TAE-Colloquium Tribology 2024 4 Tribologie + Schmierungstechnik · volume 71 · eOnly special issue 1/ 2024 DOI 10.24053/ TuS-2024-0023 The Effects of Applying the Tribological Compound TZ NIOD - reversing wear Philipp Harrer, Dmitrii Svetov, Patrick Eisner, Maximilian Lackner* Presented at 24 th International Colloquium Tribology (TAE) | submitted: 14.04.2024 accepted: 6.05.2024 TZ NIOD is a complex mixture of silicate material powder, to mix with lubricant and apply to moving parts of a device under operation to improve its tribological properties. It reaches worn surfaces and highly loaded friction points to react with the material creating a modified surface layer. Empirical analyses with TZ NIOD applied to used piston air compressors required a down time of only 60 minutes and resulted in reducing the average power consumption per pressure vessel filling cycle by 20.7 W (-7.8 %) and reducing the average filling time of the pressure vessel by 3.9 seconds (-5.1 %). Keywords Tribology, green tribology, sustainability, Tribo-System, Nanoparticles, Friction, Wear, TZ NIOD Abstract * Ing. Philipp Harrer, Msc 1 Dmitrii Svetov 2 Dipl.-Ing. Dr. mont. Patrick Eisner, MSc 1 PD Di Dr. techn Maximilian Lackner, MBA 1 (corresponding Author) 1 UAS Technikum Wien, Industrial Engineering, 1200 Vienna, Austria 2 Dmitrii Svetov www.tribo.at, 1150 Vienna, Austria 1 Introduction Tribology’s economic and technical relevance in terms of energy loss, material deterioration and waste has long been accepted and has recently been augmented with sustainable viewpoints such as environmental awareness, longer life of device, reducing waste and enhancing the quality of life. Due to the vast potential and relevance in various sectors, improvements in the field of tribology remain of high importance. [1] Wear due to friction is one of the leading causes of damage to components and thus the leading cause for the failure of equipment and devices. [2] Friction cannot be avoided when components in motion are in direct contact, it can however be reduced. Therefore, measures must be taken to reduce friction and thus the amount of wear and the multitude of the negative side effects of it. It not only causes wear and initiates the need for replacement of parts but friction has much more extensive effects on humanity. Friction has been identified as a potential contributor to global warming due to the loss of energy to overcome friction. One fifth of the global energy consumption is required to overcome friction alone. Reducing friction could have a significant impact on reducing the global CO2 emissions. Study shows that the global transportation sector consumes 200 billion liters of fuel only to overcome friction. Roughly one third of the energy consumption of the transportation sector is required to overcome friction. New technology for reducing friction is allegedly capable of cutting losses due to friction in half which, from a global perspective, could potentially eliminate 960 million tons of CO 2 emissions. [3] Reducing friction not only reduces the energy consumption of devices but also reduces wear as a whole, which improves the useful life of components or systems and reduces the generation of heat, which would allow a downsizing of the component itself. This would result in longer use periods of devices at a much lower resource and energy consumption. [4] Thus, the sector of tribology has enormous potential in reducing the global energy consumption, depletion of resources as well as generation of greenhouse gases. The results of research and development of novel methods of reducing friction must be taken into consideration and can contribute significantly to a sustainable future. One potential contributor to reduce friction is TZ NIOD [5], which is a tribological compound which shall be applied to moving parts with the goal of reducing friction, energy consumption, renewing worn out surfaces, increasing the service life of the entire device, reducing the temperature, reducing the coefficient of friction as well as reducing the rate of wear. It consists of a complex mixture of silicate material powder, specifically serpentinite, which uses oil or grease as a transport medium to reach worn surfaces and highly loaded friction points. These particles allegedly react with the material under the influence of temperature and pressure creating a modified surface layer. The aim is to analyse the effects of TZ NIOD on tribosystems and devices it is applied to. Empirical analyses were performed in alignment with the tribological test chain, specifically machinery tests, analysing the effects of an application of TZ NIOD on piston compressors. These analyses consisted of temperature and power consumption measurements during various modes of operation of the compressor and different modes of applying TZ NIOD to the compressor. 2 Tribological Compound - TZ NIOD TZ NIOD [5] is a novel agent to improve properties of friction partners. TZ NIOD is a complex mixture of silicate material powder with particle sizes ranging from 5 to 50 micrometers. The basis of TZ NIOD is made up of finely distributed and divided particles of Serpentinite. It consists of nanoparticles which must be dispersed in oil or grease and the intensity of its penetration into the material surface is proportional to the pressure and temperature of contact zones. It is important to state that TZ NIOD is neither a modifier, an additive for lubricants nor a lubricant on its own. It is a tribological compound intended to be combined with a lubricant and applied for only a limited amount of time. The lubricant such as grease or oil acts as a transport medium to transport the TZ NIOD particles towards the highly loaded friction points of tribological systems such as gears, motors, compressors, and the components thereof. One of the most advantegous claim of TZ NIOD is its alleged capability of renewing mechanisms subjected to friction and wear while the mechanism is in operation. This means the tribological compound TZ NIOD can allegedly be applied to a device in operation without the need for disassembling components and without any significant down-time of the device. An application of TZ NIOD on tribological systems apparently improves the friction points by reducing the coefficient of friction as well as the rate of wear. It allegedly improves the properties of the interacting surfaces and is embedded in the material structure through which its effect unfolds after an application of TZ NIOD, even once TZ NIOD has been removed from the tribo-system 2.1 Claimed Benefits of TZ NIOD Svetov [2] claims that the nanoparticles of TZ NIOD accumulate in worn areas of contact zones of tribo-systems due to the higher surfaces roughness. Thus, the oil and grease act as a transporting agent of the TZ NIOD particles to the areas of highest wear. The increased friction, temperature and higher pressure, due to wear, stimulate the penetration of TZ NIOD particles into the contact surface resulting in a mending and self-healing effect. This self-healing effect results in a restoration of the friction partners of the tribo-system and shall have the following positive effects. • reduce the coefficient of friction • reduce energy losses due to friction • lower temperature increases due to friction • higher resistance against wear • ability to operate tribo-systems without lubrication for short periods of time 2.2 Working Principles of TZ NIOD An application of TZ NIOD is performed directly on the device during its operation, within the devices operating boundaries, and consist of three phases [6]. Phase 1: activation of TZ NIOD and the surfaces in the friction zone Phase 2: “diffusion” of TZ NIOD into the surface layers of the metal Phase 3: “diffusion” of TZ NIOD from the surface layer deep into the metal. In phase one, finely dispersed TZ NIOD particles are transported to the areas of wear via the oil and grease it is dispersed in. The friction in the contact zone grinds down the TZ NIOD particles and forms activated TZ NIOD particles. The particles have an abrasive effect which polishes the contact areas due to the hardness of the silicate material. These abrasive particles remove oxide layers from the metal and react with it under the influence of temperature and pressure though which it diffuses into the metal structure of the tribo-system. Due to the diminishing size of the particles the effect of TZ NIOD gradually depreciates and the gradually shrinking TZ NIOD particles turn into ultra-fine abrasive particles. These particles are transported through the device until the particles are too small to have any additional benefit. Therefore, the presence of TZ NIOD in the device is only relevant for a certain period of time. The second phase of the process begins when a sufficient concentration of activated TZ NIOD particles is formed in the contact zone. The website of the project sponsor claims that TZ NIOD particles diffuse into the metal structure and are embedded. This results in a modified surface layer with increased hardness and higher resistance against wear. The surface now consists of a compound with different structures. The process of phase 2 continues until the entire surface of the contact area is saturated with TZ NIOD particle. Since the metal structure is saturated with TZ NIOD at the end of Phase 2 the lubricant containing the remaining finely dispersed and grinded TZ NIOD can be removed from the tribological system and replaced by a fresh lubricant. According to Yu et al. it has been observed that fine particles of serpentine, which is the main component of TZ NIOD, mixed with lubricants form very hard and super-lubricious oxide layers on worn metallic surfaces which are TAE-Colloquium Tribology 2024 5 Tribologie + Schmierungstechnik · volume 71 · eOnly special issue 1/ 2024 DOI 10.24053/ TuS-2024-0023 3) Applying TZ NIOD to the device in the application phase. 4) Replacing the TZ NIOD-Oil mixture with fresh lubricant and operating the device for an extended period of time in its standard operating mode, at a duty cycle of 60 %, in the “Running-In” phase. 3.1 Applying TZ NIOD to the Piston Air Compressor The application of TZ NIOD must be designed specifically for each device, because each type of device possesses different friction areas. The advantage of TZ NIOD is that it can be applied while the device is in operation and does not require a disassembly of the components or tribo-systems. To design the application procedure, the areas of highest friction must be defined. The areas of highest friction of the piston air compressor are the crankshaft, the bearings of the connecting rod, the piston rings as well as the valves. The application method must allow a transport of TZ NIOD towards the defined areas. The listed friction points can be grouped into two parts of the compressor, the cylinder head comprising the valves, the piston and piston rings as well as the crankcase and the components therein. To treat of the components of the crankcase, the TZ NIOD-Oil mixture is filled into the oil pan instead of the normal compressor oil. It is important to note that the TAE-Colloquium Tribology 2024 6 Tribologie + Schmierungstechnik · volume 71 · eOnly special issue 1/ 2024 DOI 10.24053/ TuS-2024-0023 capable of lowering friction and wear. In addition, the formation of diamond-like carbon (DLC) layers has been observed on surfaces subjected and exposed to wear, for lubricants containing serpentine which resulted in outstanding tribological properties of the tribo-system. Both sources endorse the effect claimed of TZ NIOD. The third phase continues after the removal of the lubricant containing TZ NIOD. The device must continue to operate and the TZ NIOD particles embedded in the metal structure continue to “diffuse” into deeper levels of the metallic structure. The duration of the third stage can be several hundred hours of normal operation of the device without the need of applying additional TZ NIOD. Such effects of creating relatively thick, hard and wear resistant oxide layers have been observed by Yuansheng et al. with serpentine containing nanoparticles dissolved in lubricants [7]. Yuansheng et al. states that a mechanochemical oxidation and reaction of iron oxides was responsible for the formation of the wear resistant layer. A thickness of the protective layer of 8 to 10 µm was measured. An application of TZ NIOD on a device consists of the following stages: 1) The oil in the oil pan of the device must be removed and rinsed with fresh oil in case the oil pan is contaminated with residue from the old oil. 2) The TZ NIOD powder is mixed with fresh oil in the correct ratio and filled into the oil pan of the device. 3) The application phase is started and shall be carried out by operating the device. Phases 1 and 2 of the above-described working principles of TZ NIOD occur in the application phase. The operating conditions are used to apply the load. The load shall be 70 % of the maximum load and shall be applied for a range of 30 minutes up to 50 hours. If the device is intended to move in multiple directions, then the device shall be operated in all directions during the application phase. The duration of the application phase depends on the size and load cases of the device as well as on the speed of rotation. Slowly rotating devices require a longer application phase. 3 Emperical Analysis To test the effect of TZ NIOD on real equipment in a machinery test, TZ NIOD was applied to a more than 40year-old used piston air compressor. The application of TZ NIOD on the piston air compressor consisted of the following four stages: 1) Removing the initial oil from the device. 2) Filling the TZ NIOD - Oil mixture in the proper ratio into the oil pan of the device. Table 1: General Data of the Compressor Figure 1: Piston Air Compressor of the Empirical Analysis ! " operation of the compressor is started immediately after introducing the TZ NIOD-Oil mixture into the oil pan. This is of particularly high importance to prvent TZ NIOD particles from sinking to the bottom of the oil pan and losing their effectiveness. The cylinder head and the components therein of such piston air compressors are typically not treated with oil. This part of the compressor does not have an oil sump or other methods of lubrication. Therefore, a method of applying the mixture of oil and TZ NIOD was designed. The applicating of the mixture of oil and TZ NIOD was performed via the intake air of the compressor by removing the air filter and trickling the TZ NIOD-Oil mixture into the air inlet over a prolonged period of time. The compressor must be operated during the application process in order for the mixture of oil and TZ NIOD to be sucked into the cylinder head. Additionally, the pressure line, the connection to the pressure vessel, must be removed to prevent filling the pressure vessel with the mixture. The application of the TZ NIOD - Oil mixture was conducted in the application phase represented in the temperature over time diagram of Figure 2. As stated, the TZ NIOD - Oil mixture was filled into the oil pan of the device and the air filter as well as the pressure line of the piston air compressor were disconnected prior to starting the application phase. The application phase began with continuous operation of the device for 20 minutes (section 1 of Figure 2) in which the TZ NIOD - Oil mixture was applied to the air intake of the device exposing the cylinder head and the components thereof to TZ NIOD. Next, for the second phase (section 2 of Figure 2) the device was operated continuously under full load for 40 minutes with the air filter mounted and the pressure line connected to the pressure vessel. The third phase consisted of 3 hours and 20 minutes of the device’s standard discontinuous operation at a utilization rate of 60 % (section 3 of Figure 2). The duration for section 3 (discontinuous operation) was selected to result in a total duration of the application phase of 4 hours. Finally, the TZ NIOD- Oil mixture was replaced by fresh lubricant (section 4 of Figure 2) and the running-in phase of TZ NIOD was initiated. During the running-in phase the device was operated in its standard operating mode. The reason for the running-in phase is to initiate phase 3 of the working principles of TZ NIOD, and thus for the “diffusion” of TZ NIOD from the surface layer deep into the metal to occurs. For the empirical analysis the running-in phase consisted of operating the piston air compressor for 100 hours in its standard discontinuous operating mode at a utilization rate of roughly 60 %. The utilization rate was achieved by filling the pressure tank to its maximum pressure level of 1 MPa for 3 minutes followed by 2 minutes of resting to empty the pressure tank. As illustrated in Figure 2, The application of TZ NIOD resulted in a down time of 60 minutes (sum of section 1 and 2) and only required the air filter as well as the pressure line of the compressor the be removed. No additional disassembling of the compressor or modifying its components or tribo-systems was required for the application of TZ NIOD. 3.2 Results of TZ NIOD applied to the Piston Air Compressor The pressure of the pressure vessel and filling time, the power consumption of the motor, as well as the temperature of the cylinder head were recorded in the initial state (before applying TZ NIOD), directly after the application phase as well as after the running-in phase with a duration of 100 hours. TAE-Colloquium Tribology 2024 7 Tribologie + Schmierungstechnik · volume 71 · eOnly special issue 1/ 2024 DOI 10.24053/ TuS-2024-0023 Figure 2: description of the sections of the application phase TAE-Colloquium Tribology 2024 8 Tribologie + Schmierungstechnik · volume 71 · eOnly special issue 1/ 2024 DOI 10.24053/ TuS-2024-0023 Figure 3: Pressure-Time Diagram of initial, after application and after running-in Figure 4: Detail of Power Consumption filling the Pressure Vessel after running-in with TZ NIOD ! "# $% & % $ Table 2: Result of Filling the Pressure Vessel after Running-In phase with TZ NIOD During the empirical analysis it was observed that the pressure over time characteristic of the compressor improved noticeably, see Figure 3. A clear difference can be noticed between the characteristic after running-in (blue line in Figure 3) compared to the initial state (black line in Figure 3) and the state directly after applying TZ NIOD (green line in Figure 3) Further, the application of TZ NIOD positively affected the filling time and the power consumption, as compared in Table 2. The average power consumption of each filling cycle during a typical discontinuous operating mode for filling the pressure vessel was reduced by 20.7 W, which represents a reduction of 7.8 percent. The average time to fill the pressure vessel was shortened by 3.9 seconds, which represents a reduction of 5.1 percent. The power consumption characteristic while filling the pressure vessel is illustrated in Figure 4. The power consumption after running-in is represented by the blue graphs in Figure 4. The blue graphs are noticeably lower than the graphs of the initial state, represented in black. 4 Conclusion The results of the empirical analyses conclude that TZ NIOD is capable of unfolding its positive effects when applied to devices in operation and within the specified operating condition of the device. An application of TZ NIOD must be tailored to the specific device. The application of TZ NIOD on the piston air compressor resulted in a total down time of only 60 minutes. Overall, it can be concluded that the positive effects of TZ NIOD, on the device it is applied to, comprises of lowering the power consumption by 7.8 %, increasing the efficiency by lowering the filling time of the pressure vessel by 5.1 %. This indicates that the worn-out surfaces of the device were regenerated which contributed to decreasing the temperature in operation and increasing the devices service life. Due to the observed positive and confirmed effects of TZ NIOD on devices it was applied on, leading to a decrease of power consumption, lower energy demand, faster filling times and thus a decrease of temperature due to the shorter operating times, it can be underlined that an application of TZ NIOD is of high potential. The application of TZ NIOD is capable of significantly contributing to the field of green tribology and sustainability by reducing costs as well as potentially contributing to energy savings, material savings, reducing waste, and a longer life of devices. Its application is very simple and can be performed on a multitude of devices without the need for significant down times. This is due to the fact that it can be applied to the device in operation. References [1] J. P. Davim, Progress in Green Tribology: Green and Conventional Techniques. Berlin: De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2017. [2] Popov, Valentin. L. (2015): Kontaktmechanik und Reibung : Von der Nanotribologie bis zur Erdbebendynamik. 3 rd edn., Berlin Heidelberg: Springer Publishers. [3] Holmberg K, Andersson P, Erdemir A, Global energy consumption due to friction in passenger cars. Tribology International 47 (2012) 221-234 [4] Wedeven, Vern (2022): Introducing friction, wear, and lubrication in the revolutionary tribology, AZoM.com. [online]https: / / www.azom.com/ article.aspx? ArticleID=21785 [April 5, 2023] [5] D. Svetov, “Tribologie in Österreich,” Tribo.at, http: / / tribo.at/ (acc. Apr. 18, 2023). [6] D. Svetov, “Die tribotechnische Zusammensetzung von Niod - Prozesse,” Tribo.at, http: / / www.tribo.at/ prozes.html (accessed Apr. 18, 2023). [7] Yuansheng, J./ Shenghua, L./ Zhengye, Z./ He, Y./ Feng, W. (2004): In situ mechanochemical reconditioning of worn ferrous surfaces. In: Tribology International. vol. 37. P. 561-567. TAE-Colloquium Tribology 2024 9 Tribologie + Schmierungstechnik · volume 71 · eOnly special issue 1/ 2024 DOI 10.24053/ TuS-2024-0023