Solid lubricants: PTFE and Cerflon

After the previous article about molybdenum (or MoS2), it’s time to talk about another popular additive. PTFE, discovered in 1938 and trademarked as Teflon, is a solid synthetic fluoropolymer. Repelling water, resisting heat and a very low coefficient of friction against solid materials are just some of the advantages of PTFE.

These advantages made oil additives manufacturers believe that PTFE could be a great active substance. However, after further analysis, the opposite proved to be true.

Warning! PTFE it’s not recommended for the engine oil

During the 1980’s, the company behind Teflon® declared that “Teflon® is not useful as an ingredient in oil additives or oils used for internal combustion engines”. The creators and sellers of the material discouraged its use as an oil additive and took legal action against companies that continued to use it.

However, although it’s not recommended for engine oil, it can still prove very useful. For example, we have the Xenum Dry Gliss, an excellent lubricating spray for non-critical applications. The properties of the PTFE material translate into a very useful product for metal, rubber or plastic pieces that need extra lubrication.

A big advantage of this product is that Dry Gliss, as a dry lubricant, stays dirt and dust free for a long time.

Cerflon®, the alternative

After the backlash against PTFE, Cerflon® was patented in 1998. Cerflon® is basically PTFE with ceramic (boron nitride) particles. The advantages of Teflon are combined with those of the ceramic particles, creating a better solid additive. Therefore it has improved toughness, higher temperature resistance and better energy absorption.

Cerflon® in Xenum

Although ceramic particles improve the overall advantages of PTFE, we still rely on other compounds for our premium oils. Cerflon is, however, still a great lubricant and we don’t hesitate to incorporate it in our spray lubricants. Chain Pro, Super 5.1, XC Lube, Deblock Shock and X-Cut make a great use of Cerflon. They have proven useful for different uses such as chains, bearings and tools.

Moreover, our XCF2 all-purpose grease also contains this ceramic-reinforced PTFE.

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