Teflon was not allowed to be used as per trademark so instead PTFE is used.
It's found in a number of products. I just had this added as an engine treatment. Yes I know it's evil. Cars are evil in general.
But does it work?
Tufoil is one brand name of ptfe engine treatment:
I have used Tufoil for some years now in my -95 model 5 series BMW. With Tufoil here is less mechanical/engine noise and the valve lifter noise has totally disappeared, there must then be some reduced mechanical engine wear as I see it if there is less mechanical engine noise. Here in the cold winter in Norway the engine starts/turns easier with added Tufoil. Some here are afraid of additives containing Teflon/PTFE, it has been said that it can clog the oil filter. In my BMW the oil filter is of the canister type, when it is changed it is easy to inspect the filter for clogging. I have seen no evidence of oil filter clogging when using Tufoil. Tufoil is worth the money as I see it.
The PTFE Mystery
Currently, the most common and popular oil additives on the market are those that contain PTFE powders suspended in a regular, over-the-counter type, 50-rated petroleum or synthetic engine oil. PTFE is the common abbreviation used for Polytetrafloeraethylene, more commonly known by the tradename "Teflon," which is a registered trademark of the DuPont Chemical Corporation. Among those oil additives we have identified as containing PTFE are: Slick 50, Liquid Ring, Lubrilon, Microlon, Matrix, Petrolon (same company as Slick 50), QMl, and T-Plus (K-Mart). There are probably many more names in use on many more products using PTFE. We have found that oil additive makers like to market their products under a multitude of "private brand" names.While some of these products may contain other additives in addition to PTFE, all seem to rely on the PTFE as their primary active ingredient and all, without exception, do not list what other ingredients they may contain.
Though they have gained rather wide acceptance among the motoring public, oil additives containing PTFE have also garnered their share of critics among experts in the field of lubrication. By far the most damning testimonial against these products originally came from the DuPont Chemical Corporation, inventor of PTFE and holder of the patents and trademarks for Teflon. In a statement issued about ten years ago, DuPont's Fluoropolymers Division Product Specialist, J.F. Imbalzano said, "Teflon is not useful as an ingredient in oil additives or oils used for internal combustion engines."
At the time, DuPont threatened legal action against anyone who used the name "Teflon" on any oil product destined for use in an internal combustion engine, and refused to sell its PTFE powders to any one who intended to use them for such purposes.
After a flurry of lawsuits from oil additive makers, claiming DuPont could not prove that PTFE was harmful to engines, DuPont was forced to once again begin selling their PTFE to the additive producers. The additive makers like to claim this is some kind of "proof' that their products work, when in fact it is nothing more than proof that the American legal ethic of "innocent until proven guilty" is still alive and well. The decision against Dupont involved what is called "restraint of trade." You can't refuse to sell a product to someone just because there is a possibility they might use it for a purpose other than what you intended it for.
It should be noted that DuPont's official position on the use of PTFE in engine oils remains carefully aloof and non-commital, for obvious legal reasons. DuPont states that though they sell PTFE to oil additive producers, they have "no proof of the validity of the additive makers' claims." They further state that they have "no knowledge of any advantage gained through the use of PTFE in engine oil."
Fear of potential lawsuits for possible misrepresentation of a product seem to run much higher among those with the most to lose.
After DuPont's decision and attempt to halt the use of PTFE in engine oils, several of the oil additive companies simply went elsewhere for their PTFE powders, such as purchasing them in other countries. In some cases, they disguise or hype their PTFE as being something different or special by listing it under one of their own tradenames. That doesn't change the fact that it is still PTFE.
In addition, there is some evidence that certain supplies of PTFE powders (from manufacturers other than DuPont) are of a cruder version than the original, made with larger sized flakes that are more likely to "settle out" in your oil or clog up your filters. One fairly good indication that a product contains this kind of PTFE is if the instructions for its use advise you to "shake well before using." It only stands to reason that if the manufacturer knows the solids in his product will settle to the bottom of a container while sitting on a shelf, the same thing is going to hap pen inside your engine when it is left idle for any period of time.
The problem with putting PTFE in your oil, as explained to us by several industry experts, is that PTFE is a solid. The additive makers claim this solid "coats" the moving parts in an engine (though that is far from being scientifically proven). Slick 50 is currently both the most aggressive advertiser and the most popular seller, with claims of over 14 million treatments sold. However, such solids seem even more inclined to coat non-moving parts, like oil passages and filters. After all, if it can build up under the pressures and friction exerted on a cylinder wall, then it stands to reason it should build up even better in places with low pressures and virtually no friction.
This conclusion seems to be borne out by tests on oil additives containing PTFE conducted by the NASA Lewis Research Center, which said in their report, "In the types of bearing surface contact we have looked at, we have seen no benefit. In some cases we have seen detrimental effect. The solids in the oil tend to accumulate at inlets and act as a dam, which simply blocks the oil from entering. Instead of helping, it is actually depriving parts of lubricant."
Remember, PTFE in oil additives is a suspended solid. Now think about why you have an oil filter on your engine. To remove suspended solids, right? Right. Therefore it would seem to follow that if your oil filter is doing its job, it will collect as much of the PTFE as possible, as quickly as possible. This can result in a clogged oil filter and decreased oil pres sure throughout your engine.
In response to our inquiries about this sort of problem, several of the PTFE pushers responded that their particulates were of a sub-micron size, capable of passing through an ordinary oil filter unrestricted. This certainly sounds good, and may in some cases actually be true, but it makes little difference when you know the rest of the story. You see, PTFE has other qualities besides being a friction reducer: It expands radically when exposed to heat. So even if those particles are small enough to pass through your filter when you purchase them, they very well may not be when your engine reaches normal operating temperature.
Here again, the' scientific evidence seems to support this, as in tests conducted by researchers at the University of Utah Engineering Experiment Station involving Petrolon additive with PTFE.
The Petrolon test report states, "There was a pressure drop across the oil filter resulting from possible clogging of small passageways." In addition, oil analysis showed that iron contamination doubled after using the treatment, indicating that engine wear didn't go down - it appeared to shoot up.
This particular report was paid for by Petrolon (marketers of Slick 50), and was not all bad news for their products. The tests, conducted on a Chevrolet six-cylinder automobile engine, showed that after treatment with the PTFE additive the test engine's friction was reduced by 13.1 per- cent. Also, output horsepower increased from 5.3 percent to 8.1 percent, and fuel economy improved from 11.8 percent under light load to 3.8 percent under heavy load.
These are the kind of results an aggressive marketing company like Petrolon can really sink their teeth into. If we only reported the results in the last paragraph to you, you'd be inclined to think Slick 50 was indeed a magic engine elixir. What you have to keep in mind is that often times the benefits (like increased horse power and fuel economy) may be out weighed by some serious drawbacks (like the indications of reduced oil pressure and increased wear rate).
The Plot Thickens
Just as we were about to go to press with this article, we were contacted by the public relations firm of Trent and Company, an outfit with a prestigious address in the Empire State Building, New York. They advised us they were working for a company called QMI out of Lakeland, Florida, that was marketing a "technological breakthrough" product in oil additives. Naturally, we asked them to send us all pertinent information, including any testing and research data.What we got was pretty much what we expected. QMI's oil additive, according to their press release, uses "ten times more PTFE resins than its closest competitor." Using the "unique SX-6000 formula," they say they are the only company to use "aqueous dispersion resin which means the microns (particle sizes) are extensively smaller and can penetrate tight areas." This, they claim, "completely eliminates the problem of clogged filters and oil passages."
Intrigued by their press release, we set up a telephone interview with their Vice- President of Technical Services, Mr. Owen Heatwole. Mr. Heatwole's name was immediately recognized by us as one that had popped in earlier research of this subject as a former employee of Petrolon, a company whose name seems inextricably linked in some fashion or another with virtually every PTFE-related additive maker in the country.
Mr. Heatwole was a charming and persuasive talker with a knack for avoiding direct answers as good as any seasoned politician. His glib pitch for his product was the best we've ever heard, but when dissected and pared down to the verifiable facts, it actually said very little.
When we asked about the ingredients in QMI's treatments, we got almost exactly the response we expected. Mr. Heatwole said he would "have to avoid discussing specifics about the formula, for proprietary reasons."
After telling us that QMI was being used by "a major oil company," a "nuclear plant owned by a major corporation" and a "major engine manufacturer," Mr. Heatwole followed up with, "Naturally, I can't reveal their names- for proprietary reasons."
He further claimed to have extensive testing and research data available from a "major laboratory," proving conclusively how effective QMI was. When we asked for the name of the lab, can you guess? Yup, "We can't give out that information, for proprietary reasons."
What QMI did give us was the typical "testimonials," though we must admit theirs came from more recognizable sources than usual. They seem to have won over the likes of both Team Kawasaki and Bobby Unser, who evidently endorse and use QMI in their racing engines. Mr. Heatwole was very proud of the fact that their product was being used in engines that he himself admitted are "torn down and completely inspected on a weekly basis." Of course, what he left out is that those same engines are almost totally rebuilt every time they're torn down. So what does that prove in terms of his product reducing wear and promoting engine longevity? Virtually nothing.
Mr. Heatwole declined to name the source of QMI's PTFE supply "for proprietary reasons." He bragged that their product is sold under many different private labels, but refused to identify those labels "for proprietary reasons." When asked about the actual size of the PTFE particles used in QMI, he claimed they were measured as "sub-micron in size" by a "major motor laboratory" which he couldn't identify - you guessed it - for "proprietary reasons."
After about an hour of listening to "don't quote me on this," "I'll have to deny that if you print it," and "I can't reveal that," we asked Mr. Heatwole if there was something we could print. "Certainly," he said, "Here's a good quote for you: 'The radical growth in technology has overcome the problem areas associated with PTFE in the I980s'"
"Not bad," we said. Then we asked to whom we might attribute this gem of wisdom. DuPont Chemical, perhaps? "Me," said Mr. Heatwole. "I said that."
QMI's press releases like to quote the Guinness Book Of Records in saying that PTFE is "The slickest substance known to man." Far be it from us to take exception to the Guinness Book, but we doubt that PTFE is much slicker than some of the people marketing it.
https://themotorsmasters.com/best-oil-additive-for-lifter-noise/
So that article rates Marvel's Mystery Oil as the highest for lifter noise. I actually TRIED this morning to remove oil so I could add MMO - but my "transfer pump" was too big for the dipstick...
Consumers Digest, after analyzing the available data, agrees that nanolubricant additives may provide significant benefits when or if these products make it to the commercial marketplace. Teflon additives were similarly touted in the 1980s, but ultimately were not practical to produce.
https://www.emissiontime.com/the-facts-about-engine-oil-additives/
Well there's a LOT of PTFE oil treatment products so ...
https://www.onedirt.com/files/2014/05/OD2014-1.pdf
oops.
Slick 50 test of PTFE engine treatment - vid
The fact that the slick 50 engine ran cooler proves there was less friction. less heat=less friction less parasitic loss more efficient longer engine life.
I used slick 50 about 20 years ago on my Honda CBR 400 bike in Greece, and i remember one time i made a trip of about 450 Km and on my way back my engine lost some power for a while and i stopped to check the oil and there was no oil at all left in the engine and it was sunday night and i managed to go home another 60 Km without oil in the engine traveling with speeds up to 80 Km/h. I put new oil in that engine and used the bike for 2 more years without any major problem. Hard to believe ? maybe, but i also remember that on the box of the slick 50 it said that after i put it in the engine i had to run/use the engine for at least 3000 to 4000 Km before i change the oil again, to allow for the teflon in the slick 50 to make itself permanent on the metal parts of the engine. So that test is so wrong just for not following the manufacturers instructions. On the other hand i found out later that the compounds in slick 50 had some bad effects to the rubber seals in the engine after a prolonged use....
My friend , I really appreciate your well thought out tests. Back in the 1980's I was a Slick 50 rep. We would pretreat an engine by running it for several hours with Slick 50 before running it without oil. I continued to use the product after canceling my distributorship and over the years noticed a formula change, they stopped using PTFE, the ingredient that made Slick... slick. If that had been the original formula it would have run much longer. I did that demonstration many times and could place my bare hand on the engine while it was running!
In 1983 I had a 1975 Volkswagen Scirocco...treated it with a can of the original Slick 50....mail order only lol...a few weeks later I drove over a cement medium and smashed the oil pan....being an ignorant 16 year old..I drove 20 miles to community college and 20 miles back..with the oil light on the whole time...I stopped at shop..they dropped the oil pan and the oil pump was broke in 2 or 3 pieces.....they put new oil pump and new oil pan and was on my way....mechanic couldn't believe I drove 40 miles with no oil pressure and zero damage....
Loads of people say it's snake oil but have they even used it or just repeating what others are saying? I used Slick50 back in the late 80s. It would noticeably make the engines far quieter and smoother. And there were no negative results. I was doubtful about their claims of teflon coating the engine parts and needing a file to remove them but whatever....for me it worked. That's all I have to say. I have no dog in this fight.
So then the main oil added was this Titanium Additive oil - vid
It appears to work similarly to the PTFE...
https://sci-hub.tw/http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3351729
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S101836391600012X
This study shows that mixing of TiO2 nanoparticles in engine oil significantly reduces the friction and wear rate and hence improves the lubricating properties of engine oil.
Research studies have reported that the nanoparticle dispersed lubricants are found to have a significant effect on reducing the friction and wear rate. It is also observed that the friction and wear also depend on the shape, size and concentration of the nanoparticles added in the lubricating oil.
https://soundproofpanda.com/oil-additives-to-silence-noisy-lifters/
Nanoparticles: If you see nanoparticles advertised on your oil additive of choice, these are minuscule particles of titanium oxide. The benefit claims include improved fuel economy and increased horsepower. These nanoparticles won’t cause any damage to catalytic converters, and they’ll also serve to dampen the unwanted noise.
another titanium oil promo vid
Back to PTFE
The NASA Lewis Research Center conducted a study in which oil additives containing PTFE were tested. The conclusions of this test were as follows: "In the types of bearing surface contact we have looked at, we have seen no benefit. In some cases we have seen detrimental effect. The solids in the oil tend to accumulate at the inlets and act as a dam, which simply blocks the oil from entering. Instead of helping, it is actually depriving parts of the lubricant."
PTFE image above and oil filter below
Tufoil’s suspension particles are 5 microns (0.000118″) in size so it mixes beautifully with your oil and can’t clog up your oil filter.
So the claim now is that the PTFE can never clog an oil filter...
https://www.fluoramics.com/success-stories/
Tufoil is probably much better than Slick 50. I seem to remember that
slick 50 was one of the ones that Tufoil totally beat in an endurance
test where a load was put on a spinning bearing.
Tufoil has some extra ingredients over the basic teflon.
Yep what I got claims the same:
After application, the lubrication system of the engine will carry VL Performance Products Engine Treatment to the lubricated friction surfaces, filling in microscopic pores – more than 100 times smaller than a human hair. Once heated, while either driving or with the engine running, this will create a long lasting bond between these metal surfaces and our Engine Treatment. These bonding agents of PTFE protection will help reduce wear by 50% to 90%.
Victory Lane Performance Products PTFE Engine Treatment will help your vehicle last longer and operate more efficiently with less maintenance cost. For Best Results it is recommended to use VL Performance Products Engine Treatment once a year.
In defense of Slick 50, tests done on a Chevy 6 cylinder engine by the
University of Utah Engineering Experiment Station found that after
treatment
with the PTFE additive the test engine's friction was reduced by 13.1
percent, the output horsepower increased from 5.3 percent to 8.1 percent,
and fuel economy improved as well. Unfortunately, the same tests concluded
that "There was a pressure drop across the oil filter resulting from
possible clogging of small passageways." Oil analysis showed that iron
contamination doubled after the treatment, indicating that engine wear
increased. [Rau]
PTFE even used on bicycles! Evil pollution exposed.
https://www.green-oil.net/pollution.html
https://www.fluoramics.com/wp-content/uploads/EPQ217_52-54.pdf
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