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Industrial Liaison Group:
Tel: +44 (0) 1235 778797
E-mail: [email protected]
We remain reliant on fossil fuels for our current and future energy supply and one of the greatest challenges facing scientists today is to make the most efficient use of our resources. This drive for increased efficiency affects all aspects of the oil industry from upstream enhanced oil recovery technologies to downstream refining processes through to lubricants, additives and coatings.
Diamond provides specialist analytical techniques for the atomic to microscale characterisation of materials ranging from crude oil, petroleum additives, lubricants and anti-corrosion coatings through to the next generation of catalysts for refining.
Upstream Exploration and Production
Downstream processing
Fuels, Chemicals and Additives
Pipeline and Processing
Organic Friction Modifiers (OFMs) are surfactants included in engine oil formulations. They adsorb on metal surfaces, forming compact surface layers that act as protective coatings to reduce friction and wear occurring between mechanical engine parts.
The use of OFMs is associated with more energy-efficient engines and a reduction in CO2 emissions. The design of effective new formulations and novel OFMs relies on a detailed understanding of how OFMs self-assemble at interfaces and how their surface structure changes with tribological conditions.
Read more...Fuel combustion in diesel engines leads to the production of nitrogen oxides (NOx) which are harmful to the environment. Retarding the fuel injection timing and recirculating the exhaust gas back into the engine reduces overall NOx emissions, however, this can also lead to the formation of diesel soot particles within the engine oil. Excessive build up of soot in engine oil accelerates engine wear, ultimately leading to lower fuel efficiency and premature engine failure.
Read more...Effective lubrication has a significant impact on a number of applications ranging from human artificial joint implants to energy efficiency of internal combustion engines and the reliability of offshore wind turbine gearboxes. At low running speeds and high contact pressures the fluid film cannot be maintained and therefore effective lubrication is greatly influenced by the presence of chemical additives in the lubricant. These additives interact with the lubricated surfaces to form nanoscale tribofilms that reduce both material wear and energy losses due to friction. Understanding the mechanisms by which these tribofilms form is essential for development and optimisation of the next generation environmentally friendly effective lubricants, materials and tribological systems.
Read more...Diamond Light Source is the UK's national synchrotron science facility, located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.
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Diamond Light Source Ltd
Diamond House
Harwell Science & Innovation Campus
Didcot
Oxfordshire
OX11 0DE
Diamond Light Source® and the Diamond logo are registered trademarks of Diamond Light Source Ltd
Registered in England and Wales at Diamond House, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0DE, United Kingdom. Company number: 4375679. VAT number: 287 461 957. Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number: GB287461957003.