemicals. In automotive applications, Krytox™ oils and greases deliver low temperature starting performance, while maintaining efficacy at higher temperatures. These oils and greases can increase the service life of critical components, allowing them to run more efficiently and last longer, for superior, reliable performance.

Krytox™ Products for the Automotive Industry Several grades of Krytox™ oil and grease are suitable for automotive use, depending on the application type and temperature range encountered.

Proven Applications

Battery Vent Seals

Lead-acid batteries provide a dependable, rechargeable source of electricity for engine start-up. As the battery recharges, hydrogen gas is produced that is then safely released through sliding vents in the battery. These vents are designed to allow the release of gas pressure without the excessive evaporation of water. The ability of the vent to slide freely is crucial to ensuring the safe release of hydrogen pressure without compromising performance through excess water evaporation. Krytox™ lubricants have a very low coefficient of friction, leading to excellent control and smoother gliding of the vents. Furthermore, Krytox™ products are compatible with the plastic in the battery housing and do not degrade in the corrosive, acidic environment of the battery.

Spark Plug Boots

The spark plug boot protects the spark plug from weather and prevents the unintentional grounding of the spark energy. The boot is made of a silicone rubber, which, over time, can bond with the silicon ceramic of the spark plug, fusing the boot and spark plug together. Once this occurs, the only way to remove the boot is by force, which can cause enough damage to require the replacement of the entire assembly. Krytox™ lubricants can prevent this fusion from taking place, and they are ideal in this application because they are stable non-reactive, and long-lasting. Krytox™ lubricants can also withstand the high temperatures and energies of the spark plug environment.

Cooling System Thermostat

The vehicle cooling system allows the engine to warm up quickly and also helps maintain its optimal operating temperature by removing heat as necessary. The system is controlled by a thermostat that determines whether coolant flows through the radiator (removing heat and allowing for optimal temperature maintenance) or is diverted back to the pump (allowing the engine to warm up more quickly). Coolant flow is controlled by a temperature-dependent valve (or thermostat) that either opens or closes, depending on need. The valve that allows coolant to flow through the radiator is opened by an actuator rod that must be able to slide without resistance. Increased friction reduces the thermostat’s ability to regulate an engine’s temperature and can result in longer warm-up times and higher engine temperatures, which will decrease performance and can lead to engine damage or failure. Proper lubrication of this rod with Krytox™ high-performance lubricant ensures long-term optimal engine performance and gas mileage.

O-Ring Lubrication/Assembly Lube

O-rings effectively seal many interfaces in an automobile. A lubricant is often applied to keep seals in place during assembly and allow them to assemble without damage. If the wrong lubricant is used for a given seal material, the seal could degrade prematurely and cause serious damage. Krytox™ lubricants are the preferred choice because they are compatible with all seal materials. Furthermore, Krytox™ lubricants do not contribute to seal degradation, because they do not oxidise and have greater temperature stability than the seals.

EGR Valve

The exhaust gas recirculating (EGR) valve reduces NO formation by re-circulating some of the exhausted gas back into the engine cylinders. This lowers the peak temperatures inside the cylinder, thus reducing the rate of NO x formation. If the valve does not open enough, insufficient re-circulation takes place, and excess pollution is created. If, however, the valve sticks open, the temperature inside the cylinder can drop too much, decreasing engine performance and fuel mileage. Krytox™ lubricants are ideal for EGR Valves because they withstand the high temperatures and exhaust fumes experienced by the EGR valve.

Engine/Turbo Cooling System

Slip fittings and lubing assemblies are difficult to assemble and remove for maintenance or replacement. Krytox™ products are compatible with most metal, plastic, and rubber interfaces, and they can reduce the friction in the assemblies, ultimately decreasing the time and effort needed to assemble parts. Furthermore, they are long-lasting, ensuring that the parts will be much easier to disassemble and service throughout the lifetime of the vehicle.

Windshield Wiper Motor

Failure of the windshield wiper motor is a dangerous situation that can be avoided by the application of a small amount of Krytox™ on the bushings. Secific Krytox™ formulations have a very low coefficient of friction on startup, so a small amount leads to a significant reduction in friction. This translates into less work for the windshield wiper motor, giving it a much longer life.

Super Charger Lubricant

Krytox™ grease is applied to a spring-loaded engineered plastic bushing to remove any backlash from the supercharger dual rotor drive train. The thermal and oxidative stability properties of Krytox™ lubricants, as well as their unique frictional characteristics, make them ideal for this type of application, delivering a very long life and incredibly smooth, stick-slip free performance.

Exterior Side View Mirror Mechanism

The angle of the exterior side view mirror is adjusted using small plastic gears that can easily crack or break if even minor binding occurs. The application of Krytox™ grease provides long-lasting lubrication, eliminating the need for regular maintenance, and ensuring continuous, reliable operation of the mirror for the life of the vehicle.

Electronic Parking Brake Mechanism

Some vehicle manufacturers are replacing the conventional mechanical parking brake with an electronic one, where a simple push-button assisted by a small plastic gearbox engages the brake. Failure of this mechanism could be serious. Krytox™ can carry the gear load, won’t evaporate or oxidise, and is compatible with all plastics. As a result of these excellent lubricant properties, it is expected to work for the lifetime of the car and can reduce both safety issues and warranty claims.

Side Door Motor Clutch

This is an application requiring very specific frictional characteristics as well as performance over a long warranty life. Resistance to lubricant washout as well as tolerance to dirt are important lubricant characteristics. Krytox™ has once again excelled in performance in a unique and very challenging application, where traditional lubricants simply can’t meet the performance demands and extended warranty requirements.