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In trying to find the chemical/manufacturing basis for some European knee/hip protector materials, I stumbled across a Russian technology firm that has patented a method of advanced snake oil additive (oil-additive) that may actually work as desired... Unlike any other oil additive I've examined over the years, this one makes some sense from a chemical and structural perspective.
Maybe some of you would like to poke into the data and come up with your impressions?
The US website: http://www.xadoshop.com/
The US patent on the stuff: US PTO search results for patent #6,423,669.
As far as I can tell, the stuff is nano-meter fine metals in a serpentine (the natural form of absestos) or other lattice-work mineral carrier with some ceramic properties. As it heats and get pressurized (by mechanical or combustion action), the lattice work of the serpentine breaks down and washes away (or embeds as well?), leaving the metal-ceramic mix embedded into the surface of the wear components and heat-bonding it there. The resultant composition (at least based on the patent claims) should be both significantly harder and lower-friction generating than the base metals it covers. I wouldn't doubt that this is the same basic technology behind nikasil coatings and their equivilent, except in this product (as marketed) it occurs within the engine itself rather than at time of production.
The only real problems I can see with it are:
(A) the activation temp of many of these products is so high that they would only occur in certain areas (i.e. - the combustion chamber), and
(B) No mention of wet-clutch interaction issues (although there is a warning against use in automatic transmissions, which also use wet-clutches).
If I had an old beater engine to test it on, I certainly would want to... They also make it for gun barrels and other metal parts... hmmm...
Discuss...
Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet
Maybe some of you would like to poke into the data and come up with your impressions?
The US website: http://www.xadoshop.com/
The US patent on the stuff: US PTO search results for patent #6,423,669.
As far as I can tell, the stuff is nano-meter fine metals in a serpentine (the natural form of absestos) or other lattice-work mineral carrier with some ceramic properties. As it heats and get pressurized (by mechanical or combustion action), the lattice work of the serpentine breaks down and washes away (or embeds as well?), leaving the metal-ceramic mix embedded into the surface of the wear components and heat-bonding it there. The resultant composition (at least based on the patent claims) should be both significantly harder and lower-friction generating than the base metals it covers. I wouldn't doubt that this is the same basic technology behind nikasil coatings and their equivilent, except in this product (as marketed) it occurs within the engine itself rather than at time of production.
The only real problems I can see with it are:
(A) the activation temp of many of these products is so high that they would only occur in certain areas (i.e. - the combustion chamber), and
(B) No mention of wet-clutch interaction issues (although there is a warning against use in automatic transmissions, which also use wet-clutches).
If I had an old beater engine to test it on, I certainly would want to... They also make it for gun barrels and other metal parts... hmmm...
Discuss...
Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet
...warm engine put this there then do this... 
...a bottle of snake oil in the oil and your done...
Good judgement comes from experience, and often experience comes from Bad Judgement :smt084
tim
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