The most recent data seems to be suggesting that wax lubes are finishing on the top of the heap in terms of lubrication. This is an interesting development, as wax has been around for quite some time, but it is not utilized as a top performing lubricant in other areas which seem to have significant amounts of money to invest in finding/developing top performing lubricants. So the question that seems to arise is why wax seems to be performing so well in this application. To address this question, one must first ask what a lubricant needs to do. The answer is very simple...it reduces the friction between load bearing surfaces (i.e. bearing surfaces). In many applications, flat ('high' surface area) bearing surfaces have been replaced with material which rolls, thus reducing the friction to regions which retain the rolling material (i.e.rollers or balls). Bicycle chains do not have this, but rather rely on a system of bushings. If the lubricant from the bushings migrates from the load bearing surfaces, then there is no thin film to reduce the friction. The key therefore would be to ensure that there is either no migration of the lubricant from the bearing surface, or alternatively to provide a reservoir of new lubricant. This is where it seems that wax lubricants may excel. They provide a reservoir of lubricant inside of each bushing to replenish the lubrication.
So that is all good and fine as a thought experiment is about as useful as rainbow...it can look pretty, but it won't support a truck going over it. So what if there was a lubricant that was designed to not migrate from bearing surfaces under conditions that all other lubricants did? How about a lubricant that was made for zero gravity by rocket scientists (literally). Krytox is (and has been available) for some time, and was designed for the shuttle program. It is a perfluorinated compound that is readily available, and cheaper than the newest lubes touted as the new 'sliced bread'. Anyone interested in testing it? It has already been tested in space and extensively on Earth as well. Just some thoughts in response to the recent batch of complaints about the new lubes and the like.
Stephen J
I believe my local reality has been violated.
____________________________________________
Happiness = Results / (Expectations)^2
So that is all good and fine as a thought experiment is about as useful as rainbow...it can look pretty, but it won't support a truck going over it. So what if there was a lubricant that was designed to not migrate from bearing surfaces under conditions that all other lubricants did? How about a lubricant that was made for zero gravity by rocket scientists (literally). Krytox is (and has been available) for some time, and was designed for the shuttle program. It is a perfluorinated compound that is readily available, and cheaper than the newest lubes touted as the new 'sliced bread'. Anyone interested in testing it? It has already been tested in space and extensively on Earth as well. Just some thoughts in response to the recent batch of complaints about the new lubes and the like.
Stephen J
I believe my local reality has been violated.
____________________________________________
Happiness = Results / (Expectations)^2