Ceramic technologies

Ceramic coatings fall into 4 general categories. They are :

Dry Film Lubricants Coating
Dry Film Lubricants Coating also known as Solid Film Lubricants Coating. It provide a lubricating film that reduces friction, inhibits galling and seizing and in some instances can aid in dispersing heat. It's slippery and provide an extremely low coefficient of friction.
The 2 most important components are the binders and lubricating ingredients. Without a good binder the coating will not stay in place and will simply cold flow or buff of in operation. Similar coatings using the same pigments but different binding systems can show a wide variation in load carrying abilities, ranging from 100,000 psi to over 350,000 psi. The pigments determine the actual lubricating potential. PTFE (Teflon), as example, is listed as having the lowest coefficient of friction (COE). However, under high speed and load, the COE of PTFE degrades while that of MOS2 (Moly) improves, until it is significantly better than PTFE. Selecting the proper ingredients can make or break a coating.
One of the obvious reasons for using a lubricating coating is to reduce friction, which improves wear, extends parts life and free up H.P. normally lost to friction. A second major benefit is a reduction in part temperature. This is especially important to such parts as valve spring. Here the pigment choice is critical as certain ingredients can trap heat in part.

Thermal Barrier Coatings
Thermal Barrier Coatings are designed to reduce the movement of the heat. In some instances, such as exhaust systems, you want to keep the heat within the part. In combustion chambers you want to use the heat generated by combustion to push down on the piston rahter than bleed off into surrounding surfaces. Due to continued testing we are leaning that simple thermal barrier action is not the only characteristic that is important. In fact TBC's will move an engine into detonation. TBC coatings can be made from a variety of materials. Ceramics get the most attention, though there are other materials that are superior in specific applications. The proper choice is critical to the overall function of the coating.

Thermal Dispersant Coatings
Being able to move and control heat is of tremendous importance. Excessive temperature can led to metal fatigue, boiling fluids, damaging metal expansion, reduce electrical efficiency and a host of other problems. Traditionally dealing with heat has been handled either by expanding the radiating surface, constructing parts from materials that are more heat conductive and using the color black. With advances in thermal management methods additional ways of enhancing heat transfer now exist. Thermal Dispersant Coatings can be utilized by themselves or in conjuntion with other coatings to manage the flow of heat. TDC is capable of transferring heat faster than the bare metal surface. While TDC does make use of the color black, TDC is more than a simple 'black body' heat emitting coating. TDC includes ingredients that also contribute to increased heat flow. Combining these properties with increased corrosion protection and the thin film application technique, maximizes thermal transfer capabilities. Effective on Braking system, Intake Manifolds, Cylinder Heads, Oil Pans and, Conrods and ....more.

Corrosion & Chemical Inhibiting Coatings
The lost of effectiveness, reduction in part life and deteriorating appearance due to corrosion/chemical damage is of real concern. Loosing a well matched/tuned header to rust is not only expensive, but frustrating. A good aluminium manifold can become junk if the water inlet area corrodes excessively. Keeping components clean and attractive is of concern when promoting your vehicle or the parts you manufacture to potential sponsors or customer.

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Testing Report On Exhaust Manifold Can Improves Diesel Engine Fuel Economy

Testing 1 Manifold Coating: Apply ceramic coating on exhaust manifold and turbo housing.
Test Machine: Hitachi EX3500-2 Hydraulic Excavator
Test Engines: Cummins K-T38 C 900, 900HP @ 1800 RPM
Engine Load Factor: 85%+
Test Instrument: Testo 177-T4 Temperature Data Logger. (German)
Test Probes: Stainless Shrouded 4 metre Thermocouples.
Test Conditions: (Uncoated Engine)
Excavator was stopped for daily fuelling. Test instrument was attached to the bulkhead of the L/H engine room. Test probe was clamped to the No. 1 and 2 exhaust manifold of the L/H (non ceramic coated) engine. Instrument was set to take a temperature reading every 1 minute for a 24 hour period.
Operating Hours of Excavator during test: 23 Hours.

Test Conditions: (Ceramic Coated Engine)
Excavator was stopped again for daily fuelling. Data from test instrument was downloaded to laptop. Test probe was remove from L/H uncoated engine and clamped to No. 1 and 2 exhaust manifold of the ceramic coated R/H engine.
Operating Hours of Excavator during test: 23.4 Hours

Note * Same test probe used for uniformity of test.
Test instrument was again programmed to take a temperature reading every 1 minute for a 24 hour period. Following the ceramic engine test the excavator was again stopped for fuelling and the test instrument removed and the data download to laptop.

Test Results: Uncoated Engine
Number of Readings: 1388
Max Temperature Recorded: 346.2 C
Min Temperature Recorded: 68.5C
Average Temperature Recorded: 263.1C
Number of Readings Above 207 C: (Ignition Point of Hydraulic Oil): 1193
Average Percentage of Readings Above 207 C: (Ignition Point of Hydraulic Oil): 85%
Average Percentage of Readings Below 207 C: (Ignition Point of Hydraulic Oil): 15%

Test Result: Ceramic Coated Engine
Number of Readings: 1388
Max Temperature Recorded: 211.7 C
Min Temperature Recorded: 47.4 C
Average Temperature Recorded: 94.0 C
Number of Readings Above 207 C: (Ignition Point of Hydraulic Oil): 2
Average Percentage of Readings Above 207 C: (Ignition Point of Hydraulic Oil): .001% (Note 2 readings out of 1388 were above 207 C. One 207.1 C)
Average Percentage of Readings Below 207 C: (Ignition Point of Hydraulic Oil): 99.99%
Percentage of Temperature Reduction Ceramic Coated Manifolds versus Uncoated Manifolds: Max Temp: 39%
Percentage of Temperature Reduction Ceramic Coated Manifolds versus Uncoated Manifolds: Min Temp: 31%
Percentage of Temperature Reduction Ceramic Coated Manifold versus Uncoated Manifolds: Average Temp: 64%

The problem comes from ruptured hydraulic lines. The resulting fire can destroy the equipment. Equipment valued at 12 million dollars has been lost in this way. This is not just a mining related problem, but one that exists wherever hydraulic lines coexist with hot exhaust manifold.

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Testing 2 Manifold Coating: Apply ceramic coating on exhaust manifold and turbo housing.
Test Machine: 12L Volvo Heavy Truck Diesel Engine

Fuel Economy
Monitoring the fuel consumption of a 12L diesel transport truck engine for 15,000 mi each before and after applying ceramic coating shows an average 10.3% increase in fuel economy over a wide range of load weights. The improvement is statistically significant at the 99.9% confidence level.

Stock Manifold	Coated Manifold
Load (lb) Mileage * 8,600 6.16 13,400 5.83 18,500 6.02 19,500 5.93 20,400 6.00 24,500 5.51 26,000 5.45 27,7000 5.48 33,200 5.15 37,100 5.23	Load (lb) Mileage * 8,000 7.17 12,500 6.84 20,400 6.21 22,800 6.33 23,200 6.41 24,200 6.51 25,700 6.32 26,600 6.24 32,600 6.00 39,600 6.01	HP - Torque Chassis dynometer testing show a 7% increase in the peak rear wheel (RW) hp and the RW torque in the cruise rpm range (see graph). The owner/operator commented that on climbs through mountains he could use a gear 1 to 1/2 higher after coating and could go higher up the mountain before needing to down shift. Also the pulling of the heaviest loads is better than expected (noticeably easier) after the coating. Manifold Surface Temperature The coated manifold and turbo housing surface temperature averages 232 degree C (450F) lower. The coated surfaces are below the ignition temperature of hydraulic fluid, 207 degree C (405F), reducing the risk of fire if a hydraulic leak occurs. Underhood temperature will also be reduced significantly which will increasse the life of heat sensitive components. Higher exhaust gas temperature burn off more particulates, thereby reducing emissions pollution.
* Miles per US gallon		Ceramic Coated Manifold & Turbo Housing Installed