Posted in | News | Pollution

Reducing Friction Improves Fuel Economy and Reduces Carbon Emissions

The Science of Friction is the latest installment in DuPont Automotive’s ongoing work with the auto industry to help produce downsized engines and new driveline systems that improve fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions while maintaining performance.

“Six of every 7 liters of fuel put into a vehicle are lost to inefficiencies,” said Dave Ritchey, global transportation segment leader, DuPont™ Kalrez® and Vespel®. Ritchey and several DuPont technical and research and development leaders spearheaded the “Science of Friction” program.

“Connecting inefficiencies to friction, studies have found that somewhere around 10 percent of this lost energy is attributed to friction between moving parts,” said Ritchey. “This is a big number – equivalent to several million barrels of oil a day -- and a big opportunity for anyone who can improve control of friction.”

“The Science of Friction – High Performance, Cost Effective & Sustainable Solutions for the Transportation Industry,” shows how the fundamental relationships between material science, system design, and component function can help predict and control the overall system friction.

It will be presented on June 9 at 2 p.m. at the International CTI Symposium + Exhibition “Automotive Transmissions and Drive Trains North America” in Ann Arbor, Mich., by Volker Plehn, director of development and sales for DuPont™ Kalrez® & Vespel® in transportation, North America.

DuPont has been studying and developing new products to help control friction for the past three years, explained Ritchey. “Friction has been long known to be a significant power thief, but it’s only been in the past few years that a real sense of urgency surrounded the issue. This urgency focused our team of global technical and R&D network on science-based solutions and new products that can make a difference.”

DuPont™ Vespel® recently launched Vespel® SP-2515 as the latest material-solution to fight the effects of friction. Using a basic thrust washer test, DuPont demonstrated a 45 percent to 55 percent reduction in friction by using SP-2515 instead of PEEK, even at cold temperatures.

For more than 40 years, the Vespel® parts and shapes business has delivered ”big science, part by part, faster than ever before” through high-performance, cost-effective solutions for critical fluid- and motion-control systems. In automotive and commercial vehicles, Vespel® parts are used to manage friction in powertrain applications ranging from emission components, variable valve systems, turbochargers and air induction modules. In driveline applications, Vespel® parts excel in seal rings, thrust washers and fork pads in automatic, continuously variable, and manual transmissions, transfer cases and torque converters. In heavy-duty off-road transmissions and hydraulic motors, Vespel® seal rings and thrust washers deliver long life and cost-effective solutions to meet short lead time demands and low-volume production requirements.

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