TLT

SYSTEMS, STRATEGIES & RESEARCH FOR LUBRICATION PROFESSIONALS AN PUBLICATION | JULY 2018

Liberating
TRIBOLOGY &
LU B R I C AT I O N
Oil Analysis Data
TECHNOLOGY
How to win the battle against low budgets, poor training,
sloppy procedures and lackluster follow-up.
14 YEARS
of publishing excellence
PLUS -OLMBOˡLFIˡP>JMIFKD
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Commercial aviation lubricants

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Digital TLT: Sponsored by 2018 STLE Tribology Frontiers Conference at www.stle.org.

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Contents
TLT / JULY 2018 / VOLUME 74 / NO. 7

F E AT U R E S

20 MINUTES WITH…
18 Samarth Desai
This SKF group leader analyzes
the critical factors when creating
lubricants for specific bearing
applications.
By Rachel Fowler

LUBRICATION FUNDAMENTALS
24 Short-term formulation trends
A look at the forces driving change
for five critically important
industrial lubricants.
By Dr. Robert M. Gresham

26 Special Annual Meeting

Photo Recap
STLE’s 73rd Annual Meeting
combined technical training,
business planning and
international networking. Relive
the highlights in this 18-page
photo montage.

WEBINARS
44 Commercial aviation lubrication

26
Few lubricants are asked to do so
much—or endure so rigorous an
approval process.
By Debbie Sniderman

FEATURE ARTICLE
52 Liberating oil analysis data
Budget, personnel and training
issues often prevent end-users
from getting more from their
lab reports.
By Jeanna Van Rensselar

PEERREVIEWED PAPER (EDITOR’S CHOICE)

60 The Cause of Premature Wind
Turbine Bearing Failures:
Overloading or Underloading?
By Nikolay T. Garabedian,
Benjamin J. Gould,
Gary L. Doll and David L. Burris

52 Front Cover photo © Can Stock Photo / ShutterM

WWW.STLE.ORG TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 1

Contents
D E PA R T M E N T S

12 Tech Beat by Dr. Neil Canter

• Preparation of lithium-sulfur batteries from lignosulfonate
• Color-changing elastomer
• Recovering phosphorus from waste streams.

76 Newsmakers
• Elco/Italmatch
• Shell
• Emery Oleochemicals
• ExxonMobil and more.

80 New Products
• Prisma SEM platform
• First connected desiccant breather
• Low-foaming emulsifiers
• WaterGuard stabilizers and more.

86 Sounding Board
What accounts for the shortage of talented young people
entering the lubricants industry—and what can all of us
do about it?

92 Advertisers Index

94 Resources
• Technical Books
– Bioanalytics: Analytical Methods and Concepts in
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
– Tribocatalysis, Tribochemistry, and Tribocorrosion 86
• Industry Conferences
– U.S. Base Oils & Lubricants Summit
– ICETAT 2018
COLUMNS
• Online Database
– Institute of Materials Launches 2017 Engine Oil Database
• STLE Certification Exams 6 President’s Report 96 Career Coach
From Pasadena to The passive job search
Minneapolis and
beyond… 100 On Condition Monitoring
Complexity in ISFA
8 From the Editor (in-service fluid analysis):
Flying high with sampling Part XXXIX

10 Headquarters Report 104 Worldwide

Launching a lubrication Lubricants and electric
career vehicles

Copyright © 2018 Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. All Rights Reserved.
TLT magazine is owned and published in print and electronically by the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE). The views set forth in this magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily
the views of STLE. Material from TLT magazine may be reproduced only with written permission from STLE. TLT magazine assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete
information. For more information, contact us at TLT@stle.org.
Subscription and Single Copies: Current volume single copies are $25 (not including shipping and handling). Annual subscription rate is $236/U.S., $305/international. Prepayment is required before
subscription is started. Remittances from foreign countries must be by international money order or bank draft drawn on U.S. bank.
Tribology & Lubrication Technology (USPS 865740) Vol. 74, Number 7, (ISSN-1545-858), is published monthly by the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, 840 Busse Hwy, Park Ridge, IL 60068-2376.
Periodicals Postage is Paid at Park Ridge, IL and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tribology and Lubrication Technology, 840 Busse Hwy, Park Ridge, IL 60068-2376.

2 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
PUBLISHED BY
Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers
“Educating lubrication engineers & tribology researchers since 1944”
STLE International Headquarters
Pushing the envelope 840 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, Illinois 60068-2376
Phone: 847-825-5536 • Fax: 847-825-1456 • www.stle.org • info@stle.org
The incredible demands on
aircraft lubricants. 
EDITOR
Evan Zabawski, CLS TestOil ezabawski@testoil.com
See Page 44.
PUBLISHER/EDITORINCHIEF
Thomas T. Astrene tastrene@stle.org

MANAGING EDITOR
Rachel Fowler rfowler@stle.org

SENIOR FEATURE WRITER

Jeanna Van Rensselar

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Dr. Neil Canter, Dr. Robert M. Gresham, Dr. Nancy McGuire, Debbie Sniderman

COLUMNISTS
Gregory Croce, Dr. Edward P. Becker, Ken Pelczarski, Jack Poley,
Edward P. Salek, Dr. Nicholas D. Spencer, Dr. Wilfred T. Tysoe, R. David Whitby

CIRCULATION COORDINATORS
Myrna Scott, Nadine Sanchez (847) 825-5536

ADVERTISING SALES
Tracy Nicholas VanEe Phone: (630) 922-3459 Fax: (630) 904-4563 tnicholas@stle.org

DESIGN/PRODUCTION
Joe Ruck

TECHNICAL EDITORS
Dr. William Anderson Afton Chemical Corp. bill.anderson@aftonchemical.com
Dr. John Bomidi Baker Hughes, a GE company john.bomidi@bakerhughes.com
Michelle Brakke Lubrication Technologies Inc. michellebra@lubetech.com
Patrick Brutto Hangsterfer’s Laboratories patrick@hangsterfers.com
Dr. Jose Castillo Aleris Corp. Jose.Castillo@aleris.com
Dr. Geetha Chimata Imatrex Inc. g.chimata@imatrex.com
Bridget Dubbert Engineered Lubricants Co. bdubbert@englube.com
Dr. Alan Eachus Self-employed drace.dbd@comcast.net
Dr. Philip Egberts University of Calgary philip.egberts@ucalgary.ca
Dr. Monica A. Ford Ingevity monica.ford@ingevity.com
Dr. Hamed Ghaednia Ford Motor Co. hghaedni@ford.com
Dr. Arnab Ghosh Sentient Science aghosh@sentientscience.com
Dr. Martin Greaves The Dow Chemical Co. mrgreaves@dow.com
Dr. Ken Hope Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP hopekd@cpchem.com
Dr. Mohammad Motaher Hossain Texas A&M University-Kingsville mohammad.hossain@tamuk.edu
Tyler Housel Zschimmer & Schwarz, Inc. thousel@lexolube.com
Dr. Harman Khare University of Pennsylvania hkhare@seas.upenn.edu
Dr. Anoop Kumar Royal Mfg Co. LP anoopk@royalmfg.com
David Lindsay Afton Chemical Corp. david.lindsay@aftonchemical.com
Jory Maccan Imperial Oil maccan.jory@gmail.com
Brad McCann Nelson Oil Co. bmccann@nelsonlubricants.com
Shawn McCarthy Ocean State Oil shawn.mccarthy@oceanstateoil.com
Les Miller SKF/Kaydon Bearings lmiller@kaydon.com
Dr. Hamidreza Mohseni CARBO Ceramics Inc. Hamid.Mohseni@carboceramics.com
Rob Morien Rexnord robert.morien@rexnord.com
Jason Papacek Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. jason.papacek@calumetspecialty.com
Dr. Steven Patton University of Dayton Research Institute Steve.Patton@udri.udayton.edu
Brian Pettinato Elliott Group bpettina@elliott-turbo.com
Dr. Donald T. Robertson BG Products, Inc.
Doug Sackett Total Lubricants USA doug.sackett@total.com
Dr. Richard F. Salant Georgia Institute of Technology richard.salant@me.gatech.edu
© Can Stock Photo / Jag_cz

Dr. Eugene Scanlon BASF eugene.scanlon@basf.com

Dr. Raj Shah Koehler Instrument Co. rshah@koehlerinstrument.com
Dr. Shuangwen Sheng National Renewable Energy Laboratory shuangwen.sheng@nrel.gov
Dr. Don Smolenski Strategic Management of Oil, LLC donald.smolenski@gmail.com
Edward Sunghing Chem-Ecol, Ontario, Canada esunghing@chem-ecol.com
Dr. Simon C. Tung Tung Innovation Technology Consulting Inc. simontung168@gmail.com
Dr. Rohit Voothaluru The Timken Co. rohit.voothaluru@timken.com
Dr. Dehua Yang Ebatco dyang@ebatco.com
Follow STLE on: Dr. Guosong Zeng Lehigh University guz210@lehigh.edu

4 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT
From Pasadena to Minneapolis and beyond…
The journey to STLE’s top leadership position
was more than just a California dream.
By Greg Croce
OK, it is my turn.
I am happy and excited to be your presi-
dent for the next year. I’d like to begin by
talking about who I am, how I got here and
what I hope to accomplish in the next 12
months.
The vitals:
Name: Greg Croce.
Born: Pasadena, California.
Lives: Concord, California (that’s
Northern California). Native
Californian, never left.
Education: Bachelor’s of science
degree in chemical engineering.
MBA in marketing.
Works for: Chevron Products Co.
(20 years) and before that
Technip/KTI (12 years).
My first industry job began after college
when I landed a job with Technip/KTI. It
was a pretty cool job—designing large fired
equipment for the petrochemical industry.
After all that schooling it was great to jump
right in and calculate real stuff like number
of tubes, number of passes, materials, heat
transfer, pressure drop and draft.
My knowledge of fired heater design led
to myself and Tom Gilmore moving from
Southern California to the North to open
an office. That operation was so successful
that I was asked to lead a team in Houston.
Now, no offense Texans, but that’s when the
brakes went on.
I eyed a job at Chevron Lubricants as an
OEM liaison. My first hurdle was to con the
interview team, which consisted of several
people, including the late Randy Baer and
also Dan Holdmeyer, into hiring me. To this
day, Dan is adamant that he was the single
no vote on the selection team, but somehow
I was hired. So thanks to Randy and Dan—
well, Randy—for voting yes on me!
6 • J U LY 2 0 1 8
Chevron executive Greg Croce
became STLE’s 76th president
on May 22 during the society’s
annual meeting in Minneapolis.
So my STLE journey began.
My new boss hired me on the agreement
that I would soon prepare for and pass the
STLE Certified Lubrication Specialist™ exam.
I really wish I had known more about that
test before I agreed to take it! After passing,
I learned that if I supported STLE activities,
I wouldn’t have to take it again. That was all
I had to hear!
I got in contact with folks at the local
section and within 12 month I found myself
chair of the Northern California Section. That
was a title I held off and on for the next five
to six years as we rebuilt the section.
In 2005 STLE’s then West Coast Region-
al Vice President Jim Mather decided he
wanted to stop working and sail around the
world with his wife and two kids! He needed
a replacement, and I was it.
I have been on STLE’s Board of Directors
for the last 12 years. For the past six years
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
I’ve served on our Education Committee,
chairing it since 2015. That is a great as-
signment, and I plan to return.
My journey on the board started simply
enough—board meetings, annual meetings,
local section meetings—but the real fun was
meeting and working with my fellow direc-
tors. I count some of them among my closest
friends.
So here I am. What am I going to do?
As you might know, I have been a great
supporter of STLE’s strategic planning pro-
cess. With that in mind, my role as president
is simply to make sure the society stays on
the multiyear strategic plan we set in place
many years ago with special focus on four
initiatives:
1.) The continued development of STLE-
owned education material.
2.) Continuous improvement of STLE certifi-
cation programs.
3.) Extending STLE’s global outreach and
proactively supporting our partners
around the world who desire to join the
STLE family.
4.) Continue efforts to launch local sections
in Singapore, Thailand and Mexico, along
with several sections in the U.S.
I would like to thank Chevron Products
Co. for its ongoing support of me, STLE and
our industry. During the past 13-plus years,
Chevron Products has supported my travel
and time to attend more than 50 meetings
in the U.S. and abroad.
I promise to work hard to keep STLE
on the right track. Thank you again for the
honor of serving as your 2018-2019 STLE
president.
Greg Croce is Delo Brand technical manager
for Chevron Products Co. in Richmond, Calif.
You can reach him at gcroce@chevron.com.
WWW.STLE.ORG
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FROM THE EDITOR
Flying high with sampling
Some tasks are much easier said than done.
Taking oil samples is a relative-
ly simple task, but that is not the
same as saying the task is eas-
ily done. In fact, the simplicity of
the task lends itself to allowing
significant variance between
people performing the task and,
therefore, a reasonable chance
for variability or error in the
data from different samples.
The foundation to any condi-
tion-based monitoring program
is good data, and for in-service
fluid analysis that begins with a
well-pulled sample. The steps
are simple: wipe, flush, fill, cap
and send. As in: wipe the area
around the sampling valve,
flush sufficient fluid through
valve and tubing, fill the sample
bottle, cap the bottle and then
send the sample to the lab with
properly completed paperwork.
What is missing from the
above description is just how
much of each step is the right
amount. How much wiping, how
much flush volume, how much
to fill the sample bottle and how
much information is required on
the sample label/paperwork?
This is analogous to folding
a paper airplane; the steps also
are described simply, however,
the execution is not always
consistent. Try creasing a piece
of paper lengthwise down the
middle, then fold down the top
corners so they meet, next fold
the outside edges of the paper
inward so that the edges align
with the first crease and lastly
flip the paper over and repeat
the last fold. Now throw it; does
it fly well? If you try again with
8 • J U LY 2 0 1 8
By Evan Zabawski
a fresh sheet of paper does
the second paper airplane fly
equally well? Does it veer in a
completely different direction?
For ease, this column re-
produces the fold lines to act
as a guide, but chances are
even following those will not
guarantee a consistent out-
come for all those that try.
Even suggesting that the folds
be made as crisply as possible
will not necessarily improve
flight characteristics. The step
that seems to matter the most
is the symmetry of each pair of
folds, which results in a well-
balanced finished product.
Reading instructions or
watching a demonstration can
only help so much; what mat-
ters more is care and practice.
The same can be said for oil
sampling; proper care helps
make the sample more repre-
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
Whether folding a paper
airplane or taking an
oil sample, reading
instructions or watching
a demonstration
can only help so much.
What matters more is
care and practice.
sentative of actual conditions,
and practice improves the re-
peatability with every subse-
quent sampling.
Wiping can be construed
as anything from a quick wipe,
which sometimes aggravates
the cleanliness to a complete and
thorough wipe down to remove
all traces of external contamina-
tion. The goal is to simply elimi-
nate the chance that anything
other than the sample will end
up in the bottle, be it knocked by
fluid flow or valve manipulation
or brushed by a hand.
Flushing is generally under-
stood to be a set volume, often
cited as anywhere from three to
10 times the volume of static flu-
id between the sampling valve
and the live fluid. Though it is
a concrete value, it can be very
difficult estimating this value in
the field. The emphasis is sim-
ply that the flushing be sufficient
enough to produce live fluid.
Filling the sample bottle hov-
ers between providing enough
sample for testing, yet enough
headspace remaining in the
bottle to allow for proper ho-
mogenization. Capping the bottle
merely implies sealing the bottle
immediately after filling to avoid
ingression of any airborne con-
tamination or moisture.
Most of the information
needed to send the sample can
be pre-populated from the previ-
ous sample. The most concern-
ing piece of information is the
run time on both the machine
and lubricant, which can be dis-
cerned from as little information
as the sample date or as precise
as a Hobbs meter reading.
Just as anyone can fold a de-
cent paper airplane, anyone can
pull a good oil sample. Under-
standing the importance of each
step leads to proper care, and
practice hones the skills to make
the task consistent and efficient.
Evan Zabawski, CLS,
is the senior technical advisor
for TestOil in Calgary, Alberta,
Canada. You can reach him at
ezabawski@testoil.com.
WWW.STLE.ORG
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HEADQUARTERS REPORT

Launching a lubrication career

STLE’s Toronto Section addresses a major challenge
RMˢRFCˢǽCJBǶMLCˢNCPQMLˢ?Rˢ?ˢRGKC
By Edward P. Salek, CAE
Executive Director
In official terms, the local sec-
tions affiliated with STLE serve a
number of important purposes.
But their primary contribution
is to “disseminate knowledge
of tribology and lubrication en-
gineering, both theoretical and
practical.”
The potential for turning this
staid purpose into real-world
impact comes alive in a story
that former STLE director Jim
Arner shared with me recently.
Jim also is a long-time leader
in the STLE Toronto Section and
was honored in 2015 with the
Vic Joll Award for distinguished
service to that local section.
Arner now runs his own lubrica-
tion consulting company follow-
ing a 35-year career in Canada
with Texaco, Imperial Oil and
Chevron Lubricants.
The Toronto Section
pays STLE’s
membership dues for
select newcomers to
allow them to make
connections in the
lubricants industry.
“The Toronto Section sup-
ports a few students with STLE
memberships, and we also have
a networking offer for newcom-
ers to Canada where we pay their
membership and invite them to
our meetings to establish con-
nections,” Arner explained.
10 • J U LY 2 0 1 8
Attracting young people into careers in lubrication has become a major
industry challenge, say 62% of respondents to a recent STLE survey.
He gives full credit to fel-
low section member Behshad
Sabah, who conceived the new-
comer program as part of his
work to increase membership
and student outreach. Sabah,
who holds three STLE certifi-
cations (CLS, OMA I and OMA
II), is currently a senior tech-
nical advisor for Petro-Canada
Lubricants Inc., based in the
Toronto area.
This program was of particu-
lar value to a young man named
Yen Garcia, who had the oppor-
tunity to benefit from the sec-
tion’s membership fee exemp-
tion. This emerging professional
networked and made valuable
connections at Toronto Section
events and built his knowledge
of the industry through lo-
cal presentations and training
workshops. Without the Toronto
Section’s outreach, Garcia said
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
tion in 2009 and contacted sec-
tion leadership in 2018 to inform
the group about his career pro-
gression. The conclusion of his
message said it all, “Thank you,
Behshad, and STLE Toronto!”
Jim Arner’s reaction to this
message, “Reaching out—just a
few dollars. Making a difference
for someone—priceless!”
The bigger picture behind
this episode is that workforce
© Can Stock Photo / zurijeta
development has been identified
as a critical issue for the lubri-
cants industry. In STLE’s 2017
Emerging Trends Report, 62%
of respondents rated the ability
to attract talented and educated
employees as a major challenge
to the field. Not surprisingly,
many companies are committing
he likely would have registered resources on an individual basis
for a pharmaceutical-school to meet this challenge.
program. While it will take consis-
Instead, this generous sup- tent effort, this one story is a
port launched what has become reminder of how organizations
a successful and ongoing lubri- like STLE can have a specific
cation career. Garcia is now a business impact on our member
lubrication specialist working in companies and the customers
another part of Canada for Arctic they serve. It also encourages
Diamond Mine, which is world- leadership to consider what the
renowned for producing premi- organization can do to identify
um, gem-quality diamonds. The and support people who will be-
Toronto program gets his full come the tribology and lubrica-
credit for making this happen, tion experts of the future.
and Garcia stresses the need The solution to this com-
for similar programs targeting plex problem, as the Toronto
people with a desire to devel- program demonstrates, will be
op lubrication knowledge and found in efforts to make indi-
launch a professional career. viduals of many different back-
Now here’s the best part of grounds feel welcome in our
the story, and it says a great industry.
deal about the impact a simple
program can have on one indi- You can reach Certified
vidual’s career. Garcia began Association Executive
participating in the Toronto Sec- Ed Salek at esalek@stle.org.
WWW.STLE.ORG
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TECH BEAT

Preparation of lithium-sulfur batteries

from lignosulfonate

P otentially a more cost-effective option.

By Dr. Neil Canter

Contributing Editor

One factor in developing high- Lithium-sulfur batteries are an alternative

KEY CONCEPTS
Lithium-sulfur batteries have
potential for use because they
theoretically hold more than
double the energy compared
to conventional chemistries.
A cathode for a rechargeable
lithium-sulfur battery was
developed using lignin, a
readily available byproduct,
from paper manufacturing.
Initial testing showed that
a lithium-sulfur battery
prepared from lignin exhibited
superior durability compared
to batteries prepared by
conventional methods.
performance batteries is pro-
ducing them in a cost-effective
manner to enable them to be-
come competitive with existing
energy storage technologies.
A readily available raw mate-
rial that is low cost and renew-
able is lignin, which represents
about 30%-40% of the dry mass
of wood that comes from trees.
Lignin is a polymer with molecu-
lar weights ranging from 200 to
more than one million Da. It is
an undefined structure that con-
tains a variety of aromatic and
phenolic groups.
In a previous TLT article, re-
searchers converted lignin into
lignin-based carbon fibers that
were used as an anode material
for a lithium-ion battery.1 Supe-
rior performance was achieved
technology that can replace conventional
lithium-ion batteries for certain applications.
with lignin-based carbon fibers
compared to the currently used
anode material, graphite.
Lithium-sulfur batteries
are an alternative technology
that can replace conventional
lithium-ion batteries for certain
applications. Interest in this
technology has grown as they
theoretically can hold more than
double the energy compared to
conventional chemistries. The
use of sulfur, an abundant, low-
cost raw material, also is an
advantage for lithium-sulfur
batteries.
Dr. Trevor Simmons, re-
search scientist at Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute in Troy,
N.Y., says, “The cathode of a
lithium-sulfur battery contains a
sulfur-carbon composite, while
the anode is prepared typically
with a conventional lithium met-
al oxide. Sulfur has a number of
advantages including high affin-
ity for lithium and good compat-
ibility with carbon. But the main
concern with using sulfur is the
element’s low conductivity.”
At high temperatures, sulfur
can be combined with carbon
and result in a highly conduc-
tive material. Simmons says, “In
a lithium-sulfur battery, sulfur
is converted from its original

12 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

allotrope (S8) through a series
of reduction steps as it forms
a number of intermediate poly-
sulfides. Eventually sulfur is re-
duced to a sulfide that exhibits a
2:1 ratio of lithium:sulfur.”
The challenge in prepar-
ing a lithium-sulfur battery is
to control the process so the
intermediate sulfides present
during cycling of the cell do not
solubilize in the battery’s elec-
trolyte. One of the keys, accord-
ing to Simmons, is incorporating
sulfur in a cathodic material that
is a porous carbon structure
with mesoscale and microscale
features. Simmons says, “The
key is to trap sulfur in a carbon
matrix so that the lithium ions
cannot escape. Currently the
best form of carbon to achieve
this result has been a variety of
activated carbons.”
Based on previous experi-
ence with lignin, Simmons real-
ized that using lignosulfonate, a
byproduct of paper manufactur-
ing, could provide some benefits
with the carbon and sulfur al-
ready in place in the same mol-
ecule. The ready availability of
this material led Simmons and
his colleagues to determine how
it could be used in lithium-sulfur
batteries.
Activated pyrolytic
lignosulfonate
The researchers prepared a
cathode for a rechargeable
lithium-sulfur battery using lig-
nosulfonate as both the carbon
and the sulfur source. Simmons
says, “We sourced the lignosul-
fonate from a local paper com-
pany that produced it as a by-
product of a sulfite process for
manufacturing paper.”
After drying a water-based
solution of the lignosulfonate
known as brown liquor, the
researchers mechanically pul-
verized it and then pyrolyzed it
WWW.STLE.ORG
at 700 C for several hours in a
quartz tube under an inert ar-
gon atmosphere. The pyrolytic
lignosulfonate was placed in an
alumina jar with zirconia balls
and milled. Further treatment
with potassium hydroxide was
used to produce activated pyro-
lytic lignosulfonate.
Simmons says, “During the
pyrolysis step, most but not all
of the sulfur was lost as a gas.
As a final step, we then placed
the activated pyrolytic lignosul-
fonate down to the cold zone of
the quartz tube during pyroly-
sis of a fresh batch of lignosul-
fonate. This enabled us to seed
sulfur for a new batch of acti-
vated pyrolytic lignosulfonate.”
One concern the research-
ers had was whether the sul-
fur might aggregate into large
clusters. Simmons says, “We
found that the sulfur clusters
were trapped deep inside the
carbon pores and did not fur-
ther aggregate. This made it
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
more difficult for sulfur to leach
into the electrolyte during the
charge-discharge cycles.”
The researchers built 2032
coin cells (size of a watch bat-
tery) as a half-cell prototype
to test the concept. A slurry
containing activated pyrolytic
lignosulfonate, additional sul-
fur, carbon black and polyvi-
nylidene fluoride was cast onto
an aluminum foil to produce the
cathode. In preliminary testing,
this battery displayed superior
durability to a battery prepared
with a pure sulfur, or bulk sul-
fur carbon cathode. A decay rate
of 0.1% per cycle was obtained
over 200 cycles during initial
testing.
Figure 1 shows images of
the water-based lignosulfonate
solution, the activated pyrolytic
lignosulfonate and battery pro-
totype cells. Simmons says, “In
the future, this lithium-sulfur
battery will need to be scaled
up in an effort to increase the
Figure 1.
A cathode for a lithium-ion
battery was prepared from
a water-based lignosul-
fonate solution (shown
in the beaker on the left)
that produced an activated
pyrolytic lignosulfonate
black powder (to the right of
the beaker). The latter was
placed in 2032 coin cells for
evaluation (shown below
the beaker and the black
powder). (Figure courtesy
of Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute.)
discharge rate and the battery’s
cycle life. Our hope is that the
strong initial performance
observed, combined with the
availability of a low-cost raw
material that is a byproduct in
an existing industrial process,
will lead to further interest in
commercializing this concept.”
Additional information can
be found in a recently published
article2 or by contacting Trevor
J. Simmons at simmot@rpi.
edu.
REFERENCES
1. Canter, N. (2013), “Preparation
of lithium-ion battery anodes
using lignin,” TLT, 69 (12), pp.
16-17.
2. Li, L., Huang, L., Linhardt, R.,
Koratkar, N. and Simmons, T.
(2017), “Repurposing paper
by-product lignosulfonate at a
sulfur donor/acceptor for high
performance lithium-sulfur
batteries,” Sustainable Energy
Fuels, 2 (2), pp. 422-429.
J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 13
TECH BEAT
Color-changing elastomer
KEY CONCEPTS
A synthetic elastomer has
been developed that
combines the
characteristics of
tissue-like softness and
strain-stiffening and
emulates a chameleon’s
skin.
The elastomer is a triblock
copolymer formed through
a self-assembly process
that changes color when
stressed.
There is potential for using
the triblock copolymer as a
seal that acts as a sensor
by changing color when
there is a potential problem
in a lubrication system.
14 • J U LY 2 0 1 8
A material that emulates the properties
of a chameleon’s skin could be useful as
a seal in a lubrication system.
Seals are a component in a lu-
bricant system composed of an
elastomer such as silicones,
nitriles, fluoroelastomers, poly-
urethanes and EPDM. They
ensure that lubricants remain
within machinery while mini-
mizing the presence of contam-
inants such as dust, dirt and
water that can adversely affect
performance.
In a previous TLT article,
a new thermally conductive
elastomer known as Thubber
was discussed.1 This material
represents an advancement be-
cause it exhibited 25 times the
thermal conductivity compared
to other elastomers. Thubber
was prepared by suspending
liquid metal droplets in a soft
and highly deformable silicone
elastomer. It may be useful in
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
helping to dissipate heat from
a lubricant system.
In developing new materi-
als, researchers often look to
emulate what is occurring in
nature. One interesting example
is the reptile known as the cha-
meleon, which has the ability to
change color depending upon a
specific environmental factor.
Another interesting aspect is
that the chameleon’s skin stiff-
ens rapidly with (during) defor-
mation to prevent tearing.
Sergei Sheiko, George A.
Bush Jr. Distinguished Profes-
sor of Chemistry at the Univer-
sity of North Carolina in Chapel
Hill, N.C., says, “Many living
species such as humans, cha-
meleons and amphibians have
skin that act in a manner of an
elastomer. Upon stretching, the
The skin properties
are achieved in nature
through the blending
of two proteins:
collagen and elastin.
very soft skin exhibits intense
strain-stiffening by two to three
orders of magnitude, which
makes breaking the skin nearly
impossible.”
Further, structural color-
ation may occur due to the
coherent scattering of light.
Sheiko says, “Chameleons have
the ability to change color be-
© Can Stock Photo / diter
cause their skin microstructure
can cause the diffraction of light
leading to changes in construc-
tive interference upon deforma-
tion.”
WWW.STLE.ORG
Figure 2. An ABA triblock copolymer, formed through a self-assembly
process, changes color when stressed and may be useful as a seal material
in the future. (Figure courtesy of the University of North Carolina.)
The skin properties are
achieved in nature through the
blending of two proteins: colla-
gen and elastin. Collagen acts to
resist deformation while elastin
provides elasticity.
If a synthetic elastomer can
be developed with this combina-
tion of tissue-like softness and
strain-stiffening, then potential
biomedical applications such as
medical implants could become
much more effective. The cur-
rent types of polymeric materi-
als available have not been able
to exhibit both properties.
Sheiko says, “Working with
polymeric materials is much
more advantageous than mono-
mers because the architecture of
the material can be varied from
linear to star-like shapes with-
out changing the chemistry or
the molecular weight. Previous
attempts to use specific silicone
rubbers and polymeric gels to
generate tissue mimics that
change color have not worked
because these materials did not
exhibit the desired strain-stiffen-
ing characteristics.”
Efforts to produce this elas-
tomer through the use of poly-
mer blends and conventional
block-copolymers also has not
proven to be effective. Sheiko
says, “Mixing polymeric mate-
rials such as polybutadiene and
WWW.STLE.ORG
polystyrene do not produce a
desirable result because linear
polymers are neither soft nor
strain-stiffening.”
A new approach is needed
to produce an elastomer to
emulate the chameleon’s skin.
Such a polymer has now been
developed.
Triblock copolymers
Sheiko and his colleagues have
developed an elastomer that
changes color when stressed
through the preparation of an
ABA triblock copolymer where
the A groups are linear polymer
chains and the B group has the
appearance of a bottlebrush.
Polymers used in the A group
include polymethylmethacry-
late, polybenzyl methacrylate
and poly [oligo (ethylene glycol)
monomethyl ether methacry-
late]. The bottlebrush segment of
the triblock copolymer was pre-
pared with polydimethysiloxane.
The triblock copolymer
forms through a self-assembly
process (see Figure 2). Sheiko
says, “The bottlebrush segment
represents approximately 90%
of the polymer, while the linear
A chains account for the remain-
ing 10%. Though the blocks
are immiscible, the fact that
they are connected chemically
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
through covalent bonds en-
ables the triblock copolymer to
act as both an elastomer and to
change color when stretched.”
Each block component con-
tributed a different characteris-
tic to the overall copolymer. The
bottlebrush segment was stiff
yet provides bulk softness while
the linear chains were flexible
while yielding rigid materials.
The researchers evaluated
the mechanical properties of
the triblock copolymer though
generation of stress-strain
curves. Differential scanning
calorimetry and atomic force
microscopy were used to char-
acterize the structure of the
triblock copolymer.
A color change for the tri-
block copolymer is conducted in
a similar manner to the chame-
leon skin through the diffraction
of light between block phases.
As the elastomer is stretched,
the researchers observed a
color change.
Sheiko says, “With the hu-
man population aging, we pre-
dict that the triblock copolymer
will be quite valuable in biomed-
ical devices. One of our future
objectives will be to develop a
triblock copolymer for which
we can independently control
the elastomeric properties and
the stimulus needed to cause a
color change.”
There might be a possibility
to use this type of technology
as a seal in a lubricant system.
If the elastomer displays the
proper mechanical properties,
a color change may be used as a
sensor to inform a maintenance
engineer that the system is hav-
ing a problem due to some fac-
tor such as contamination that
could adversely affect the life
of the lubricant. Such a visible
warning could make this seal a
valuable tool to predict when
maintenance is required.
Additional information on
the triblock copolymer can be
found in a recent publication2 or
by contacting Sheiko at sergei@
email.unc.edu.
REFERENCES
1. Canter, N. (2017), “Thubber: A
new thermally conductive
elastomer,” TLT, 73 (6), pp.
18-19.
2. Varnosfaderani, M., Keith, A.,
Cong, Y., Liang, H., Rosenthal,
M., Sztucki, M., Clair, C.,
Magonov, S., Ivanov, D.,
Dobrynin, A. and Sheiko, S.
(2018), “Chameleon-like
elastomers with molecularly
encoded strain-adaptive
stiffening and coloration,”
Science, 359 (6383), pp.
1509-1513.
J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 15
TECH BEAT
Recovering phosphorus
from waste streams
A new study may help reduce pressure to
restrict phosphorus use in lubricants.
Phosphorus-based substances
such as phosphate esters per-
form important functions in
lubricants as both base stocks
and additives. Examples include
KEY CONCEPTS
automotive engine oils, fire-
Extraction of ethanol resistant hydraulic fluids and
from corn grains can metalworking fluids. Inorganic
produce high levels of phosphorus-based substances
phosphorus that can such as inorganic phosphates
be washed off fields also are used in cleaners.
and into waterways. Lubricants and cleaners are
used in industrial manufactur-
A new process
ing plants. Concern has arisen
removes organic and
about the formation of green
inorganic sources of
algae blooms in the western ba-
phosphorus during the
sin of the U.S. Great Lake, Lake
extraction of ethanol.
Erie, near the city of Toledo,
The process Ohio, during the past 15 years.
conditions used were The most recent algae bloom
dependent upon how occurred during the summer
the ethanol was of 2017 and was reported to be
extracted from the the third largest on record (the
corn grains. blooms of 2011 and 2015 were
bigger).
16 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
Contained within the algae
blooms were cyanobacteria
that can produce a toxin known
as microcystis that can cause
severe liver damage. One of
the most severe outbreaks of
microcystis occurred in 2014
when Toledo had to shut down
its water system for three days
due to cyanobacteria penetrat-
ing the city’s water intake pipes.
A recent study found that
the algae blooms were directly
related to the concentration of
phosphorus in the rivers flow-
ing into Lake Erie.1 One source
of phosphorus originates from
fertilizer used for farming. Ro-
land Cusick, assistant professor
in the department of civil & en-
vironmental engineering at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign in Urbana, Ill., says,
“Phosphorus is originally mined
and then converted into phos-
Researchers
determined how to
recover phosphorus
from effluent waste
streams prior to
discharge.
phoric acid for use as fertilizer
in agricultural applications and
in industrial applications. Highly
soluble fertilizer such as mono-
and diammonium phosphate can
then be washed off fields due to
soluble runoff and soil erosion
and into waterways.”
One of the most important
waterways in the Great Lakes
Basin is the Maumee River,
Photo: 2013 Reuters News
which flows Northeast through
the farmlands of Indiana and
Ohio, through Toledo and into
Lake Erie. In September 2017 the
Maumee River had turned green
WWW.STLE.ORG
as it flowed through Toledo.
As a result of these algae
blooms, the U.S. and Canada
recently finalized action plans
in February to reduce the level
of phosphorus flowing into Lake
Erie. The U.S. plan to be imple-
mented by EPA can be found at
the link in Reference 2.
Concern about end-users
limiting or potentially elimi-
nating phosphorus-based sub-
stances in their plants has led
researchers to determine how
to recover phosphorus from ef-
fluent waste streams prior to
discharge. One such approach
is based on precipitating spar-
ingly soluble phosphorus with
magnesium or calcium.
Calcium precipitation
Cusick and his colleagues re-
ported that phosphorus by-
products generated during the
processing of corn grains into
ethanol can be isolated through
precipitation using calcium
salts. He says, “We worked
on this project due to concern
about the buildup of phospho-
rus in the Sangamon River that
flows through the center of the
U.S. state of Illinois and eventu-
ally empties into the Mississippi
River basin that flows into the
Gulf of Mexico. Two corn pro-
cessing plants on the Sangamon
River were identified as sources
of phosphorus.”
Two processes used to ex-
tract ethanol from corn grains
are wet milling and dry mill-
ing. Cusick says, “Steeping
the corn grain in wet milling
with sulfur dioxide at elevated
temperatures for extended pe-
riods produces a liquid stream
known as Light Steeping Water
that can contain between 6,000
and 8,000 milligrams per liter
of phosphorus (in comparison
to 4-12 milligrams per liter in
municipal wastewater). In dry
WWW.STLE.ORG
Figure 3. A scanning electron microscope image showed phosphorus-
based material isolated through calcium precipitation of liquid streams
generated during processing of corn grains into ethanol. (Figure courtesy
of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.)
milling, the corn grain is ground
up and after fermentation of the
starch, a thin stillage fluid is
formed that contains between
2,000 and 3,000 milligrams per
liter of phosphorus.”
The major source of phos-
phorus in corn is phytate, ino-
sitol hexakisphosphate. The
researchers found that treat-
ment of phytate with a calcium
salt leads to the precipitation of
calcium phytate. For inorganic
sources of phosphorus, calcium
salts will react to form a calcium
phosphate precipitate.
A series of experiments
were conducted using calcium
and sodium hydroxide to vary
the ratio of calcium:phosphorus
and pH, respectively, in order to
optimize the precipitation pro-
cess. Cusick says, “The high
level of organics in the light
steeping fluid isolated from wet
milling were very sensitive to
changes in pH. This led us to
vary the pH from 4.5 to 10.0.
We found that a pH above 6.5
and calcium:phosphorus ratios
above 1 were needed to maxi-
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
mize phosphorus removal.”
In contrast, dry milling pro-
duces more inorganic phospho-
rus, which is less sensitive to a
change in pH. Cusick says, “We
found that highest removal of
phosphorus from thin stillage
fluid to occur at pH values above
8.5 and at calcium:phosphorus
rations above 1.5.”
The researchers evalu-
ated the phosphorus-based
materials through the use of a
scanning electron microscope
(SEM). Cusick says, “We iden-
tified a heterogenous mixture
of particles, and ICP analysis
showed other elements (car-
bon, magnesium, nitrogen and
potassium) were present.”
An SEM image showing a
micron scale zoom on smaller
particulates is found in Figure 3.
The researchers will un-
dertake several future steps to
improve this process. Cusick
says, “We will be determining
the ratio of organic to inorganic
phosphorus using character-
ization methods such as 31P
nuclear magnetic spectroscopy.
A model we are developing for
maximizing phosphorus pre-
cipitation and evaluate system
costs will be further calibrated.”
One other objective is to
determine how the use of phos-
phorus recovery units at corn
processing plants will impact
the economics of waste treat-
ment at POTWs (publicly owned
treatment works) treating efflu-
ent from biorefineries. Cusick
is hopeful that the phosphorus
isolated can be recycled for use
in fertilizer and other industrial
applications. He also thinks that
producing animal feeds with
low phosphorus content will be
of value to animal producers.
Additional information can
be found in a recent presenta-
tion3 or by contacting Cusick at
rcusick@illinois.edu.
Neil Canter heads his own
consulting company, Chemical
Solutions, in Willow Grove, Pa.
Ideas for Tech Beat can
be submitted to him at
neilcanter@comcast.net.
REFERENCES
1. Ho, J. and Michalak, A. (2017),
“Phytoplankton blooms in Lake
Erie impacted by both
long-term and springtime
phosphorus loading,” Journal
of Great Lakes Research, 43
(3), pp. 221-228.
2. Please go to the following link:
www.epa.gov/sites/
production/files/2018-03/
documents/us_dap_final_
march_1.pdf.
3. Sharma, N. and Cusick, R.
(2018), “Evaluating the
potential for phosphorus
recovery from side streams at
corn ethanol production plants
using chemical precipitation,”
Presentation given at the
American Chemical Society
National Meeting & Expo on
March 21, 2018, in New
Orleans, La.
J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 17
20 MINUTES WITH...

Samarth Desai
This PEER Bearing group leader analyzes the critical factors
when specifying lubricants for specific bearing applications.

By Rachel Fowler
Managing Editor

TLT: What inspired you to work in the bearings industry?

Desai: With my background in engineering, this industry is an ideal

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Samarth Desai
The Quick File:
Samarth Desai is an application engineer group leader
for industrial applications at PEER Bearing Co., an SKF
Group company. He has eight years of experience
working as an application engineer in the bearings
industry and is a representative for PEER at the
American Gear Manufacturers Association. He obtained
his bachelor’s of science degree in mechatronics from
GCET, Sardar Patel University, in 2008, and his master’s
of engineering degree in mechanical engineering from
Lehigh University in 2012.
After his undergraduate studies in 2008, Desai
worked with FAG Bearings (Schaeffler Group) handling
heavy-industry and machine-tool applications. Upon
completion of his master’s degree, he joined PEER
Bearing Co. While working at PEER, he has managed
and supported various projects related to new product
development which includes seal and bearing design
for radial ball and tapered roller bearings. During his
tenure at PEER, his team has implemented many
customized product solutions in the PEER portfolio to
work in specific applications.
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18 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

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OUR WORD
IS OUR BOND
For more than 75 years, customers have counted on us to
supply the products they need when they need them. Today, that
includes responsibly sourced, sustainable products and innovative
bio-based solutions for industrial and regulated markets.

800-223-7054 • acme-hardesty.com

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Page 20 courtesy of PEER Bearing Co.) Bearing Co.

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Email sales@cannoninstrument.com or go to www.cannoninstrument.com for
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2139 High Tech Rd · State College · PA · 16803 · USA

814-353-8000 · 800-676-6232 · Fax 814-353-8007
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LUBRICATION FUNDAMENTALS

Short-term formulation trends

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By Dr. Robert M. Gresham
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J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 25
SPECIAL ANNUAL MEETING PHOTO RECAP
Photos by Justin Cox and Dr. Robert Erck

Minneapolis provides a winning environment

for 2018 STLE Annual Meeting
Lubricants industry convenes for five days of technical training,
business planning and international networking.

More than 1,500 industry

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www.stle.org President Greg Croce.

26 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

 The 2018-2019 STLE Board of Directors.

2018 STLE Annual Meeting by the Numbers

Registration Papers Exhibitors Booths CMF Student

Presentations Posters
1,510 540 110 148 35 47

WWW.STLE.ORG TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 27

Q KEYNOTE SESSION

STLE HONORS INDUSTRY ACHIEVEMENT

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President Mike Anderson with Falex Corp. kicked off the Keynote Session
with a review of STLE’s 2017 accomplishments.

Nearly a thousand participants filled the Minneapolis Convention Center’s Retiring director Vasilios Bakolas with Schaeffler Technologies was
ballroom to hear keynote speaker Dr. Robert W. Iverster. honored for his service to the STLE board.

28 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

NASA scientist Chris DellaCorte, editor of STLE’s peer-reviewed journal, Keynote speaker Dr. Robert W. Ivester with the U.S. Dept. of Energy
Tribology Transactions, presented awards for the year’s top-rated discussed new technologies for increasing manufacturing efficiency.
technical papers.

Pat Brutto with Hangsterfer’s Laboratories received the Vic Joll Award for Rajesh J. Shah with Koehler Instrument Co. received STLE’s P.M. Ku Award
his leadership with STLE’s Chicago Section. for outstanding volunteer leadership.

WWW.STLE.ORG TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 29

Q PRESIDENTS LUNCHEON

STLE RECOGNIZES VOLUNTEERISM

STLE gratefully acknowledges Chevron Inc. for sponsoring the 2018 Presidents Luncheon.

Honored during Tuesday’s Presidents Luncheon were newly named STLE Fellows (from left): Nic Spencer, Thomas Scharf, Jacqueline Krim, Rob Jackson,
Judith Harrison and Pradeep Gupta. Not pictured but also a Fellow is Wilfred Tysoe.

Nearly 50 students shared their research with members at the Poster Dr. Robert Erck with Argonne National Laboratory announced the winners
Competition. of STLE’s 2018 Poster Competition. See page 39 for the list of nine students
honored for their research.

30 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

Retiring director Lynn Billings with Petro-Canada Lubricants was honored STLE Immediate Past President Ali Erdemir with Argonne National Laboratory
for her service to STLE’s board. announced the winners of the Presidential Award scholarships: Alexis Kruth (E.
Richard Booser Scholarship) and Nickolay Garabedian (E. Elmer Klaus Fellowship).

For the first time, Greg Croce with Chevron Products Co. is introduced as Mike Anderson congratulates newly appointed STLE Fellow Rob Jackson
STLE’s 76th president. with Auburn University.

WWW.STLE.ORG TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 31

Q STEM CAMP

STLE VOLUNTEERS TEACH STEM SKILLS

TO MINNEAPOLIS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

During STLE’s 73rd Annual Meeting &

Exhibition, the society hosted more than 40
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Q TRADE SHOW

ATTENDEES MEET WITH INDUSTRY’S

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36 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

WWW.STLE.ORG TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 37
Q AWARD WINNERS

2018 ANNUAL MEETING AWARD RECIPIENTS Wilbur Deutsch Memorial Award

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Winners of STLE publishing awards were honored at Monday’s Keynote Session. 2018 P.M. Ku Award recipient Raj Shah.

STLE’s 2018 Fellows. STLE International Award recipient Theodore W. Selby

38 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

INDUSTRY SERVICE AWARDS STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

STLE International Award The E. Richard Booser Scholarship

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Outstanding Large Section: STLE Chicago. Outstanding Small Section: STLE Twin Cities.

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FACES IN THE CROWD

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Q ATTENDEES

42 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

WWW.STLE.ORG TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 43
WEBINARS

Commercial aviation lubrication

Few lubricants are asked to do so much—or endure so rigorous an approval process.

(Photo courtesy of ExxonMobil.)

KEY CONCEPTS By Debbie Sniderman
Contributing Editor
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44 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

 MEET THE PRESENTER
This article is based on a Webinar originally presented by STLE Education on Dec. 6, 2017. Commercial
Aviation Lubrication is available at www.stle.org: $39 to STLE members, $59 for non-members.
Edward Barnes has 20 years of lubricants experience with ExxonMobil, almost all in aviation
lubricant sales. He has served as an aviation lubricants global field engineer since 2011 providing
technical support and training for ExxonMobil’s sales force, their aviation lubricant distributors and
global customers.
Barnes is an active member of STLE and obtained his Certified Lubrication Specialist™ certification
in 1999. He obtained his bachelor’s of science degree in marine engineering from California State
University’s Maritime College. He worked as an engineering officer aboard commercial ships before
Edward Barnes joining ExxonMobil. He also has been an Federal Aviation Administration-licensed private pilot since
1985 and has had an interest in aviation since childhood. You can reach Barnes at edward.l.barnes@
exxonmobil.com.

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turbine engine lubricants
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FEATURE ARTICLE

Liberating
oil analysis data

KEY CONCEPTS
© Can Stock Photo / alexeys

End-users often collect oil analysis data that is never analyzed or acted upon.

Often factors beyond their control prevent end-users from getting the most from their oil analysis programs.

Some oil analysis reports are too complicated for even fleet managers to understand.

52 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

 Budget, personnel and training issues often prevent
end-users from getting more from their lab reports.

By Jeanna Van Rensselar

Senior Feature Writer

W
ith oil analysis, an extensive amount of data is collected and
not always used. Oil analysis labs use elemental analysis,
particle analysis and many other chemical tests to keep plants
on top of what is going on with their industrial lubricants and
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Q FEATURE ARTICLE

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in five minutes or less
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The fact is, most fleet managers and even oil analysis pro-
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gram champions don’t have all day to scrutinize oil analysis
SURJUDP2XUHPSOR\HHVKDYH son should be designated the
reports. While spending 10 minutes on each report may
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seem like a worthwhile endeavor to the oil analysis lab, to
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the fleet manager this may mean skipping lunch. So here’s
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how to hit the highlights in somewhere between one and
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minimize maintenance costs
see The Six Tests David Godwin
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five minutes:
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unacceptable or is significantly out of reference range.
condition-based oil changes
you must understand the re-
Mike Roth, CMRP, operations manager, Metal Control &
VXOWVZDWFKWUHQGVDQGŜPRVW
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as well. For example, when we review gear oil analysis, we
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look at wear particles, the size of those particles and addi-
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tives levels.
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analysis,” Roth adds. “If we have a system that typically has
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high wear from a bronze gear, we are not too concerned
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a system that normally does not show copper, then the
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appearance of copper could be indicating wear on a bronze
the lubricant but also the lubri- WKHEHVWHTXLSSHGWRKHOSHQG
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resistant fluids, hydraulic fluids, motor bearing oil systems,
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Morgoil bearing systems and gear oil systems.”
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54 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

 Using the data from oil analysis reports can
predict and prevent failures before they happen.

The six tests David Godwin recommends

David Godwin, industrial sales representative for Engineered
Lubricants Co. in St. Louis, Mo., recommends the following six
oil analysis tests but cautions that determining which tests to
recommend depends on the type of fluid, risks associated to the
machine or personnel and degree of contamination anticipated.
1. Gravimetric. This draws the fluid sample, often pre-diluted
with a solvent, through a media of different types and micron
ratings; the selection is dependent on type of fluid or volume
of contamination expected and size of particulate through the
media; it then is dried and weighed. Further analysis can be
done by observation under magnification to determine par-
ticulate composition, size shape, etc. This testing is common
for heavily contaminated fluids such as used metalworking
fluids or engine oils (see Figure 1).
2. Direct read ferrography. This is a statistical method of clas-
sifying particulate in a sample as either large or small. The
proportion of large to small particulate in the sample can
be very valuable, especially when comparing it with a trend
of multiple samples collected from the same system to ob-
serve if the proportion is changing with each sample. The
large-to-small particle ratio is indicative of the rate at which
a machine is wearing and generating large particulate (see
Figure 2).
3. Light extinction particle counting. This can detect and quan-
tify particulate in various size ranges according to multiple
standards such as NAS, SAE, CM or ISO. This can be used to
determine particulate load by varying size ranges and make
assessments on filtration efficiency or operation. This is a
common test for hydraulic oils, gear oils, engine oils, etc.
4. Ferrography. This is a study of particulate debris in a fluid sam-
ple and can define various failure or wear modes. Its predictive
ability on wear of the machine is incomparable for detecting
wear modes and problems early so repairs can be made long
before catastrophic failures occur. This is used more for critical
systems such as engine oils and hydraulics with servo con-
trols, air compressors that must operate reliably, turbines, etc.
5. Automated optical. This uses a computer-controlled micro-
scope that can observe particulate captured on a filter like the
gravimetric media and discriminate particulate types in order
to focus on certain particulate such as wear debris only, not ex-
ternal contaminants, etc. Data is provided with much statistical
support, classification of particulate in ISO codes and dimen-
sion of the 10 largest particles (see Figure 3).
6. Scanning electron microscope. This can analyze particulate
on a ferrogram slide or gravimetric filter and identify size
and composition of wear debris.

ASTM D4898-16

Figure 1. Sample report: ASTM D4898-16: Gravimetric analysis for insoluble contamination of
hydraulic fluids. (Figure courtesy of Engineered Lubricants Co.)

Direct Read Ferrography Automatic Optical Microscopy

New 3 months 1 year

DL 3.0 11.9 251.0
DS 1.2 7.5 73.0
WPC 4.2 19.4 324.0
PLP 2.5 1.6 3.4
Use to screen for advanced testing

Figure 2. Sample report: Direct read fer- Figure 3. Sample report: Automatic microscopy report. (Figure courtesy of Engineered Lubricants Co.)
rography report. (Figure courtesy of En-
gineered Lubricants Co.)

WWW.STLE.ORG TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 55

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58 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

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PEERREVIEWED

The Cause of Premature Wind Turbine

Bearing Failures: Overloading or Underloading?
Nikolay T. Garabediana, Benjamin J. Goulda,b, Gary L. Dollc, and David L. Burrisa

aMechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA; bEnergy Systems Divison, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, USA;
cCollege of Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH, USA

ABSTRACT Though the premature failures of wind turbine gearboxes are often attributed to bear- ABSTRACT HISTORY
ing fatigue from overloading, there is compelling evidence that wear from underloading is a signif- Received Sept. 30, 2017
icant contributor. Here we attempt to gain insight into the relative contributions of over- and un- Accepted Jan. 22, 2018
derloading by assessing planet bearing reaction forces from the Gearbox Reliability Collaborative © 2018 STLE
(GRC) standard gearbox within a typical utility-scale wind turbine under realistic conditions. The
results demonstrate that non-torque load sharing by the planetary stage increases and decreases
planet bearing reaction forces at different locations within each rotor cycle regardless of wind KEYWORDS
speed. Planet bearing reaction forces exceeded the fatigue limit at wind speeds above 12 m/s and
fell below the minimum load rating at wind speeds below 7 m/s. Based on analyses of published Wind power;
wind spectra from 10 U.S. sites, the expected fatigue life of the planet bearings ranged from 42 gearbox reliability;
to 529 years even after accounting for non-torque load sharing. At the same 10 sites, planet bear- planet bearing;
ings were underloaded (below 2% of the dynamic load rating) once per rotor cycle 40–70% of the fatigue; wear
time. Underloaded bearings are susceptible to surface damage when suddenly exposed to common
transient events, such as yaw, wind gusts, braking, and grid faults. The resulting surface damage
can initiate premature failure via wear (e.g., micropitting) or by reducing bearing fatigue life. The
results suggest that carrier bearing clearance, non-torque load sharing, and planet bearing un-
derloading are significant contributors to the premature failures of wind turbine planet bearings.

EDITOR’S NOTE: INTRODUCTION

Wind turbines are widely known to
have unexpectedly short life spans
of the gearbox bearings. When the
planetary bearings fail, the repair
costs and the amount of downtime
become quite significant. This month’s
Editor’s Choice paper investigates
if the cause is not from design or
material selection but rather from
operation. The conclusions show that
the wide variability of the loading on
the bearings force relatively normal
design practices to encourage the
premature failure. A few reasonable
but unconventional solutions also
are proposed.
Evan Zabawski, CLS
Editor
Wind turbines and the components they are composed of are designed to
function properly for more than 20 years. According to the industry standard,
the DIN ISO 281 (Brändlein, et al. (1)) life rating, the life of a roller bearing
scales with (C1/P)10/3, where C1 is the dynamic load rating of the bearing and
P is the operating load. Based on the dynamic load ratings of wind turbine
bearings and their expected operating loads, these bearings should survive the
intended duration with high confidence. In practice, however, wind turbine
gearbox bearings tend to fail in the range of 2–11 years (Kotzalas and Doll
(2); Sheng (3)) with the primary culprits being high-speed shaft bearings, in-
termediate- speed shaft bearings, and planetary bearings (Sheng (3); Office of
Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy (4)). Plan-
etary bearing failures are particularly problematic; unlike high-speed shaft and
intermediate-speed shaft bearings, which can be replaced up-tower, planetary
bearing replacement requires removal of the gearbox with a crane, transport,
and offsite repair (Dvorak (5)). Lost revenue during downtime and the direct
costs of replacement significantly increase the cost of wind power (Sheng (3);
Spinato, et al. (6)), which has downstream implications for the demand of fossil
fuels, CO2 production, and energy sustainability.

60 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

 Premature failures of gearbox bearings are not due to the use
of inadequate materials or poor adherence to design best prac-
tices (Monthly, Windpower. (7); Tavner, et al. (8); Rasmussen,
et al. (9)); Musial, et al. (10) concluded that the most likely ex-
planation is a failure to account for important load cases during
design. Because the industry standard assumes an inverse rela-
tionship between load and life, it is reasonable to assume that
premature bearing failures are due to the difficulty in predict-
ing, modeling, or detecting bearing overloading; storms, wind
gusts, start-up and shutdown transients, grid faults, and wind
shear all have significant and unpredictable effects on bearing
loads and reliability (Musial, et al. (10); Rezaeiha, et al. (11)).
The relative motions between two contacting tribological
bodies can be accommodated via sliding, rolling, or any com-
bination thereof. Rolling elements, which lie somewhere on the
spectrum from rolling to sliding, can be characterized by the
slide-to-roll ratio (SRR), which is bounded by 0 and 2 for pure
rolling and pure sliding, respectively. Though wear from slid-
ing tends to be rapid and unpredictable, the failure of contacts
subjected to pure rolling is the result of rolling contact fatigue
(RCF) and can be predicted with the industry standard life
rating DIN ISO 281 (Brändlein, et al. (1)). However, because
traction forces are necessary to maintain rolling conditions, the
SRR of the cylindrical roller bearings common in wind turbine
applications increases under low load conditions. Results from
Kang, et al. (12) demonstrate that the SRR of a cylindrical roll-
er bearing from an industrial-scale wind turbine increases by
an order of magnitude or more when C1/P increases from 1 to
2,000; that is, sliding becomes much more prevalent when the
dynamic load rating is orders of magnitude larger than the op-
erating load. As a result, many bearing manufacturers specify a
minimum load rating to prevent excessive slip, wear, and unpre-
dictable reductions in life.
Forensic analyses of failed bearings have revealed micropit-
ting, smearing, and white-etch flaking (Kotzalas and Doll (2);
Musial, et al. (10); Gould, et al. (13), (14); Singh, et al. (15));
the fact that each of these has been attributed to excessive slip
and wear (Kang, et al. (12); Singh, et al. (15); Gould and Greco
(16), (17)) suggests that bearing reaction forces are insufficient
to achieve the traction necessary to maintain rolling. A potential
contributor is the variability in load from changing wind speeds
(Rezaeiha, et al. (11)). The bearings must be designed to handle
extreme load cases that are, by definition, rare events (Archer
and Jacobson (18)). Thus, the lower loads from more common
wind speed conditions increase the SRR and increase the risk of
surface damage from excessive slip.
Using direct measurements from an instrumented drivetrain,
Guo, et al. (19), (20) showed that the planetary stage supports a
significant portion of the non-torque loads from overhung ro-
tor weight, wind shear, and yaw, among other potential contrib-
utors. Using a detailed machine dynamics model of the Gearbox
Reliability Collaborative (GRC) standard gearbox, they showed
that the transfer of non-torque loads to the planetary stage was
primarily due to clearances in the cylindrical carrier bearings.
Independent analyses by Guo, et al. (19), (20) and Gould and
WWW.STLE.ORG TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
Burris (21) demonstrated that nontorque load sharing by the
planetary stage simultaneously increased and decreased plan-
et bearing reactions at different parts of each carrier cycle. The
already low operating loads during normal wind conditions are
reduced further by non-torque load sharing by the planetary
stage. Underloaded bearings are susceptible to damage because
common transient events, such as grid faults and wind gusts,
can suddenly load a skidding rolling element.
Based on these prior studies, wind turbine gearbox bearings
are presumed to fail due to excessive loading, excessive skidding
during underloading, or a combination of the two. Though
many papers on the topic emphasize the former (Gould, et al.
(14); Rosinski and Smurthwaite (22); Evans (23), (24)), forensic
analyses of failed bearings from the field suggest that the latter
can be just as detrimental, especially in the case of planetary
bearings (Musial, et al. (10)). This article aims to elucidate how
realistic non-torque load sharing by the planetary stage affects
planet bearing loads, specifically overloading and underloading,
and how it may contribute to the premature failure of the plan-
etary bearings.
TURBINE AND GEARBOX LOAD DISTRIBUTION CALCULATIONS
Description of the GRC standard gearbox
This study mates the GRC standard gearbox (Musial, et al. (10);
Link, et al. (25)) to the NEG Micon 48/750 studied previously
(Link, et al. (25); Oyague (26)); the relevant dimensions and
properties of each are provided in Table 1. The model used to
describe the three-point suspension drivetrain system [1] is
shown in Figure 1a on Page 62. The blade and hub assembly
mounts to a main shaft, which couples to the gearbox as shown.
The gearbox includes a planetary stage and two parallel shaft
stages (Link, et al. (25); Oyague (26)). The main shaft is rigidly
mounted to the planet carrier of the gearbox. Two planet carrier
bearings (PLC-A and PLC-B) are intended to isolate the plan-
Table 1. Relevant specifications for the GRC standard gearbox and the NEG Micon
48/750 turbine. The power curve for this turbine was obtained from the manufac-
turer via a publicly available data sheet. The rotational speed of the rotor increases
from 15 rpm at cut-in to 22 rpm at and above-rated wind speed; we assume that
rotational speed increases linearly. The fatigue limit, CFL, is defined as the load
below which no bearing fatigue occurs. The basic dynamic load rating C1 is the
load at which 10% of planet bearings will fail after 1 million bearing revolutions.
The minimum load rating, Cmin, is the load below which slip begins to reduce bear-
ing life. SKF recommend a minimum load of 2% C1, or 19.5 kN (28).
GRC standard gearbox NEG Micon 48/750
Rated power (kW) 750 (26) Rated wind speed (m/s) 16
’sun (m) 0.216 (19) Cut-in wind speed (m/s) 4
’planet (m) 0.400 (19) Rotor weight, Fy (kN) 118a
CFL (kN) 184 (26)a Lh (m) 1.29b
C1 (kN) 940 (26)a Lb (m) 1.76b
Cmin (kN) 19.5 (28) Lp (m) 0.32b
a
Denotes a specification reported by the manufacturer via publicly available
databases.
b
Denotes geometric estimates.
J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 61
Q PEERREVIEWED

Figure 1. (a) Diagram of an NEG Micon 48/750 drivetrain configuration featuring a standard GRC gearbox (black box with white background). The planetary
stage is outlined with grey background. A free-body diagram of non-torque loads is also shown. (b) Axial view drawing of planetary stage with four types
of gears. The planetary bearings are positioned in the center of each planet gear and connect the planet carrier and the three planets; the outer race of the
bearing is attached to the planet, where the inner race is attached to the carrier.

etary stage of the gearbox from any non-torque loads applied 0

to the main shaft. However, as shown by Guo, et al. (19), (20),
clearance and compliance of these bearings permit non-torque
load transmission to the planetary stage. The three planets with-
in the planetary stage are each supported by two planet bear-
ings. The planets mate to a fixed ring gear and a floating sun
(Nejad, et al. (27)). The three-point suspension refers to overall
drivetrain support by the main bearing and two elastic supports
on either side of the gearbox (Link, et al. (25)).
Non-torque moments are supported by the radial reactions
Fmain, FPLC-A, FPLC-B, and FPS, the last of which is defined here
as the load transmitted to the planetary stage. For the reasons
described previously by Musial, et al. (10), the only reaction of
interest here is FPS, which is a function of the total applied mo-
ment to the rotor, M = FY.Lh, the planetary load sharing frac-
tion, M , and drivetrain dimensions according to Eq. [1].
M M
FPS D : ½1
Lb C Lp
The radial load on the planetary stage (FPS) passes from the
carrier to the planet bearings, from the planet bearings to the
planets, and from the planets to the fixed ring gear. We assume
negligible load transmission into subsequent stages due to the
floating nature of the sun gear (Nejad, et al. (27)).
Determining planet bearing reaction forces
The analysis of planet reaction forces uses a quasistatic consid-
eration of the equilibrium condition and is therefore limited
to steady operation. The free-body diagram of the planetary
stage in Figure 2a illustrates the mechanics of the analysis. In

Figure 2. (a) Free-body diagram of planetary stage of the gearbox under pure torque loading; (b) force and moment balance at rated torque; and (c) resulting
reactions at the planet bearings and sun gear.

62 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

Figure 3. (a) Free-body diagram of planetary stage of the gearbox under non-torque loading; (b) solution for non-torque loading of FPS = 100 kN; (c) planet
bearing and sun gear reaction forces for non-torque loading of FPS = 100 kN; (d) free-body diagram of tangential loads at the sun gear, applied loads to sun
gear as a result of non-torque loading of FPS = 100 kN, and compression forced that develop to counteract the vertical load of 100 kN; (e) effect of these
compression forces on planet gears; the planet bearing reaction change in magnitude and direction as a result; (f) total resultants from torque and non-torque
loads using rated torque loads from Figure 2. The planet bearing loads are shared between a pair of planet bearings.

the simplest case shown, the carrier is subjected to the input
torque and the sun is subjected to the output torque, both of
which are known functions of wind speed for a given turbine.
The tangential reactions to torque at the ring gear (Ft) are the
only unknowns in this system. At rated wind speed (16 m/s),
this turbine produces 750 kW of power at a rotational speed
of 22 rpm; in this case, Tin = 325 kN.m and Tout = 55 kN.m.
Based on equilibrium, the three planet–ring reactions are equal
with Ftorque = 180 kN. The planet bearing reactions are then de-
termined using equilibrium of each planet (Figure 2c); in this
case, the total planet bearing reaction is 360 kN, which is split
between two planet bearings. Under a condition of pure torque,
the reaction force on each planet bearing (two for each planet)
is constant and aligned with the tangential direction as shown.
There are several points worth noting here. First, the analy-
sis has been simplified by neglecting normal load components
from the pressure angle of tooth–tooth contacts (~20°); oppos-
ing normal loads cancel each other out and, thus, have no effect
on bearing reactions. Second, to analyze bearing loads, we must
partition the total bearing reaction to the upwind and downwind
bearings, whose loads typically differ by ~10% (Guo, et al. (19),
(20)). We assume that the reaction force is evenly split between
bearings; this conservative assumption decreases the probability
of falsely detecting an over- or underloaded condition.
The application of a pure radial force FPS to the carrier and
the analysis of bearing reactions in this situation are illustrated
in Figure 3 for an arbitrary carrier position of 30°. Because the
sun cannot react to non-torque loads, FPS must be supported
completely by tangential forces at the ring (Fnt). For an arbi-
trary load of FPS = 100 kN, the reaction forces at the ring vary
as a function of position in the carrier cycle as illustrated in Fig-
ure 3b. Force and moment equilibria on a planet bearing are
satisfied when the total bearing reaction is twice Fnt as shown
in Figure 3c. Note that we have neglected tooth loads from in-
terference and friction; these contributions are unknowable,
overconstrain the problem, and are less likely than the intend-
ed mode of normal tooth loading. We analyzed the case for a
maximum allowable friction coefficient of 0.1 and determined
that friction had no meaningful effect on the load distributions.
Thus, for the sake of clarity, we chose to neglect tooth friction
and interference forces unless they became necessary to satisfy
equilibrium.
In this situation, the tangential reactions at the three planet–
sun contacts (Figure 3c) produce a net upward force of 100 kN
on the floating sun. The sun cannot support any external forces,
so this net force must be balanced internally by the develop-

WWW.STLE.ORG TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 63

Q PEERREVIEWED

Figure 4. (a) Load sharing map for various rotor toques and bending moments published by Guo, et al. (20) Extrapolation of the published graph to find the val-
ues needed for this study—the vertical axis was extrapolated to the value of 47%, which represents the effect of rotor weight. Points used in the analysis have
been marked. (b) The planetary load sharing parameter, k , which is defined by Guo, et al. as the ratio of maximum to mean planet bearing reaction throughout
a carrier cycle, plotted versus dimensionless torque for multiple dimensionless non-torque moments; recall that the dimensionless torque and moment have
been normalized by rated torque of the turbine. The coefficient of determination of this fit based on 20 data points from Guo, et al. (20) was R2 > 0.98.

ment of normal forces at the planet–sun interfaces as shown in
Figure 4d. In theory, there are infinite solutions to this problem,
but we can constrain it by recognizing that any tensile forces,
which are limited by friction, are very small compared to the
possible compression forces associated with physical interfer-
ence of the gears. Thus, we can reasonably assume that gears can
only push in the normal direction. Neglecting tension and rec-
ognizing that compression at all three interfaces would require
interference, which we have also neglected, gives the one unique
solution shown in Figure 3d. These compressive loads add sig-
nificantly to the total planet bearing reaction as illustrated by
Figure 3e. Adding these reaction vectors to those of the pure
torque case provides the total solution in Figure 3f.
This example illustrates the counterintuitive fact that the
addition of non-torque load increases and decreases planet
bearing reaction forces at different locations within the carri-
er cycle. Under pure torque loading at rated conditions (Tin =
325 kN), the planet bearing reaction is constant at 360 kN (per
bearing pair). The addition of FPS = 100 kN increases the max-
imum planet bearing reaction to 441 kN at 30° and decreases
the minimum planet bearing reaction to 234 kN at 270° (per
bearing pair). Because this was an arbitrarily selected carrier
orientation, even more extreme reactions can be expected at
other carrier positions. We used these methods to develop a
Matlab-based code that determines the planet bearing reaction
at every location under any combination of wind speed and FPS.
Determining realistic non-torque planetary load sharing
The methods described above require prior knowledge of FPS,
which, as described by Eq. [1], depends on the non-torque mo-
ment (M) and the planetary load sharing fraction (M0). Over-
hung rotor weight is arguably the most significant, certain, and
persistent contributor to the non-torque moment. To generalize
the results as much as possible, we neglect the variable, uncer-
tain, and less significant contributions from yaw, wind shear,
turbulence, etc., in our analysis. This particular rotor weighs
118 kN and its centroid is located 1.29 m from the main bear-
ing, resulting in a non-torque moment about the main bearing
of 152 kNm.
Determining M is beyond the scope of this article. For-
tunately, Guo, et al. (20) built a detailed machine dynamics
model of this specific system to determine the planetary load
sharing as a function of input torque and non-torque moment;
k , which they defined as the ratio of the maximum and mean
planet bearing reaction over a full carrier cycle, is shown as a
function of dimensionless torque and non-torque moment in
Figure 4a. The variable k only provides an indirect measure of
planetary non-torque load sharing. A value of k = 1 represents
no variation in the planet bearing reaction, which implies pure
torque (no planetary load sharing). A value of k = 2 represents
zero load at the minimum of a perfectly sinusoidal function.
For the purposes of this study, k had to be converted into the
corresponding planetary load sharing fraction, M , as defined in
Eq. [1]. The methods described above were used to quantify this
relationship. Because rotor weight is constant, the non-torque
moment is fixed at M = 152 kN, which is 47% of the rated
torque. This value exceeded the maximum range of M = 0.4 in
the original published map (M is the ratio of bending moment
to rated torque; Guo, et al. (20)); as a result, we extrapolated the
curves as shown in Figure 4a. To minimize the error from fitting
to only three data points in the permissible range of 1 < k < 2

64 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

at M = 0.47, we fit their data set using all combinations of k =
(1.75, 1.5, 1.25, and 1.05 where available), M = (–0.1, 0.1, 0.2,
0.3, 0.4, and 0.47), and corresponding values of T to a single
family of curves; this approach not only provides confidence that
fits from extrapolated data are reasonable but it provides the
means necessary for other researchers to repeat the analysis for
any value of T and M within the bounds considered. The sig-
moidal fit shown in Eq. [2] had a coefficient of determination
of R2 > 0.98 for the entire data set, which is remarkably strong
considering the error potential of manual data extraction.
 
¡ 1:42T  1:68
kg D 2 ¡ 1 ¡ e M : ½2
These curves were used to determine the planetary load
sharing fraction at each of 22 equally spaced wind speeds for
each of the five values of M from Figure 4b as follows. At each
wind speed, the corresponding torque was determined using
the known power curve for this turbine. Next, Eq. [2] was used
to determine the value of k corresponding to the values of M
and T under consideration. Next, the code used an arbitrary
initial guess for M , which, with Eq. [1], was subsequently used
to determine FPS. The analysis described in the previous sec-
tion was then used to determine the planet bearing reaction
throughout the carrier cycle, which was subsequently used to
determine a predicted value of k (the ratio of maximum to
mean planet reaction); the code automatically iterated M until
the predicted value differed from the known value (from Guo,
et al. (20)) by less than 0.1%. The results were used to fit M as
an arbitrary function of M and T within the range of values
considered for this specific turbine/gearbox combination. The
fit for M was then integrated into the code and subsequently
used to determine planet bearing reaction forces for any arbi-
trary wind speed and non-torque rotor moment. It is import-
ant to remember that the results from this analysis are based on
this expression for planetary load sharing, which is anchored by
experimentally validated computational modeling results from
Guo, et al. (20).
RESULTS
The planetary load sharing fraction, M , defined here as the
fraction of the non-torque moment supported by a radial load
on the planetary stage, is plotted as a function of the dimension-
less torque for five moment cases in Figure 5. The coefficient of
determination for the family of fitted curves described by Eq.
[3] is R2 = 0.998. This function can be applied directly to any
study involving the GRC standard gearbox; although technical-
ly limited to this gearbox, the data set also provides valuable
insights into the likely range of values that can be expected in
other systems of this common architecture.
  6:21 
0 ¡ 1:34T 
M D 0:745 1 ¡ 1 ¡ e M 0:91 : ½3
WWW.STLE.ORG TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
Figure 5. The fraction of the non-torque moment supported by the planetary
stage as a function of dimensionless torque for five non-torque bending mo-
ment conditions (M*) based on the results from Guo, et al. (20). The single
family of best-fit curves come from Eq. [2]. The curve corresponding to M* =
0.47 represents the overhung weight of the rotor for the turbine considered
in this study.
At zero torque, load sharing approaches ~75%. This number is
based on the most accurate measurements of the components
within the standard GRC gearbox and depends strongly on carri-
er bearing clearance (Guo, et al. (19), (20)). This significant load
sharing by the planetary stage is alarming given that the main
and carrier bearings are intended to support the entire non-
torque load. Non-torque load sharing decreases with increased
torque but only becomes insignificant at rated torque and when
the applied non-torque moment is significantly less than that
from rotor weight alone; this can happen, for example, when
wind shear moments oppose those from rotor weight (Gould
and Burris (21)). Non-torque load sharing increases when the
applied non-torque moment increases under all torque condi-
tions. Consider a very common wind speed of 7 m/s (T ~ 0.27).
As M increases from 0.1 to 0.47 at this wind speed, the moment
supported by the planetary stage increases from 7 to 112 kNm;
in other words, with less than a 5 × increase in applied mo-
ment, the moment felt by the planetary stage increases by 16 ×.
Based on overhung rotor weight alone (M =0.47), the planetary
stage supports greater than 26% of the non-torque moment (40
kNm) under all operating conditions from cut-in to cut-out.
Additional contributions from wind shear and inertial forces
can increase or decrease non-torque loads and planetary stage
load sharing from this baseline situation (M = 0.47).
Based on overhung rotor weight alone (M = 0.47), planet
bearing reaction force vectors are given throughout a single carrier
cycle at rated (16 m/s) and cut-in (4 m/s) wind speeds in Figures
6a and 6b on Page 66, respectively. At rated conditions, bearing re-
action forces are aligned approximately with the tangential direc-
tion and vary between 167 and 193 kN. At cut-in, bearing reaction
forces change direction throughout the carrier cycle and approach
zero near the bottom of each carrier cycle. It is also worth noting
that the planet bearings revolve three times per carrier cycle.
J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 65
Q PEERREVIEWED

Figure 6. Effects of carrier position and wind speed on planet bearing reaction magnitude and direction. (a) At rated conditions, bearing reaction force direction
vectors and magnitudes are more stable throughout the carrier cycle, with the latter varying between 167 and 193 kN. (b) Cut-in conditions. Here the torque
loads are so low that the nontorque loads dominate bearing reactions. In this case, bearings become completely unloaded at Ѳ = 191°. The direction of the load
vector also changes significantly throughout the carrier cycle.

The magnitude of the planet bearing reaction force is plot-
ted as a function of carrier position for varying wind speeds
from cut-in to cut-out in Figure 7a. The reaction force increas-
es with increased wind speed up to 14 m/s while the variation
decreases. The minimum and maximum planet bearing reac-
tion forces (M = 0.47) are plotted as functions of wind speed
in Figure 7b; the case for zero planetary load sharing (M = 0)
is shown for reference. The maximum planet bearing reaction
force exceeds the fatigue limit of the planet bearings at wind
speeds above 12 m/s and below 20 m/s. Because every cycle
above the fatigue limit contributes to fatigue, we refer to such
conditions as overloaded from here on. Likewise, the minimum
planet bearing reaction force drops below the minimum load
rating at wind speeds at and below 7 m/s. Because loads below
the minimum load rating represent susceptibility to loss of con-
tact, slip, and wear, we refer to these conditions as underloaded
from here on. The probability density function for wind speed
at one representative site in Amarillo, Texas, is shown for ref-
erence in Figure 7b. This figure illustrates two important facts:
(1) the winds speeds associated with overloading tend to be rare
and (2) the wind speeds associated with underloading tend to
be the most common.

Figure 7. (a) Planet bearing reaction force as a function of planet carrier position for wind speeds of interest in the range from cut-in to cut-out. The fatigue
limit and minimum load rating for these bearings are provided for reference. At wind speeds of 6 m/s and below, planet bearings become completely unload-
ed every cycle. At wind speeds of 12 m/s and above, planet bearing reaction forces exceed the fatigue limit, which implies that each carrier cycle contributes
to planet bearing fatigue. (b) Minimum and maximum planet bearing reaction as a function wind speed for M = 0.47 (left-side axis). The M = 0 case (crosses)
' '
has been included for a reference hypothetical case where the non-torque loads were zero. The fatigue limit and minimum load rating for these bearings are
provided for reference. A histogram of the wind speed probability for Amarillo, Texas (right-side axis), has been added to illustrate the probability of each
wind speed and load condition.

66 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

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Archer and Jacobson (18) measured wind speeds at 10 rep-
resentative U.S. wind farm sites; the probability density func-
tion of each has been reproduced in Figure 8. Operation at
each speed corresponds to one of three conditions: (1) planet
bearings are underloaded once per cycle, (2) planet bearings are
neither underloaded nor overloaded, or (3) planet bearings are
overloaded once per cycle. The bars on the histogram have been
color coded to one of these three conditions. At the site with
the fastest wind speeds (Pine Springs, TX), planet bearings were
overloaded 22% of the time and underloaded 41% of the time.
At the site with the slowest wind speeds (Clayton, NM), planet
bearings were overloaded 2% of the time and underloaded 70%
of the time.
Given the variable nature of the loading situation, fatigue
lives of planet bearings were estimated using a linear cumulative
damage model (Miner (29)). First, each load profile in Figure 7a
was discretized into three equal segments, with each segment
representing the load distribution from each of three planet
revolutions per carrier cycle. In the most accurate treatment,
the damage from infinitesimally small loading segments within
each planet revolution would be accumulated; for simplicity, we
applied the maximum load to the entire revolution, which is
conservative in that it underestimates life. At 14 m/s, for exam-
ple, the maximum load for each planet revolution is 197, 196,
and 185 kN (Figure 7a). Under a constant load of 197 kN, this
bearing (C1 = 940 kN) is expected to survive (940 / 197)10 / 3
= 183 million cycles, which corresponds to 5.5 × 10–9 of dam-
age accumulation per revolution. Accounting for the other two
planet bearing revolutions in the same manner yeilds a total
damage accumulation of 15 × 10–9 per revolution of the

Figure 8. Wind speed probability for the 10 U.S. sites analyzed by Archer and Jacobson (18). The histograms have been color coded to represent the condi-
tions the gearbox is running under. The total probability for each event is displayed as well. Overall, the probability of normal running conditions occurring
is only between 28 and 37%. However, the probability of underloaded events occurring varies between 40.8 and 69.5%, and the probability for overloaded
events decreases from 22.6 to 2.21%. The predicted fatigue life is located just below each city label. The histograms in Figure 8 have been arranged from
highest to lowest wind speed.

68 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

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rotor at 14 m/s wind speed.
High wind speeds are rare events. In Amarillo, Texas, for ex-
ample, 14 m/s winds occur only 0.35% of the time. Thus, 40,471
rotor cycles per year at this wind speed contribute to a total
damage accumulation of 6.1 × 10–4 per year. We use the same
methods to determine the yearly damage contribution from all
possible wind speeds based on their measured probabilities at
each location. The expexted life of the planet bearings is the
number of years required to accumulate damage of 1.
At the most extreme site, planet bearings are expected to
survive 42 years before a fatigue failure. Despite the conservative
nature of the analysis (use of maximum loads with coarse dis-
cretization) and the fact that non-torque loads do significantly
increase planet bearing reaction forces to well above the fatigue
limit (Guo, et al. (20)), the expected fatigue lives of planetary
bearings in 8 of 10 locations varied between 187 and 529 years.
Thus, it appears unlikely that overloading and fatigue alone
cause premature failures of planetary bearings on a timescale of
10 years in all locations.
DISCUSSION
Despite the forensic evidence showing damage modes consis-
tent with underloading of bearings in wind turbine gearboxes
(Musial, et al. (10)), the issue has received little research atten-
tion to date; at present, there is no clear consensus among re-
searchers in this area about whether the nature of the problem
involves underloading, overloading, or a combination of the
two. Answering this question requires an understanding of the
load distribution throughout this complex drivetrain system,
which is the primary stated objective of the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL-led) GRC (Link, et al. (25)). Guo, et
al. (20) used the most accurate possible measurements of each
component within the standard GRC gearbox to model the load
distribution throughout this system under realistic planetary
load sharing conditions. Their results, which were validated ex-
perimentally, enabled the present study, which, to our knowl-
edge, is the first analysis of planet bearing reaction forces under
realistic planetary load sharing and wind conditions.
Based on our analysis of this standard gearbox within the
NEG Micon 48/750, the planetary stage supports ~30% of the
overhung rotor weight at rated conditions; load sharing by the
planetary stage approaches and exceeds 70% at the most typical
wind speeds. These contributions are astonishingly high given
that the job of the carrier bearing is to shield the planetary stage
from non-torque moments. Additional contributions from yaw
and wind shear not only increase non-torque loads but they in-
crease the fraction of the non-torque load supported by the plan-
etary stage of the gearbox as illustrated by Eq. [2] and Figure 5.
Although we neglected yaw and wind shear for the sake of sim-
plicity, both effects may substantially increase non-torque load
sharing by the planetary stage. Equation [2] can be used to an-
alyze any arbitrary moment case for the GRC standard gearbox.
Our primary aim in evaluating non-torque load sharing was
to evaluate planet bearing reaction forces. Guo, et al. (20) were
70 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
the first to do so under realistic planetary load sharing condi-
tions. They analyzed two cases: rated torque and cut-in. At rat-
ed torque, they found that non-torque load sharing increased
bearing reaction forces to well above the fatigue limit of the
bearings, which put bearings at risk of fatigue. At cut-in, bear-
ing reaction forces approached zero, which put bearings at risk
of skidding and wear. To our knowledge, they were the first to
point out the relative lack of attention given to gearbox reliabil-
ity at the most common low-torque conditions, the potential
danger from skidding, and the unpredictability of the resulting
wear-based failure modes. Their results, which are quantitative-
ly consistent with our results for the same nominal operating
conditions, provide external validation to the simpler quasistat-
ic approach taken here.
This article quantified planet bearing reaction forces for the
more common wind speeds between 4 m/s (cut-in) and 16 m/s
(rated). Figure 7a shows that the bearing reaction force varies
as a sinusoidal function of carrier position until approaching
a minimum of zero at wind speeds below 7 m/s; the loads and
variations in loads at cut-in and rated speed are qualitatively
similar to those from Guo, et al. (20); the quantitative differ-
ences can be attributed to slight differences in the non-torque
moments used and in load sharing between upwind and down-
wind planets (Guo, et al. (20)). Figure 7b demonstrates that
non-torque load sharing increases the maximum bearing force
while decreasing the minimum bearing force regardless of wind
speed.
Analyses of wind spectra from 10 representative U.S. sites
provide some insights into the relative contributions from un-
derloading and overloading. On average, planet bearing forces
exceeded the fatigue limit only 4.3% of the time and never ex-
ceeded the fatigue limit by more than 7.3%; for context, the dy-
namic load rating exceeds the fatigue limit by 411%. The mean
planet bearing fatigue life was estimated to be 277 years. At the
most extreme site (Pine Springs, TX), the expected fatigue life
(42 years) was more than twice the design life of the turbine
(20 years). Though our results show that non-torque load shar-
ing significantly increases planet bearing reaction forces and
the risk of fatigue failure, that risk is surprisingly low given the
magnitude of planetary non-torque load sharing.
Based on our analysis, underloading appears to be far more
common than overloading. Planet bearing reaction forces were
below the minimum load rating on part of each cycle 61% of
the time on average. At the site with the highest wind speeds,
the probability of underloading was 41%; at the site with the
lowest wind speeds, the probability of underloading was nearly
70%. Underloading can lead to slip and surface damage, which
reduces life via wear-based failure modes; likewise, the resulting
surface damage can reduce the fatigue life and may contribute
to premature bearing fatigue.
Although the results suggest that underloading is more
prevalent than overloading, several limitations should be kept
in mind. First, though we assumed equal load sharing between
planets for convenience, results from Guo, et al. (20) suggest a
55:45 load split between the upwind and downwind bearings,
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respectively, at rated conditions. Increasing the split on the up-
wind bearing did significantly decrease fatigue lives, particular-
ly at sites with the highest wind speeds. In Pine Springs, Texas,
for example, increasing the load split from 50 to 55% decreased
fatigue life from 42 years to 24 years. It should be noted, how-
ever, that this difference is mostly offset by our conservative use
of the maximum load for fatigue life calculations. Nonetheless,
this result demonstrates how sensitive fatigue life can be to the
distribution of loads. Additionally, by considering only steady
operation, we have neglected transient effects, such as yaw,
braking, and grid faults, which can contribute significantly to
fatigue and wear (Kotzalas and Doll (2); Guo, et al. (20)). Final-
ly, because the stresses that cause rolling contact fatigue depend
on surface finish, surface damage from skidding will have det-
rimental and unpredictable effects on bearing fatigue life; this
hypothetical coupling is not dealt with by the industry standard
life rating DIN ISO 281 (Brändlein, et al. (1)). Thus, underload-
ing not only causes wear-based failures but may also be an im-
portant contributor to premature spalling (Gould, et al. (13),
(14); Singh, et al. (15); Rosinski and Smurthwaite (22); Evans
(23)) from rolling contact fatigue.
Second, there is no absolute minimum load rating; we used
2% C1 (19 kN) as recommended by SKF, whereas Gou, et al.
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(19), (20) used 6.5 kN for the same system. In a sensitivity study
of this effect, we decreased our minimum load threshold from
19 to 0 kN and found that the time of underloading at the two
most extreme locations decreased from 70 to 57% and from 41
to 30%. Thus, the general conclusion that underloading is a fre-
quent occurrence is insensitive to the magnitude of the mini-
mum load rating assumed.
Finally, overloading and underloading were governed by
non-torque load sharing, which was dominated by a carrier
bearing clearance of 275 μm, the experimentally measured val-
ue (Guo, et al. (19), (20)). The most direct way to decrease the
detrimental effects of non-torque load sharing on the distribu-
tion of planet bearing loads is to decrease carrier bearing clear-
ance. Using the theoretical results from Guo, et al. (19), (20) as
before, we tested the effect of reduced clearance on the loads
at 10% rated torque. Interestingly, though decreasing clearance
from 275 to 100 μm had no significant effect on the minimum
or maximum planet bearing reaction forces, decreasing clear-
ance to 75 μm reduced the maximum load from 57 to 31 kN
and increased the minimum load from 0 to 6 kN. This result
reiterates previous observations (Guo, et al. (19), (20) that non-
torque load sharing is insensitive to changes in clearance near
and above 275 μm but becomes very sensitive to changes
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J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 71
Q PEERREVIEWED
at much smaller clearances. Eliminating the detrimental effects
of carrier bearing clearance on planet bearing load distributions
would require a substantial reduction in clearance rather than
an incremental improvement.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This study analyzed the likely range of planet bearing loads for
the GRC standard gearbox within a typical utility-scale wind
turbine under realistic wind conditions. The results demon-
strate that non-torque load sharing by the planetary stage
increases the maximum and decreases the minimum planet
bearing reaction forces of each rotor cycle regardless of wind
speed. In the absence of non-torque load sharing by the plan-
etary stage, planet bearing overloading only occurred at wind
speeds from 13.5 to 14.5 m/s and underloading occurred at
wind speeds from 4 to 5 m/s. With realistic planetary load shar-
ing of the overhung rotor weight, these ranges expanded to 12
to 19 m/s and 4 to 7 m/s, respectively. Based on analyses of pub-
lished wind spectra from 10 U.S. sites, the worst-case fatigue life
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72 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
of these planet bearings was 42 years even after accounting for
realistic non-torque load sharing; on average, the planet bearing
fatigue life was 277 years. At the same 10 sites, planet bearings
are expected to experience underloading once per cycle 40–70%
of the time (61% on average). During underloaded conditions,
bearings may lose traction, skid, damage surfaces, smear, and
ultimately fail on an unpredictable timeline. Additionally, sur-
face damage incurred during skidding can reduce fatigue life
and accelerate fatigue failure. The results underscore the need
to consider both underloading and overloading as important
contributors to premature planet bearing failure; though it is
tempting to increase the gearbox load rating, such a change
would exacerbate the underloading aspect of the problem and
may even decrease gearbox life. The following strategies are
more likely to extend life: (1) eliminating the planet bearing un-
derloading problem with preloaded tapered roller bearings, (2)
reducing non-torque load sharing by reducing or eliminating
carrier bearing clearances, or (3) reducing non-torque loads rel-
ative to torque loads by altering the drivetrain geometries (e.g.,
smaller ring gear, longer rotor, shorter hub).
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FUNDING

We thank Dr. Jon Keller and his colleagues within the Gearbox The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the
Reliability Collaborative for providing the context for this work U.S. DOE through the Advanced Offshore Wind Energy–Atlan-
and for helping identify the appropriate specifications for anal- tic Consortium (DE-EE0003535).
ysis of the 750 kW machine used in this article. Finally, we thank
Profesor Willett Kempton, PI of the DOE grant, for the many
enlightening conversations that influenced the direction of this
research.

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Gearbox Bearings: Effects of ‘Butterflies’ and White Etching Cracks
lem revisited.” Risø Fact-Sheet AED-RB-17 (en), Risø National Laboratory,
(WECs),” Materials Science and Technology, 28, pp 3–22.
Roskilde, Denmark.
(24) Evans, M.-H. (2016), “An Updated Review: White Etching Cracks (WECs)
(10) Musial, W., Butterfield, S., and McNiff, B. (2007), “Improving Wind Tur-
and Axial Cracks in Wind Turbine Gearbox Bearings,” Materials Science
bine Gearbox Reliability,” Conference paper: NREL/CP-500-41548, European
and Technology, 32(11), pp 1133–1169.
Wind Energy Conference, Milan, Italy, pp 7–10.
(25) Link, H., LaCava, W., van Dam, J., McNiff, B., Sheng, S., Wallen, R., Mc-
(11) Rezaeiha, A., Pereira, R., and Kotsonis, M. (2017), “Fluctuations of Angle
Dade, M., Lambert, S., Butterfield, S., and Oyague F. (2011), “Gearbox Re-
of Attack and Lift Coefficient and the Resultant Fatigue Loads for a Large
liability Collaborative Project Report: Findings from Phase 1 and Phase 2
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine,” Renewable Energy, 114, pp 904–916.
Testing,” NREL/TP-5000-51885 Contract, 303, pp 275–3000.
(12) Kang, Y. S., Evans, R. D., and Doll, G. L. (2010), “Roller–Raceway Slip
(26) Oyague, F. (2011), Gearbox Reliability Collaborative Description and Load-
Simulations of Wind Turbine Gearbox Bearings Using Dynamic Bearing
ing. Technical Report NREL/TP-5000-47773.
Model,” STLE/ASME 2010 International Joint Tribology Conference, San
Francisco, CA, USA, pp 407–409. (27) Nejad, A. R., Xing, Y., Keller, J., Zhen, G., and Moan, T. (2015), “Effects of
Floating Sun Gear in a Wind Turbine’s Planetary Gearbox with Geometri-
(13) Gould, B., Greco, A., Stadler, K., and Xiao, X. (2017), “An Analysis of Pre-
cal Imperfections,” Wind Energy, 18, pp. 2105–2120.
mature Cracking Associated with Microstructural Alterations in an AISI
52100 Failed Wind Turbine Bearing Using X-ray Tomography,” Materials (28) “Requisite Minimum Load,” Available at: http://www.skf.com/us/prod-
& Design, 117, pp 417–429. ucts/bearings-units-housings/principles/bearing-selection-process/
bearing-size/size-selection-based-on-rating-life/equivalent-dynamic-
(14) Gould, B., Greco, A., Stadler, K., Vegter, E., and Xiao, X. (2017), “Using Ad-
bearing-load/index.html. (accessed February 2, 2017).
vanced Tomography Techniques to Investigate the Development of White
Etching Cracks in a Prematurely Failed Field Bearing,” Tribology Interna- (29) Miner, M. A. (1945), “Cumulative Damage in Fatigue,” Journal of Applied
tional, 116, pp 362–370. Mechanics, 12, pp A159–A164.

74 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

MISSING SOMETHING?
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NEWSMAKERS
TOP STORIES
Elco/Italmatch Acquires Afton’s
MWF Business
Genoa, Italy-based, Elco/Italmatch Chemi-
cals, a global specialty chemical group, en-
tered into an agreement with Afton Chemi-
cal, a global leader in the lubricant and fuel
additive market, for the acquisition of Afton’s
metalworking fluids (MWFs) business for-
merly known as Polartech.
The deal includes the acquisition of the
entire business and assets relating to metal-
working fluid carried out in Bedford Park, Ill.,
and Manchester, UK, sites, the know-how,
technology and business in India and China
with production carried out from Hyderabad
plant and in China.
This transaction further strengthens
Italmatch Chemicals Group’s position in the
industrial lubricants and MWFs business,
integrating the current production range
with a series of fluid additives for high-per-
formance metal processing thanks to the
application of advanced technologies.
Sergio Iorio, CEO of Italmatch Chemicals
Group, says, “This acquisition represents for
Italmatch Chemicals a significant step for-
ward in the strategy of expanding its position
in the industrial lubricants market.”
Shell Sells Argentina Business to Raízen
Shell has signed an agreement to sell its
Downstream business in Argentina to
Raízen for $0.95 billion (U.S.) in cash pro-
ceeds at completion, subject to customary
closing conditions.
The sale includes the Buenos Aires Re-
finery, around 645 retail stations, liquefied
petroleum gas, marine fuels, aviation fuels,
bitumen, chemicals and lubricants business-
es as well as supply and distribution activi-
ties in the country. After the transaction clos-
es, the businesses acquired by Raízen will
continue its relationships with Shell through
various commercial agreements represent-
ing an estimated value of $300 million (U.S.).
Raízen, a joint venture set up in 2011
between Shell and Cosan, is a leading bio-
fuels producer and fuels distributor in Brazil
where it already manages more than 6,000
Shell service stations.
“We plan to continue thriving in Argen-
76 • J U LY 2 0 1 8
tina’s downstream market through Raízen,”
says John Abbott, Shell Downstream direc-
tor. “Raízen has already delivered significant
value for us in Brazil, and we will remain an
important fuel supplier to Argentina under
this deal.”
The Shell brand will remain prominent
through a licensing agreement with Raízen.
Customers in Argentina will continue access
to Shell-branded products and services.
The agreement with Raízen is the result
of a competitive bidding process, and the
sale is expected to complete later this year.
It offers the opportunity to consolidate a re-
gional partnership between Shell and Cosan.
ExxonMobil to buy Indonesian maker of
motorcycle lubricants
ExxonMobil has agreed to acquire Indonesian
motorcycle lubricant maker PT Federal Kary-
atama (FKT) in a $436 million transaction.
ExxonMobil plans to buy 100% of FKT,
including the Federal Oil brand and a new
blending plant, and expects to complete the
deal in the third quarter of 2018. The plant
has capacity to make 100,000 metric tons
per year of lubricants, while FKT listed it
last year at 90,000 tons per year.
ExxonMobil says the acquisition of FKT,
one of Indonesia’s largest manufacturers
and marketers of motorcycle lubricants, will
accelerate its growth in the market.
“This acquisition, combined with our exist-
ing premium Mobil lubricant brand, will help
us continue to grow and better serve custom-
ers in Indonesia,” says Bryan Milton, president
of ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants Co.
Emery Oleochemicals Announces
New U.S. Distribution Partner
Cincinnati, Ohio-based, Emery Oleochemi-
cals LLC, a world leader in biobased lubri-
cants, has appointed Tri-iso Tryline LLC
(TRiiSO) as the distributor for its DEHYLUB®
ester base stocks and additives in the U.S.
Emery Oleochemicals says it is the larg-
est manufacturer of oleochemicals in North
America. The Bio-Lubricants portfolio of
DEHYLUB standard and complex esters are
recognized globally for their technical per-
formance and environmental friendliness.
These esters provide an optimum balance
of lubricity, hydrolytic stability and favorable
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
biodegradability for a wide range of appli-
cations including hydraulic fluids, industrial
base fluids and metalworking fluids.
“The industrial lubricants space is a stra-
tegic downstream market for us,” says Eric
Cecilio, Emery’s global business director for
Bio-Lubricants. “Emery’s vertical integration
and innovation capabilities built over de-
cades serving the industry, combined with
TRiiSO’s customer-centric model and supply
chain expertise, are a powerful combination
that will continue to demonstrate our com-
mitment to our customers’ success.”
Jason Scott, president of TRiiSO, adds,
“We are delighted with the addition of
Emery’s Bio-Lubricants product line and
know this product range will significantly
enhance our current portfolio. We are ex-
cited to now be able to offer Emery’s full
range of high-performance and quality DE-
HYLUB esters into the U.S. market. Emery
Oleochemicals is a highly reputable man-
ufacturing company and we are confident
we will further grow business together and
deliver many innovative solutions for our
customers. With this expansion of products
and territory, the TRiiSO team will be able to
cultivate more customers and uncover new
opportunities.”
Timken Reports Strong
First-Quarter Results
North Canton, Ohio-based, The Timken Co.,
a world leader in engineered bearings and
mechanical power transmission products,
reports first-quarter 2018 sales of $883.1
million, up approximately 25% from the
same period a year ago. The increase was
driven by strong organic growth across
most end-market sectors led by industrial
distribution and off highway, as well as the
benefit of acquisitions and currency.
In the first quarter, Timken posted net
income of $80.2 million or $1.02 per diluted
share, versus net income of $38.2 million or
$0.48 per diluted share for the same period a
year ago. In the current quarter, the compa-
ny benefitted from higher volume, favorable
price/mix and manufacturing performance
and the impact of acquisitions, which were
partially offset by higher selling, general and
administrative and logistics costs. The cur-
rent quarter also reflects lower pension-re-
lated charges and a lower tax rate.
WWW.STLE.ORG
 Excluding special items, adjusted net
income in the first quarter of 2018 was $80
million or $1.01 per diluted share, up from
$43.7 million or $0.55 per diluted share for
the same period in 2017.
“We achieved excellent first-quarter
results reporting strong revenue and earn-
ings growth with expanded margins,” says
Richard G. Kyle, Timken president and CEO.
“Over the last several years, we have grown
our portfolio organically and, through acqui-
sition, expanded our geographic reach and
improved our cost structure.”
Schaeffler Reports Quarterly Results
Schaeffler, based in Herzogenaurach, Ger-
many, announces its quarterly results for
the first three months of 2018.
The Schaeffler Group generated approx-
imately 3.6 billion euros in revenue in the
first quarter of 2018. At constant currency,
WWW.STLE.ORG
revenue increased by 3.9% from the relevant
prior year period.
Except for the new Automotive Aftermar-
ket division, whose revenue declined slightly
in the first quarter of 2018 due to the im-
pact of one-off business, all divisions and
regions contributed to this revenue growth.
Especially noteworthy was the rapid growth
of the Industrial division, which expanded
its revenue by 10.4% at constant currency.
Looking at the regions, the Greater China
region once again contributed the highest
growth rate of 18.1% (at constant currency).
On the basis of this performance, the
Schaeffler Group generated earnings before
financial result and income taxes (EBIT) of
391 million euros (prior year: 435 million eu-
ros) during the first three months. This rep-
resents an EBIT margin before special items
of 11% (prior year: 12.2%). The decrease in
EBIT margin before special items is due to
higher research and development expenses
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
and additional costs related to the transfor-
mation of the Schaeffler Group.
While capital expenditures increased
slightly, free cash flow improved from the
prior year quarter, seasonally amounting to
minus 71 million euros (prior year: minus
130 million euros). Based on this perfor-
mance, net income amounted to 240 million
euros (prior year: 279 million euros), rep-
resenting earnings per share of 0.36 euros
(prior year: 0.42 euros) for the first quarter
of 2018.
Esso Italiana Reaches Agreement to
Sell Augusta Refinery
Esso Italiana has signed an agreement for
the sale of its Augusta refinery; three fuel
terminals in Augusta, Palermo and Naples;
and associated pipelines to the Algerian
state oil company SONATRACH.
Esso Italiana and ExxonMobil will enter
J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 77
Q NEWSMAKERS
into multi-year commercial and technology
agreements with SONATRACH for refinery
products, including Group I base stocks and
waxes, as well as the operation, improve-
ment and use of the Augusta, Naples and
Palermo terminals.
“ExxonMobil is committed to meeting its
customer’s evolving needs. We will continue
to provide a reliable supply of Group I base
stocks globally and in EAME including the
ExxonMobil AP/E CORE™ slate manufac-
tured in Augusta,” says Julia Ruessmann,
sales manager, EAME Basestocks & Spe-
cialties. “With this agreement and a robust
manufacturing network around the world
producing Group I CORE™, we will remain
the largest global marketer of high-quality
Group I base stocks.”
Base stocks and waxes from Augusta
will continue to be marketed by ExxonMo-
bil at current specifications. A dedicated
transition team will ensure continuity of the
business and prepare for a successful hand
over and continuation of manufacturing of
ExxonMobil products.
The sale is expected to close by the end
of 2018.
Sea-Land Chemical and Chevron Phillips
Chemical Expand Distribution
Relationship
The Woodlands, Texas-based, Chevron
Phillips Chemical Co. LP, a global leader
in the production of olefin and polyolefin
chemistries, and Sea-Land Chemical Co., a
leading specialty chemical distributor based
in Westlake, Ohio, have expanded their col-
laboration to include the AlphaPlus® brand
of normal alpha olefins. Sea-Land Chemical
will strategically target distribution to cus-
tomers requiring small volume drum quan-
tities. The distribution agreement between
the two companies will cover the entire U.S.
and Canadian territories.
“We are excited for the opportunity to
represent the AlphaPlus® brand of chem-
istries in North America,” says Jennifer Alt-
stadt, president of Sea-Land Chemical Co.
“As the channel distributor for the Synfluid®
polyalphaolefin products since 2006, we are
well positioned to build upon our strong re-
lationship with Chevron Phillips Chemical
and provide another range of high-quality
products to our customers.”
78 • J U LY 2 0 1 8
Normal alpha olefins, featuring highly
accessible terminal double bonds, are ide-
al materials for manufacturing numerous
products. Normal alpha olefins or their de-
rivatives are used extensively as polyeth-
ylene comonomers, plasticizers, synthetic
motor oils, lubricants, automotive additives,
surfactants, paper size and in a wide range
of specialty applications.
“Sea-Land’s expertise in representing a
wide range of chemical suppliers and overall
application and product knowledge allows
us another avenue to pursue sales oppor-
tunities for our AlphaPlus® NAO product
line,” says Kevin Hendryx, Americas sales
manager, NAO of Chevron Phillips Chemical.
“Our products are used in a wide range of
specialty chemical applications where the
volumes involved can be at the drum/pack-
aged level. We are excited to have Sea-Land,
with their technically trained sales team and
customer-focused attitude, manage the com-
plexity of these key customers.”
Petro-Canada Lubricants Renews
Partnership with Truck Sport Bernau;
Awarded Husky® Approval
Calgary, Alberta, Canada-based, Petro-Can-
ada Lubricants Inc. (PCLI) announces a
multi-year partnership extension with FIA
European Truck Racing Championship team,
Truck Sport Lutz Bernau (TSB), which will
continue the partnership through the 2019
season.
As technology partner and team spon-
sor, Petro-Canada Lubricants supplies
all driveline lubricants and greases used
throughout Truck Sport Bernau’s specially
built 1250 horsepower MAN racing truck,
which weighs more than five tons and has
a maximum speed limit of 100 mph. TSB
engineers and PCLI’s Research and Devel-
opment team have worked closely to design
advanced technology solutions to meet the
high-performance needs of the racing truck.
The PCLI technology used in the truck
includes an advanced designed heavy-duty
engine oil DURON™ Racing Oil II, TRAXON™
gear oils and premium performance PEER-
LESS™ greases.
As its principal driver for 2018, the Truck
Sport Lutz Bernau team has re-signed Span-
ish racing driver, Antonio Albacete.
“Our partnership with Truck Sport Ber-
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
nau is built on a mutual commitment to de-
liver innovative solutions and best-in-class
technology, with a focus on maintaining
a competitive edge,” says Mark A. Plake,
president, Petro-Canada Lubricants. “The
team really came together last season to
deliver podium finish results. Combined
with the determination and spirit of Antonio
and the team, their results are proof of the
advantage technology can provide to per-
formance.”
Also, PCLI announces it has received
OEM approval from Husky Injection Mold-
ing Systems for PURITY FG Synthetic Fluid
46, making PCLI the first supplier globally
to provide both a food grade and non-food
grade OEM approved hydraulic fluid.
PURITY FG Synthetic Fluid 46 surpassed
the minimum 12-month field trial require-
ments and has been awarded Husky approv-
al for use in its injection-molding equipment
globally. Petro-Canada Lubricants is the only
supplier that can provide an H1 food grade
fluid, PURITY FG Synthetic Fluid 46, along-
side HYDREX™ AW 46, PCLI’s H2 non-food
grade hydraulic fluid for plastic injection
molding applications.
ASTM International Guide
Supports Digital Contact Thermometers
West Conshohocken, Pa.-based, ASTM Inter-
national’s committee on petroleum products,
liquid fuels, and lubricants has approved a
guide that provides criteria for selecting
digital contact thermometers (DCTs) that
will accurately measure temperature when
performing test methods.
The guide will help both manufacturers,
standards developers and users of DCTs
in the petroleum industry. The criteria are
based on the design and characteristics of
liquid-in-glass (LiG) thermometers that have
also successfully been used in the commit-
tee’s test methods.
“The thermal conductivity of a DCT probe
is significantly different from that of a LiG
thermometer,” says Kenneth Henderson,
consultant, McEinri Associates. “While this
may not be a significant issue in stirred
baths, it is very significant when measuring
the temperature of small static samples.”
Henderson notes that this standard pro-
vides specific parameters for a DCT that are
based on how the current liquid-in-glass
WWW.STLE.ORG
temperature measurement device is cur-
rently used in a test method. The guide’s
criteria will assist standards developers in
establishing criteria for a DCT that is suit-
able for use in their test methods. DCT man-
ufacturers will find the guide useful when
offering devices and noting performance
criteria for customers such as petroleum
laboratories.
Dr. D. Scott MacKenzie
Elected President of IFHTSE
Valley Forge, Pa.-based, Houghton Interna-
tional, a global leader in metalworking fluids
and services, announces that D. Scott MacK-
enzie, Ph.D., senior research scientist–met-
allurgy, has been elected by the Internation-
al Federation of Heat Treating and Surface
Engineering (IFHTSE) to serve as president
for a two-year term.
MacKenzie has been in the American
Society of Metals (ASM) representative to
IFHTSE Executive Committee since 2015.
He completed his bachelor’s of science de-
gree in metallurgical engineering at The
Ohio State University in 1982, and earned
his master’s of science degree and doctor-
ate from the University of Missouri-Rolla in
1993 and 2000, respectively. He was made
an ASM Fellow in 2007. With Houghton, he is
responsible for sales
and technical sup-
port of heat treating
customers globally.
He has published
more than 150 pub-
lications and books,
mainly in the field
of heat treating and
quenching.
Previously
Dr. D. Scott
MacKenzie was an MacKenzie
associate technical
Fellow at Boeing, St. Louis, responsible for
conducting failure analysis of structural
aerospace components. He also was a man-
ufacturing engineer at McDonnell Douglas,
responsible for all aluminum, steel and nick-
el-based super alloys at the St. Louis facility.
Want to be recognized in TLT? If you have news about a new employee or if someone in your company has been recognized with an award or any other interesting items, let us know. Please
send us your news releases and photos for publication in Newsmakers to TLT Magazine, Attn: Rachel Fowler, 840 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, IL 60068, rfowler@stle.org.
WWW.STLE.ORG
PROMOTIONS & TRANSITIONS polymers business
in North and South
P2 Science Hires America with a
Commercial Manager particular focus on
the pharmaceuti-
Woodbridge, Conn.-based, P2 Science Inc., cal, nutraceutical,
a venture-backed, biorenewable chemistry food, cosmetics,
company, announces Ryan Cheng has joined personal care and
the management team of the company with industrial markets.
responsibility for revenue generation. He later joined the Ryan Cheng
The company is currently building its BASF Corp. Pharma
first manufacturing plant in Naugatuck, Solutions group to lead sales, business de-
Conn. The plant will be in commercial pro- velopment and account management activ-
duction in Q4 of 2018 with initial sales target- ities with key customers in the U.S. market.
ed at the flavor and fragrance and cosmetics Cheng holds a master’s of science de-
industries. gree in chemistry from the University of
Cheng started his career on the mar- Rochester and earned dual bachelor’s and
keting and sales team at Nisso America master’s of arts degrees with high honors
Inc. where he grew its flagship excipient from Brandeis University.
STLE Chicago Section Awards Scholarships
The STLE ChicagoSection, which was named Outstand-
ing Large Section of the Year at STLE’s recently conclud-
ed Annual Meeting, has awarded its 2018 scholarship
to two candidates. The amount increased to $8,000 this
year, and both winners received a portion of the schol-
arship award.
Arman Kahn is a second-year doctorate student
in the mechanical engineering department at North-
western University. His research aims to make energy
systems more efficient by improving lubrication and
Arman Kahn
anti-friction performance through surface modification
strategies as well as development of new lubricant ad-
ditives.
Vanessa DaSilva earned her associate’s degree in
science from College of DuPage and will pursue a de-
gree in chemical engineering from University of Illinois
at Chicago in the Fall. In addition, DaSilva works at Ar-
gonne National Laboratory as a research aid, research-
ing new materials in coatings to improve reliability and
increase efficiency in hydraulic systems. Vanessa DaSilva
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 79
NEW PRODUCTS

SONGNOX® L570 Antioxidant

SONGWON Industrial Co., Ltd. introduced

SONGNOX® L570 at the STLE Annual Meeting
& Exhibition in Minneapolis in May, the latest
addition to its range of antioxidants for fuels
and lubricants. SONGNOX® L570 complements
SONGWON’s broad aminic, phenol, phosphite
and thioester antioxidant product range, further
extending its breadth and depth. SONGNOX®
L570 is manufactured in SONGWON’s world-
class facility in South Korea where industry
standard aminic (SONGNOX® L670) and phenolic
(SONGNOX® L135) antioxidants are already pro-
duced, adding further economic value through
production efficiency and scale. SONGNOX® L570
is a liquid butylated/octylated diphenylamine
antioxidant that provides lubricating oils with
excellent protection against thermo-oxidative
degradation by reacting with and stabilizing
free radicals.

SONGWON Industrial Co., Ltd.

Ulsan, South Korea Photo courtesy of SONGWON Industrial Co., Ltd.
+82 52 273 9841
www.songwon.com

New Additive in Next Generation of

Baeropol® RST Stabilization Technology

Baerlocher USA, part of Baerlocher Group, a leading

global supplier of plastics additives, introduces the
next generation of its industry-leading Baeropol® RST
resin stabilization technology. Baeropol DRS 6812,
the newest product from Baerlocher USA’s Special
Additives division, is a key component of the com-
pany’s expanding Baeropol RST global technology
platform. The new additive delivers improvements in
melt stability, polymer color and antioxidant solubil-
ity—all critical elements for stabilizing and recycling
resins—and can be used as a 1:1 direct replacement
for most secondary phosphite antioxidants. Baeropol
RST chemistry can be suitable for generally recog-
nized-as-safe applications, making it applicable for
indirect food contact. Target applications include food
packaging and regrind stabilization.

Baerlocher USA
Cincinnati, Ohio
(513) 482-6300
Photo courtesy of Baerlocher USA. www.baerlocherusa.com

80 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

Axial Piston Pump, Electrohydraulic Actuator, High-Flow
Proportional Valves and Modular Medium-Voltage AC Drive

Danfoss Power Solutions launches several new products that will help OEMs,
system integrators, distributors and naval architects improve performance and
reliability.
The D1 open circuit high power axial piston pump is a high-pressure,
high-performance variable axial piston pump developed specifically for open-cir-
cuit systems in the most extreme application environments—making it an ideal
solution for the offshore, marine, and oil and gas markets.
The PVE-EX electrohydraulic actuator offers closed loop spool position con- D1 open circuit high power
trol and event monitoring technology, providing users with the ability to monitor axial piston pump.
hydraulic system faults while also offering highly reliable and precise valve
control. It enables the use of PVG valves in harsh environments with explosive
atmospheres.
The PVG 128 and PVG 256 high-flow proportional valves are designed to
easily integrate with the existing line of Danfoss high-performance proportional
valves—PVG 16 and PVG 32—to supply the hydraulic flow from low to high within
the same valve stack. A special turbo version of the PVG 256 also is available,
increasing the flow up to 500 liters (132 gallons) per minute.
Designed to meet the specific needs of industrial medium-voltage appli-
cations between 3,300 and 4,160 volts, the VACON® 3000 is a modular drive
solution that enables the complete customization of the enclosure to serve the
unique needs of a variety of applications, including those with limited space and
stringent conditions, and is currently available in powers up to 6 MW.

Danfoss Power Solutions

Ames, Iowa
(515) 239-6000
www.danfoss.com/en/about-danfoss/our-businesses/power-solutions

PVE-EX electrohydraulic actuator

PVG 128 and PVG 256 high-flow

proportional valves.

VACON® 3000 modular medium-voltage AC drive. Photos courtesy of Danfoss Power Solutions.

WWW.STLE.ORG TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 81

Q NEW PRODUCTS

Prisma SEM Platform

Scientists working in industrial and academic R&D, quality control and failure anal-
ysis laboratories now have access to a simple but powerful new scanning electron
microscope (SEM) that also offers a full range of imaging and analytical options for
more complex investigations. The new Thermo Scientific Prisma SEM platform incor-
porates extensive automation and a friendly user interface that make it easy to learn
and operate in routine industrial applications while preserving the flexibility needed in
a research or academic setting. The Prisma platform features advanced automation;
robust support for analytics; a large, precise and flexible stage; and a wide range of
optional accessories. Its configurability makes it an ideal solution for many different
types of customers. Labs with narrower dedicated needs will value its speed and sim-
plicity, while multi-user, multi-application facilities will appreciate the broad selection
of optional imaging detectors and analytical tools available on a single integrated
platform. Guided workflows make the system easy to learn and operate.

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Waltham, Mass.
(800) 955-6288
www.thermofisher.com Photo courtesy of
Thermo Fisher Scientific.

First Connected Desiccant Breather
Des-Case Corp., a market leader in desiccant breathers and manufac-
turer of specialty filtration products that improve process equipment
reliability and extend lubricant life for companies around the world,
announces the launch of IsoLogic™, the first connected desiccant
breather. Patent-pending IsoLogic is Des-Case’s first entrance into
the rapidly growing Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) space, expand-
ing on the launch of the first desiccant breather by the company in
1983 and its many innovations since. Des-Case IsoLogic leverages
connected technology to offer the most accu-
rate breather on the market. By eliminating
the subjectivity of color-changing desiccant
media, IsoLogic sensor technology within the
breather provides a digital reading of remain-
ing breather life, saturation direction and
breather temperature. An accurate reading of
breather status means the breather is never
replaced too early or left on too long leaving
an asset unprotected. The humidity and tem-
perature sensors in the desiccant breather
communicate through an RFID-connected
module, which synchronizes via Bluetooth to
the corresponding IsoLogic app. Users are
able to view current breather status through
a visual dashboard on the app and monitor
alerts related to breather saturation, tem-
perature and battery life.

Des-Case Corp.
Goodlettsville, Tenn.
(615) 672-8800
Photo courtesy of Des-Case Corp. www.descase.com

82 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

A partner whose real value
lies beneath the surface
At GEO, our PAG base stocks and fully formulated lubricants deliver high levels
of performance, but they’re not the only thing that set us apart. What really matters
to our customers isn’t just what we provide, it’s the way we provide it.

When you work with us, you get a partner that cares about quality. It’s there in
the way we listen to your needs and respond with innovative, tailored solutions;
it’s there in the way we take responsibility and respect the environment.
Most importantly, it’s there whatever the size of your project.

If you’ve got a special requirement, speak with one of our development team –
they’d love to hear from you.

Call: +44 (0)23 8024 5390

Email: GEOlubricants@geosc.com
Q NEW PRODUCTS
UCON™ WaterGuard Stabilizers
To help improve machinery lubrication reliability at sea and in oth-
er water-prone environments, The Dow Chemical Co. has launched
a technology under
the UCON™ brand
of polyalkylene gly-
col (PAG) fluids and
lubricants. UCON™
WaterGuard (WG)
Stabilizers offer a
readily biodegrad-
able option for es-
ter-based lubricants
that are prone to
hydrolysis, and re-
sulting fluid degra-
dation, when exposed
to moisture or water.
They can be utilized
in a wide variety of
applications across
industries, including
marine applications
where abundant wa-
ter can accelerate
Innovative and Safe
Low-Foaming Emulsifiers
Clariant, a world-leader in spe-
cialty chemicals, launches emul-
sifiers to replace traditional al-
cohol ethoxylate-based products
for metalworking fluid formula-
tions. The new products—Emul-
sogen® MTP 020, Emulsogen
MTP 030 and Emulsogen MTP
090—join Clariant’s well-known
Emulsogen MTP 070 to further
contribute to the company’s in-
novative new range of hazard
label-free, low foaming emul-
sifiers for the chemicals indus-
try. Clariant’s enhanced Emul-
sogen MTP 020/030/070/090
range combines an outstanding
sustainability profile with per-
formance-boosting properties
that sets it apart from existing
84 • J U LY 2 0 1 8
acid formation, lubricant degradation and machinery failure. Based
on a flexible chemistry, two UCON™ WaterGuard Stabilizer options
are currently available. The WG-1 stabilizer can be used with natural
esters or triglycerides (vegetable oils) and unsaturated and saturated
synthetic esters. The
WG-2 stabilizer is in-
tended for use with
saturated synthetic
esters. In addition to
being biodegradable,
these stabilizers can
be used in food-grade
applications (food-
grade lubricants or
food additives, re-
spectively), demon-
strating the versatil-
ity of this technology.
Dow Chemical Co.
Midland, Mich.
(989) 636-1000
www.dow.com
Photo courtesy of Dow
Chemical Co.
non-ionic emulsifier options
for cutting fluids. Extensive
laboratory tests confirm that
Emulsogen MTP 020/030/070
and 090 outperform traditional
emulsifiers. They are multifunc-
tional additives offering excellent
emulsification power, low-foam-
ing tendency, lime soap dispers-
ing capability and lubrication.
Each product has its unique
performance profile, enabling
the cutting fluid formulators to
select the right product for each
individual performance require-
ment. Importantly, the products
perform well even with increas-
ing fluid application pressures.
Clariant
Muttenz, Switzerland
+41 61 469 51 11
Photo courtesy of Clariant. www.clariant.com
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG
 Thank you
On behalf of the entire society, STLE’s Board of Directors would like to extend its sincerest thanks and appreciation to
the companies that sponsored events at our successful 2018 Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Please join us as we look forward to an equally successful 2019 STLE Annual Meeting & Exhibition, May 19-23 at the
Omni Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee (U.S.). For information on 2019 sponsorship opportunities, contact
Tracy Nicholas VanEe, (630) 922-3459, tnicholas@stle.org.

2018 STLE Annual Meeting Sponsors

Palladium: $4,000 Silver: $750

Afton Chemical Corp. ................................. Guestroom Key Cards
ANGUS Chemical Co. ......................................... Registration Bags
Emery Oleochemicals.................................. Networking Reception
Ergon, Inc. .................................................... Networking Reception
Focus Chemical ................................. Annual Meeting Mobile App
Loadmaster Lubricants .............................. Networking Reception
Monson, an Azelis Company ............. Water Bottle Welcome Gift
The Lubrizol Corp. .... Refreshment Breaks Plus Water Stations
Titanium Plus: More than $3,000
Evonik Oil Additives .............. Exhibitor Appreciation Hour Raffle
Münzing ................................................................. Badge Lanyards
Pilot Chemical Co. ...................... Relaxation/Recharging Lounge
Titanium: $3,000
Chevron Inc. ................................................. Presidents Luncheon
Croda Inc. ........................................... Education Course Materials
Falex Corp. ................................................... Networking Reception
Shanghai Starry Chemical Co., Ltd. ......... Networking Reception
Vanderbilt Chemicals ................................. Networking Reception
Platinum: $2,000
STLE Chicago Section ................................ Networking Reception
Zschimmer & Schwarz ....................... Speakers Breakfast Series
ChemCeed LLC ............................................ Networking Reception
Industrial Oils Unlimited ........................... Networking Reception
King Industries ........................................... Networking Reception
Savant Group .............................................. Networking Reception
Bronze: $500
Acme-Hardesty ........................................... Networking Reception
AJM Additives Inc. ...................................... Networking Reception
American Refining Group ........................... Networking Reception
AXEL Royal LLC ............................................ Networking Reception
Compass Instruments ................................ Networking Reception
FedChem ...................................................... Networking Reception
Hall Technologies ....................................... Networking Reception
ICL-IP America, Inc. .................................... Networking Reception
Lockhart Chemical ...................................... Networking Reception
Lube-Tech & Partners ................................ Networking Reception
STLE Detroit Section .................................. Networking Reception
STLE Houston Section ................................ Networking Reception
STLE Oklahoma Section ............................. Networking Reception
TH Hilson ..................................................... Networking Reception
Copper: Less than $500
STLE Portland Section ............................... Networking Reception
STLE Seattle-Tacoma Section ................... Networking Reception

Gold: $1,000

The American Society of Mechanical

Engineers (ASME) ................................... Networking Reception
ExxonMobil Chemical ................................. Networking Reception
Ideas Inc. ...................................................... Networking Reception
Southwest Research Institute .................. Networking Reception
STLE Hamilton Section .............................. Networking Reception
STLE Philadelphia Section ........................ Networking Reception
The Timken Co. ............................................ Networking Reception

WWW.STLE.ORG TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 85

SOUNDING BOARD

© Can Stock Photo / monkeybusiness

Executive Summary

TLT asked about the lube industry’s workforce shortage. Here’s what readers said.
• The lubricants business is perceived as less attractive than other high-tech fields.
• Our industry does a poor job of creating public awareness of the importance of tribology.
• Universities do not provide enough lubrication science courses in their curricula.

To reverse the situation, industry stakeholders should:

• Increase salaries and advancement opportunities for current and incoming employees.
• Focus on tribology education/STEM at the high school and elementary levels.
• Showcase the opportunities, challenges and rewards of a career in the lubricants business.

86 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

Q.1 What accounts for the shortage of talented young
people entering the lubricants industry?
Lubricants aren’t sexy.
Children are led to believe
that the only way to have the
lifestyle their parents (and the
elite advertised on TV and the
Internet) is to go to university
and pursue computing and
programming jobs. We need
to shift our education to be
a bit more like in Europe
(specifically Germany but not
to such an extreme), where
trades and apprenticeships
are more prevalent and not
discouraged.
Perceived glamour of IT-
related jobs.
Education about the field:
lubrication science, tribology,
MWFs, etc., are part of only
some degree courses (relevant
tribological principles should
be part of any engineering
course). Even fewer technical
colleges and schools include
material on these.
(1.) They know little or nothing
about the industry. (2.) Those
who do know about it might
not perceive it as an attractive
industry and probably have
no idea about the range of
opportunities. (3.) Emphasis
of industry and academia on
autonomy versus other more
traditional engineering and
science subjects.
It’s not an attractive business to
the young outsiders. They are
more interested in computer
work and writing code.
WWW.STLE.ORG
Lack of interest in younger
population and too much time
wasted on social media such
as this.
Market forces shift, and if
salaries don’t accommodate,
entry-level engineers will
choose a career out of
practicality. If salaries are
more than competitive, word
gets around fast and there is
no shortage.
My general impression is
that major oil companies are
scaling back their research
and development efforts
regarding lubricants. What
we see to be a gap is in
reality a gradual reduction
of job openings. The private
lube blenders are probably
blending liquid lubricants with
less emphasis on lubricating
grease. Also the small
lubricant manufacturers may
be consolidating products,
which reduces manpower
requirements. That is, the gap
may actually be a mirage.
I do not think there is a
shortage of young technical
talent, but if there is the
future of lubricants business
will survive because the
experienced folks are working
until they drop.
The lubricants industries
do not have much public
awareness, so industries
like pharmaceuticals and
computers tend to be more
attractive.
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
Our industry is not glamorous
and not a favorite of many
teachers in today’s society,
despite the real need for our
products and the offer of
good jobs.
Is attracting and retaining
talented young technical
people a problem for your
organization?
Yes
No
No, but we expect
it soon
Based on responses sent to 15,000 TLT
readers.
The lubricants industry
obviously isn’t seen as exciting
or sexy enough for the current
generation. Perhaps there’s
not enough profile at the
tertiary education stage?
Young people are attracted to
a more sustainable and clean
business.
The lubricants business
has been taking a bad rap
in most media outlets as
being dangerous, dirty and
unsustainable. The younger
generation is leaning toward
environmentally friendly jobs
and corporations.
Need more training for young
people.
Quite simple, fewer in the
younger generation have a
good work ethic. Anecdotally,
my kids were hustling work in
the neighborhood when they
were 11. Kids today think that
is beneath them.
A lack of universities and
colleges offering courses that
include the study of lubricants.
No one knows about the
lubricant industry. So many
56%
young people want to be
marine biologists!
26%
Intentional understaffing
18% in technical positions and
minimal career options.
The issue is that companies
did not hire people who would
now be in their 40s in the mid-
to late 1990s. This leads to
current bifurcated work force
of 55 and older and under 30.
Lack of diversity. Too few
females. Old Boys Network
Syndrome. These factors make
it less attractive to young
professionals and make our
industry seem old fashioned.
The metalworking fluids and
lubricant industry has so many
fly-by-night companies that
start up during busy times and
fizzle out when business slows
down.
A focus on data analysis and
code development is drawing
technical talent from other
critical areas.
J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 87
Q SOUNDING BOARD
I believe that due to the nature
of one’s effort to maintain their
position within a company,
one must hide or keep
knowledge to themselves to
maintain value in their minds.
This has made it difficult for
new members to join the
arena. Now that this group is
approaching retirement, there
are not many persons behind
them to fill these positions.
With a low awareness level
of these positions due to this
nature, it has created a gap in
the generations.
We lack a correct teaching
system that focuses on
the elements of practical
implementation of lubrication
projects.
Young people don’t view
the lubricants industry as
attractive as other fields, and
fewer want a long-term R&D
career.
Q.2 What can engineering-oriented non-profits and their
members do to encourage talented young people to
enter the lubricants industry?
As the trades are trying to
do, emphasize that jobs are
available to those that learn
this area of science/chemistry.
Raise the profile of the
industry in a way that appeals
to younger talent.
Create a list of major tribology
technical challenges and
develop posters promoting
tribology for display at
universities.
88 • J U LY 2 0 1 8
Lack of publicity? Our industry
is multidisciplinary, yet only
a limited number of schools
offer anything but focused
mechanical or chemical
engineering.
The industry apparently is not
attractive or exciting enough
to capture the interest of the
younger technical people.
The lubricants business isn’t
viewed as being particularly
glamorous or lucrative. With
very few schools offering
classes in tribology and
even fewer specifically
targeting development of
future tribologists, the pool of
available talent is limited.
More of the experienced
people currently in the field
have or are about to retire,
and not enough of the younger
generation are showing an
interest in this area of study.
Participate in outreach events
about STEM subjects to school
students to encourage more to
start STEM education/careers
in the first place. Technical
experts can work with
education/training providers
to deliver high-quality and
relevant tribological/LE
teaching materials to students
in STEM courses/training.
It’s not rocket science: pay
more.
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
Lubes are considered not
fashionable by students. They
like robots and control. In our
country (Western Europe) a
world-renown oil company
moved from first place as
most-wanted employer to a
modest position in the ranking,
I believe sixth. Our industry is
associated with dirt and not
with transition to a sustainable
world by many.
Lack of interest in the
lubricants business; it’s not
necessarily a glorious market
to work in.
Many people have left the
industry due to mergers and
headcount reductions. Larger
companies are no longer
training individuals in their
onsite training facilities.
This eliminates a whole
level of skilled people
available to fill positions in
the lubricants field.
Sponsor courses in selected
education establishments.
(1.) Increase engagement
at the high school level by
increasing STEM involvement.
(2.) Increase engagement
with universities, including
promotion via STLE members
from academia and alumni.
(3.) Establish scholarships
that engage new audiences,
including high school seniors,
machinist candidates, etc.
Lack of lubrication education at
the university level.
A combination of lots of
attention to electronic devices
and a lack of exposure to
problems caused by wear
and friction.
Same everywhere, rather
than train staff, business has
chosen to hire away good
people rather than write
training manuals and teaching
young talent. Now the gray
beards are retiring, and there
are no more good people nor
training materials.
I think young people are not
getting enough opportunities
in the lubricant business
because of experienced people
sitting on chairs for many
years.
Very difficult. Emphasize high-
tech futures and some of the
more exotic applications.
Encourage educators to
present STEM subjects as real-
world tools and solve real-
world examples to develop an
interest in students for science
and mathematics.
Educate high-schoolers and
society in general if the funds
exist.
WWW.STLE.ORG
 You work in a
technical world.
Should you belong to
a technical society?
Keeping current with technical changes in the lubricants
field is a daunting task.
More than 3,000 of your peers have solved this problem by
joining the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers.
STLE is the premier technical organization representing
lubrication professionals and tribology researchers.
Professionals from industry, academia and government join
STLE because they know no organization offers a more
complete look at the field of tribology.
STLE provides the lubricant industry’s highest level of
technical training and professional development. But the
benefits of membership don’t stop there.
STLE membership is a mark of distinction. It confers the seal
of authority on you and your organization and affiliates you
with the world’s leading experts in lubrication.
You work in a technical world. You belong in a technical
society. You belong in STLE.
Learn more about the benefits of STLE membership
and how to join at www.stle.org.

© Can Stock Photo Inc. / sjenner13

Follow us on

Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, 840 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, IL 60068 • 847-825-5536 • info@stle.org • www.stle.org
Q SOUNDING BOARD
Lubricant-industry jobs
are extremely hard-work
employment. Today’s young
talented people seek quick
return in short period. Teach
them time management.
Promote the importance of
lubricants to the general
public, government officials,
etc.
Get into schools early, promote
the range of jobs, salaries and
key people that youngsters
can relate to in order to be
inspired. As with the robotics
competitions, there are gains
to be made in this area. I
also recall a TV show about
a soapbox race where the
winner’s dad used AeroShell to
lubricate the wheels. Teaching
kids about lubrication, not
just vehicle construction, is a
thought.
There needs to be more of a
connection with the relevant
departments at not only
tertiary education but also
high schools, i.e., the sciences,
engineering degrees, etc.
Promote the petroleum
industry as a whole for what it
is: necessary, safe, sustainable
and affordable. Combat the
negative bombardment of
info from the environmental
advocates.
Emphasize to the industrial
world the savings advantages
that are found in the correct
management of lubricants.
Work with some of the major
companies that will need these
talented people in the future.
Editor’s Note: Sounding Board is based on an informal poll of 15,000 TLT readers. Views expressed are those of the respondents and do not reflect the
opinions of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. STLE does not vouch for the technical accuracy of opinions expressed in Sounding Board,
nor does inclusion of a comment represent an endorsement of the technology by STLE.
90 • J U LY 2 0 1 8
Announce the workforce
shortage in the lubricant
industry and that students
will find jobs directly after
graduation. That should
work.
(1.) Continue to be involved
with high-school STEM
programs and (2.) develop
tribology courses and
promote their use in colleges/
universities.
The problem is the industry,
not STLE.
More summer intern programs.
Participate in K-12 STEM
programs and scholarship
programs for post-secondary
students.
Visit college campuses.
Explain the tremendous
role that lubrication plays in
making our world work.
It will take making lubrication
engineering a more interesting
career choice. I belong to the
American Foundry Society,
and we struggle as well.
We host fundraisers (golf
outings, chapter meetings,
casino nights, raffles) to
raise scholarship money for
individuals getting into that
field.
Show in an early stage, i.e.,
the first and second year of
university.
Show the opportunities,
challenges and rewards of
working in the lubricants
business and customer
relationships.
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
All industries must show that
data analytics, apps, etc.,
are useless unless there are
products and services that are
supported by them. Someone
has to create these products
and services.
Anyone seeking talent must
start with the young crowd;
by this I am talking about
elementary school. This is
when kids begin to learn about
the possibilities of what kind
of career they can have or who
they want to be when they
grow up. Yes, it is not easy and
exciting to explain lubrication
or tribology to a 5th grader,
however, this is the age group
where they need to become
aware that it even exists. Then
as they move through middle
and high school they can learn
more and more as groups like
STLE engage these students.
By end of high school, many
students will only choose a
path that they are aware of. If
they do not know it exists, they
cannot partake.
Sponsor more opportunities
for the young technical talent
to understand the industry
through interaction with
experience.
Work with university
engineering departments
and educate them on the
partnership of lubrication and
engineering.
Keep working on supporting
and expanding STEM
education, but add more of a
mechanical path. What about
developing an STLE-supported
competition?
Corporate members, in
particular, should continue
to sponsor and conduct on-
campus informational and
internship job fair programs as
well as offer scholarships to
promote the business.
Make training and
certifications more accessible
to everyone, not just to people
in the major cities and centers.
Emphasize the role of
lubricants in improving
reliability, operating life and
energy efficiency and increase
financial rewards, including
for those already working in
the field.
Offer onsite, hands-on
tribological training programs.
Weekend courses at corporate
labs or universities that
have tribology programs.
Co-sponsor corporate
programs that provide
training.
You need to hire summer
interns from high school to
shadow your sales staff as
they go to meetings with
component suppliers.
Make sure they leave with
an appreciation of how
rockets, fighter jets, race
cars and power generation
systems are all dependent
on lubrication and that there
are fun jobs working with
cool stuff that they should
enroll in at college to
prepare for.
Show how participating in
this industry is for the greater
good of Mankind. What is our
higher purpose?
WWW.STLE.ORG
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TLT ADVERTISERS INDEX

JULY 2018 • VOL. 74, NO.7

Next in TLT:
August
Company Page
(Exhibitor Special—Buy an ad,
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Bruker 5 Ad close: June 22

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Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. 73
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Cannon Instrument Co. 23 • Seals
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Chevron Oronite Co., LLC 57 • Automotive Tribology

CRC Press - Taylor & Francis Group 93

September
Elco/Italmatch Chemicals 71 (TLT 15-year Anniversary
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ExxonMobil Chemical Co. 11 Materials: Aug. 1

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2019 STLE Annual Meeting Call for Papers 99 November

Ad close: Sept. 24
STLE Certification 103 Materials: Oct. 1
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For information on how to customize a multi-media marketing program
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92 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

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experimental analysis of biological
macromolecules, including proteins,
carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic ac-
ids. The presentation includes frequent cross-references in order to
KLJKOLJKWWKHPDQ\FRQQHFWLRQVEHWZHHQGLƢHUHQWWHFKQLTXHV7KH
book provides a bird’s eye view of the entire subject and enables the
reader to select the most appropriate method for any given bioana-
lytical challenge. This makes the book a handy resource for students
and researchers in setting up and evaluating experimental research.
Available at www.wiley.com. List Price: $135.00 (USD), hardcover.
Tribocatalysis, Tribochemistry, and Tribocorrosions
Editors: Czeslaw Kajdas and Ken’ichi Hiratsuka
Publisher: CRC Press
This book focuses on the triboemission
of low-energy electrons from the freshly
generated surface. These electrons play
the most crucial role in the chemical re-
actions at the tribological interface. New
models and TIP (thermodymanics of ir-
reversible processes) describe in detail
the behavior of emitted electrons, which
lower the activation energy of the chem-
ical reactions. It presents a detailed yet
lucid discussion on tribocatalysis, which
will become more and more important in
tribochemistry in the future, with a special reference to the decrease
in activation energy. This book also highlights tribocatalysis phe-
nomena as examples of the lowering of the activation energy. A book
titled Tribocatalysis has never been published before this. Available
at www.crcpress.com. List Price: $169.95 (USD), hardcover.
94 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
STLE Certification Exams
67/(LVRƢHULQJFHUWLƁFDWLRQH[DPVLQWKHFRPLQJPRQWKV
Here is the information on each exam:
• August 23 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. at Lubrication Engi-
neers Inc., 1919 Tulsa St. E, Wichita, Kansas.
• August 31 from 8-11 a.m. at the Hampton Inn &
Suites Cleveland-Airport Hotel, 7074 Engle Rd.,
Middleburg Heights, Ohio.
For the online registration form, go to www.stle.org;
click on the professional development tab at the top.
7KHQJRWRFHUWLƁFDWLRQWKHQUHJLVWUDWLRQ2QOLQHUHJLV-
tration closes two weeks prior to the exam date. Onsite
UHJLVWUDWLRQPD\EHDYDLODEOHRQDƁUVWFRPHƁUVWVHUYH
basis. For more information and for other methods of reg-
istering, you may contact STLE headquarters by emailing
FHUWLƁFDWLRQ#VWOHRUJ or calling (847) 825-5536.
Industry Conferences
US Base Oils & Lubricants Summit
ACI’s US Base Oils & Lubricants Summit is Aug. 22-23 in
Des Moines, Iowa. The two-day event brings together pro-
fessionals across the lubricant supply chain to address cur-
rent industry issues, explore new opportunities and network
with peers. As regulations on the quality of both heavy-duty
and passenger car motors oils become more strict, profes-
sionals across the entire lubricant spectrum can feel the im-
pact. Learn how leaders from base oil producers, lubricant
blenders, additive manufacturers and original equipment
manufacturers are confronting these challenges and push-
ing the boundaries of what modern lubricants are capable
of. For more information, visit www.wplgroup.com/aci/
event/us-base-oils-lubricants-summit/.
ICETAT 2018
The International Conference on Engineering Tribology
and Applied Technology 2018 (ICETAT 2018) is Nov. 16-18
at the Howard Civil Service International House in Taipei,
Taiwan. The theme for this year is Engineering Tribology
Technology. Topics include basic friction and wear, lubrica-
tion, contact mechanics, surface engineering and coating,
biotribology and more. For more details on the conference,
visit www.tstt.org.tw/icetat2018.
WWW.STLE.ORG
Online Database

Institute of Materials Launches 2017 Engine Oil Database

The Institute of Materials (IOM) online database provides the • More local market brands collected and analyzed
lubricant industry with unprecedented access to engine oil data • Third year that the Africa region is available with numerous
DYDLODEOHE\JHRJUDSKLFUHJLRQRUDVDFXVWRPFRQƁJXUHGGDWDVHW oils from South Africa.
The 2017 engine oil database is now available online.
As engines are rapidly changing in design so, too, are engine oils. For more information or to arrange a demonstration, contact
The demands placed on today’s oils far surpass the demands of little &XVWRPHU6HUYLFH#,QVWLWXWH2I0DWHULDOVFRP.
more than a decade ago. In many cases, oil manufacturers rise to
meet the challenge of evolving technology, providing the motorized
world with products of engineering ingenuity. In other cases, oils
fall short of expectations and requirements. STLE-member Norm
Kanar, marketing & sales manager for Institute of Materials, explains,
“Access to IOM data can assist savvy marketers and researchers to
appraise the present quality and dependability of marketed oils to
meet the rapidly growing needs of modern engines.”
The IOM engine oil data has numerous uses including—compar-
ing crucial competitor properties, auditing blend consistency, moni-
toring formulation changes, assessing oil quality in the marketplace,
discovering trends in technology and using the data for technical or
marketing presentations. Multiple devices such as phones and tab-
lets can be used to access and order IOM data from across the globe.
1HZIHDWXUHVDQGEHQHƁWVLQFOXGH
• Increased collection of low-viscosity oils such as
0W16, 0W20 and 5W20
• Additional emphasis on collecting heavy-duty diesel
engine oils

WWW.STLE.ORG TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 95

CAREER COACH

The
passive
job
search
An approach with unexpected career benefits.

By Ken Pelczarski

W e all have a good feelingIRUKRZVDWLVƁHGZHDUHLQRXUFXUUHQWMREV

As a result, we often decide not to spend any time looking at the job market
and may even turn away possible opportunities without careful evaluation.
Below are a few important questions to ask yourself to determine your level
of job satisfaction.

• Do you enjoy your job day to day?

ť $UH\RXVXƣFLHQWO\FKDOOHQJHG"
• Are you utilizing your skill set to the fullest?
• Do you have a great boss?
ť 'R\RXƁWZHOOZLWKWKHFRPSDQ\FXOWXUH"
• Do you have future growth opportunities?

Even if you answered yes to all the above questions, you may still want to
keep an eye on the job market. You might be surprised at some of the career
EHQHƁWV\RXFDQDFKLHYHWKURXJKlistening and learning when opportunities arise.
,I\RXDUHVXFFHVVIXOLQ\RXUƁHOG\RXZLOOEHFRQWDFWHGDERXWFDUHHURS-
portunities weekly or monthly by industry colleagues, independent recruiters
and directly by employers. Not only should each opportunity be examined
carefully, but the professionalism of each contact should be evaluated to
determine your desire to build and maintain a relationship.

96 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

 Top 10 ƁHOGV7KHUHLVDOZD\VQHZLQ-
FDUHHUEHQHɠWV formation out there that could
IURPDSDVVLYH
MREVHDUFK
1. Bolster your network.
Networking is the most com-
PRQZD\LQGLYLGXDOVƁQGQHZ
career opportunities. By keep-
ing in touch with your exist-
ing network and continually
making new industry contacts,
you will enhance and expand
\RXUFXUUHQWQHWZRUNDQGƁQG
yourself helping others and re-
ceiving help from others more
frequently. On the other hand,
you will have more limited
opportunities when you tell
yourself you are happy with
your current job and do not
communicate much with other
industry professionals.
LQƂXHQFHKRZ\RXFRQGXFW
your current job, (2.) your ap-
proaches to problem solving,
(3.) your further education, (4.)
how to utilize your recently ac-
quired advanced degree and/
or (5.) whether you decide to
look for another position or
Tend to and maintain start your own business. By lis-
your professional network even tening with an open mind when
when you're not looking for a job. opportunities arise, you will
It's a seed you plant for the future. learn industry news and trends
such as types of backgrounds in
demand, growing industry sec-
3. Keep your resume updat- satisfaction, better utilization of tors, mergers and acquisitions,
ed. This is a critical document to your skill set and a career path companies expanding and hir-
keep updated and have available to achieve your long-term goals. ing and technology trends. You
to present to a prospective em- may even pick up tips on how to
ployer or a networking contact. It 5. Examine your monetary stay ahead of the competition.
is much easier to update your re- value. In the course of listen-
sume on a regular basis (at least ing to potential career oppor- 7. Be visible. Staying visible
2. Provide colleagues with
industry leads. Networking
is about the mutual exchange
of ideas, information and inter-
ests so each individual is in a
better position to help the other
person when a suitable career
opportunity arises. You will
frequently learn about oppor-
tunities that do not interest you,
especially if you are not actively
job searching. By sharing infor-
mation such as job leads and
© Can Stock Photo / glopphy
speaking engagement opportu-
nities with industry colleagues,
they are more likely to keep you
in mind for future opportunities
that may interest you.
WWW.STLE.ORG
DQQXDOO\WKDQWRJREDFNƁYHWR
10 years and try to remember
all your accomplishments and
key responsibilities. When you
are open to listening to new ca-
reer opportunities, situations will
arise that should stimulate you to
keep your resume current.
4. Measure your job against
other opportunities. You may
think you are currently in the
best role possible for personal
job satisfaction and growth. It
will benefit your career, how-
ever, to test the market peri-
odically to discover the types
of opportunities that could be
available to give you greater job
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
tunities, you will be speaking
with prospective employers,
independent recruiters, net-
working contacts and industry
colleagues. You should be able
to gain a consensus from these
sources regarding your average
worth in the industry. You will
learn compensation ranges for
similar roles with other employ-
ers. You also should be able to
obtain valued opinions from
industry peers regarding what
compensation range is right for
your background.
6. Stay informed on industry
trends. The lubricants industry
is as dynamic as most other
among industry peers allows
others to keep better informed
of your activities, accomplish-
ments, goals and job status. You
may be surprised at opportuni-
ties that come your way in areas
such as presenting, publishing,
volunteering and even a better
job. Maintain industry visibility
by (1.) staying connected with
your network, (2.) attending
trade shows, conferences and
industry meetings, (3.) volun-
teering, (4.) getting published,
(5.) giving presentations, (6.)
PDLQWDLQLQJD/LQNHG,QSURƁOH
(7.) participating in professional
social media discussions and (8.)
achieving honors and awards.
J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 97
Q CAREER COACH
8. Sharpen your presenta-
tion skills. Simply put, the
more you talk about your back-
ground, interests, goals and ac-
complishments to prospective
employers and networking
contacts, the sharper your pre-
sentation skills become. When
opportunities appear, be sure
to exchange information au-
thentically with other industry
professionals so each individual
leaves the conversation know-
ing who the other person is and
what they want.
9. Prepare for a future job
search. Through being pas-
sively on the job market, con-
tinually talking with industry
contacts and listening to avail-
able opportunities, you are giv-
98 • J U LY 2 0 1 8
ing yourself great preparation
in case you start an active job
search due to job dissatisfaction
or unemployment. You will have
(1.) a solid network in place,
(2.) researched your monetary
value, (3.) established contacts
with target employers, (4.) your
presentation skills tuned up, (5.)
your resume updated and (6.)
references lined up. With this
kind of preparation, your job
search will gain immediate mo-
mentum with the likelihood of
ƁQGLQJDQHZSRVLWLRQTXLFNO\
10. Find a better opportuni-
ty. This is the greatest possible
EHQHƁWWKDWFRXOGKDSSHQIURP
a passive job search. Why is
that? Because you are already
IHHOLQJVDWLVƁHGZLWK\RXUFXU-
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
rent job and yet you found a
new position with which you
could be even happier and
PRUHIXOƁOOHG<RXZRXOGOLNHO\
never have found this opportu-
nity if you had closed your mind
to changing employers and had
stopped listening when oppor-
tunities presented themselves.
I have known numerous lu-
bricant industry professionals
over the years who have said
yes to a new career opportunity
when they were not really look-
ing for one. Many of these indi-
YLGXDOVZHUHVXUSULVHGWRƁQG
a new job they viewed as sig-
QLƁFDQWO\EHWWHUIRUWKHLUFDUHHU
path than their current one. At
the same time, however, most
of these professionals wisely
were careful about giving up a
position with which they were
quite satisfied while closely
evaluating the level of risk and
WKHOLNHOLKRRGRIDORQJWHUPƁW
with the job change.
Aim to be an active listen-
er during a passive job search.
When opportunity knocks,
open the door and examine
what it has to offer. This en-
tire process will deliver a wide
UDQJHRIFDUHHUEHQHƁWV
Ken Pelczarski is owner
and founder of Pelichem
Associates, a Chicago-based
search firm established in
1985 and specializing in the
lubricants industry. You can
reach Ken at (630) 960-1940
or at pelichem@aol.com.
WWW.STLE.ORG
 CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

74th STLE Annual Meeting & Exhibition

May 19-23, 2019
Omni Nashville Hotel
Nashville, Tennessee (USA)

STLE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition is the industry’s most respected

venue for technical information, professional development and
international networking opportunities. Each year STLE’s conference
showcases some 500 technical presentations, application-based
case studies, best practice reports and discussion panels on
technical or market trends.

Education courses support professional development and prepare

qualified individuals for STLE’s three certification programs: Certified
Lubrication Specialist™, Oil Monitoring Analyst™ (I&II) and Certified
Metalworking Fluids Specialist™. Our annual trade show and
popular Commercial Marketing Forum spotlight the latest
products and services of interest to lubrication professionals.
STLE’s conference is a truly international event, with some
1,600 professionals from around the world attending.

2019 presentations are being sought in the following areas:

• Biotribology • Nanotribology
• Condition Monitoring • Nonferrous Metals
• Engine & Drivetrain • Power Generation
• Environmentally Friendly Fluids • Rolling Element Bearings
• Fluid Film Bearings • Seals
• Gears • Surface Engineering
• Grease • Synthetic and Hydraulic
• Lubrication Fundamentals Lubricants
• Materials Tribology (includes • Tribotesting
Ceramics and Composites) • Wear
• Metalworking Fluids • Wind Turbine Tribology

Abstract Submission
If you are interested in presenting at STLE’s 2019 Annual Meeting &
Exhibition, submit a 100-150-word abstract at www.stle.org. Abstracts
are due Oct. 1, 2018. Notification of acceptance will be sent in
December 2018. While you do not need to prepare a full manuscript
to be included on the meeting technical program, you are invited and
encouraged to submit a manuscript for review and possible publication
in STLE’s peer-reviewed journal, Tribology Transactions.

For more information, please contact:

Merle Hedland • mhedland@stle.org • 630-428-2133

Follow us on #STLE2019

Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, 840 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, IL 60068, info@stle.org, www.stle.org.
ON CONDITION MONITORING

Complexity in ISFA (in-service fluid analysis):

Part XXXIX

Holistic CM in the
21st Century: Part XI

© Can Stock Photo / enruta

By Jack Poley

I’ve mentioned technical approaches to data evaluation (essentially the issuing of a report along
with a qualified opinion/advisory) numerous times over the years I’ve been writing this column.
In this day and age, and as I’ve covered several times in the last few years, expert systems
(intelligent agents) are de rigueur in rendering advisories. There’s way too much information
for a human mind to recall and apply consistently time after time. Advisories must be the best
they can be: consistently delivered. That’s the essence, the deliverable of fluid analysis, indeed,
and all of condition monitoring (CM).

100 • J U LY 2 0 1 8 TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG

 Over a decade ago (2004), I
began to revamp my first intelli-
gent agent (expert system) that
was designed, crafted and intro-
duced in 1979-1980. In doing so I
found numbers of opportunities
to close holes in the logic as well
as morph or expand the logic
and comments from knowledge
I’d since obtained, or that was
available from trustworthy, ex-
perienced professionals (people
I continually consult to enhance
the algorithms and advisories
provided).
There were numbers of
things to do; here are some ex-
amples.
1. Totally new software had to
be designed and written.
• This was a Herculean task.
Common business-oriented
language (COBOL) had been
our platform for nearly 30
years, and we accomplished
some very exciting, produc-
tive work, including our
then-novel intelligent agent,
the first ever introduced in
the commercial market. It
worked very well but was
clearly in need of a major
update in the 21st Centu-
Table 1.
Data Rating Example
Calculating and Setting Limits + Ranges
Assign Severity Ratings
WWW.STLE.ORG
ry and—let’s face it—once
banks (particularly steeped
in COBOL) finally began to
be able to abandon it, CO-
BOL programmers, aged or
retired, dropped out precip-
itously. Most labs had no
expert system of any kind,
though they had tables of
boundaries (data limits), at
least by the 1990s, for flag-
ging test data. Subsequent-
ly the evaluation was done
manually by data analysts.
Those who retained COBOL
(or DOS) to this day find
themselves boxed out of a
shot at updating their soft-
ware in a less than painful,
time-consuming process.
• We chose Java as our plat-
form. It was popular, i.e.,
there were a plethora of
qualified coders, and Java
is highly flexible. To date
we haven’t regretted that
decision. Many who retained
older software for data eval-
uation elected to offload the
basic information to a report
generator that can avail
modern methods, thus, a
two-step process.
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
Table 2.
2-Phase Rule for Fe & Si Wear vs. Abrasives (?)
2. Coloring became an obses-
sion for data presentation in
our reports.
• One thing that was a must
to us was the addition of
color in our reports, rating
data in a very familiar man-
ner, akin to a typical traffic
light, and presenting the
data in a field colored ac-
cordingly. This provided a
quick, logical reference as
to the urgency of the posted
test values. We eventually
added a few more colors to
make the rules for data flag-
ging more granular, adding
nuance where deemed con-
structive or the situation
demanded. Data coloration
represented severity of the
value. Five severities were
initially set up, zero being
“normal,” triggering no
commentary as to that da-
tum, i.e., excluding it from
consideration. Green (no-
table), yellow (abnormal),
orange (high) and red (se-
vere) constituted data rat-
ing bins where limits were
determined through typical
statistical exercises on data
conforming to the compo-
nent type (a minimum re-
quirement). If manufacturer,
model and additional, specif-
ic component information is
available, all the better for
relevance and accuracy.
3. Rating data.
• Any qualified database, one
that has enough data (sam-
ples analyzed) to utilize
statistical techniques with
confidence, will provide the
means to set limits.
• Table 1 shows suggested
settings for Severity 1-4
(green through red) using
average value + standard
deviation (sigma) multiples.
This is a common technique,
but there is nothing that
says one cannot utilize sig-
ma fractions or any other al-
ternative that results in the
desired constraints. Over
time, limits and trending
algorithms are inevitably
J U LY 2 0 1 8 • 101
Q ON CONDITION MONITORING
tweaked to reflect additional data. There
also are the notions of normalization for
fluid and operating hours, trending be-
neath limits (run rate) and environmen-
tal conditions (exposure to chemicals or
dust or water).
102 • J U LY 2 0 1 8
4. Rules that determine advisories.
• It is important to recognize that, once a
statistical range is achieved, and color
bins filled, the actual value that deter-
mined each color/severity assigned be-
comes less significant because its overall
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY
importance in the data mix has already
been defined. Data are then confined to five
states, four of which can be represented
in rules.
• This brings us to pattern recognition, the
primary tool of artificial intelligence. Ta-
ble 2 on Page 101 is emblematic, a very
typical relationship between, say, iron
(Fe) and silicon (Si). You might ponder
ADVISORIES
MUST BE
THE BEST
THEY CAN BE:
CONSISTENTLY
DELIVERED.
this matrix in the abstract, i.e., irrespec-
tive of what type of component the test
results (the severities for Fe and Si) orig-
inated. There are 16 propositions that
are actually “comment slots.” Assuming
Fe is often the dominant wear metal in
a used lube sample, and that Si is more
often than not abrasive in the form of
sand-like “dirt,” how would you fill each
of these “opportunities” such that all the
bases are covered?
• What do you say when Fe is Severity 4
and Si Severity 1?
• What do you say when Si is Severity 4
and Fe Severity 1?
• What comments would you make for the
remaining 14 propositions?
• [Assume nothing else is abnormal so far
as available test data.]
• [Assume this is a routine sample with no
special condition reported.]
Jack Poley is managing partner of
Condition Monitoring International (CMI),
Miami, consultants in fluid analysis.
You can reach him at
jpoley@conditionmonitoringintl.com.
For more information about CMI, visit
www.conditionmonitoringintl.com.
WWW.STLE.ORG
 S T L E C E R T I F I C AT I O N
Invest in your greatest
asset—yourself.
Credibility. Respect. Integrity.

Those are the qualities immediately conferred upon you

when you attain one of STLE’s technical certifications.
Becoming STLE certified not only verifies your technical
expertise, it demonstrates your professional dedication
to your employer, customers and peers.

STLE offers four technical certifications:

Certified Lubrication Specialist™

STLE’s signature certification is held by more than
1,500 lubrication professionals and remains the industry’s
standard for technical excellence. Independent studies
show that CLS-certified professionals earn more money,
supervise larger staffs and are more likely to receive raises.
Designed for technical specialists, CLS also is held by
hundreds of sales and marketing reps.

Certified Oil Monitoring Analyst™ I & II

STLE’s OMA certification is for the predictive maintenance
professional and demonstrates proficiency in sampling and
analyzing oil properties. OMA I is for the individual taking
the oil sample on the shop floor. OMA II is for the person
responsible for running the proper tests, interpreting data
and managing the lubrication program.

Certified Metalworking Fluids Specialist™

STLE’s CMFS certification verifies knowledge, experience
and education in this growing and specialized field. CMFS
is for individuals with responsibility for metal-removal
or forming management, application and handling of
metalworking fluids and related materials.

Invest in your greatest asset—yourself. Plan now to attain

your STLE certification.

For more information or to schedule an exam, contact

STLE Certification and Section Relations Manager
Gina Cairo at gina@stle.org, 847-825-5536.

Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, 840 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, IL 60068, info@stle.org, www.stle.org.
WORLDWIDE
Lubricants and electric vehicles
Engine-oil decline of 2%-3% annually is more likely.
By R. David Whitby
Currently there are two main
types of electric vehicles on the
world’s roads: plug-in electric
vehicles (PEVs) and hybrid-elec-
tric vehicles (HEVs). A PEV
is any vehicle that can be re-
charged from an external source
of electricity, and the electricity,
stored in rechargeable battery
packs, drives or contributes to
drive the wheels. An HEV com-
bines a conventional powertrain,
usually gasoline or diesel, with
some form of electric motor.
With HEVs, the powertrain can
either supply electricity directly
to a drive motor or, more often,
charge a battery which then sup-
plies the drive motor.
Cumulative global sales of
light-duty PEVs totaled more
than three million by Novem-
ber 2017. By April 2016, more
than 11 million HEVs had been
sold worldwide since 1997. The
leading areas are Japan, the
U.S., China and Europe. Sales
of light-duty PEVs achieved a
1.3% global market share of
new car sales in 2017.
The consensus of market
estimates suggests that the
total number of cars and light
vans on the world’s roads at
the end of 2017 was 1.02 billion,
of which 1.92% were either all
electric or hybrid electric. While
the sales growth of electric cars
is currently much higher than
those for conventional cars,
using projected future growth
rates, the total number of cars
and light vans in 2035 is esti-
mated to be 2.06 billion, and
the total number of electric cars
104 • J U LY 2 0 1 8
Will our products really vanish?
engine oils in fully electric cars
and vans will be zero while the
volumes of engine oils used in
hybrid-electric cars and vans is
likely to be around half that of
conventional cars and vans. I
estimate that the decline in the
volumes of engine oils, globally,
is likely to be 2%-3% per year,
much less than some people
in the lubricants business may
© Can Stock Photo / mflippo
have expected.
Another concern in the lu-
bricants business is the future
for metalworking and produc-
tion engineering fluids used to
manufacture cars, vans, trucks
is estimated to be Electric vehicles number of these and buses. While many more
363 million. This and hybrids still vehicles is forecast components in vehicles are
require the same to more than double likely to be made using com-
is 17.6% of the to-
volumes of greases
tal number of cars, for wheel bearings
between now and posite materials, the electric
65% of which are as conventional 2035. The same can motors, the gasoline and die-
likely to be hybrid vehicles. be said for trans- sel engines used in HEVs, the
electric and 35% mission fluids, al- transmissions, bearings and
fully electric. Even when every most all of which are likely to be other items will still need to be
car sold is either fully electric automatic transmission fluids made using some metalworking
or hybrid electric, the number of by 2035. and production engineering flu-
older conventional cars on the Undoubtedly the volumes of ids. Because the total number of
world’s roads will still be high- engine oils used in cars, vans, cars and light vans is projected
er. Similar observations and trucks and buses are highly to double, the volumes of met-
conclusions can be made about likely to decline between now alworking and production engi-
the world’s trucks and buses. and 2035. The evidence from neering fluids may not change
Many people in the lubri- Europe during the last 30 years much between now and 2035.
cants business have expressed indicates that even as the num- There is one final observa-
concern about the future for oils ber of vehicles has increased, tion. Because the number of
and greases used in cars, vans, the volumes of engine oils has vehicles is projected to double,
trucks and buses. The estimates decreased slowly, due main- so will the number of tires. The
of future vehicle populations ly to longer oil drain intervals. volumes of process oils in tires
from now to 2035 and beyond The same trends are likely to also are likely to double.
should help to allay those con- occur in the future in other re-
cerns. For example, fully elec- gions so that the doubling of the David Whitby is chief execu-
tric vehicles and HEVs will still number of cars is likely to see tive of Pathmaster Marketing
require the same volumes of a slight decline in the volumes Ltd. in Surrey, England. You
greases for wheel bearings as of engine oils in the gasoline can reach him at pathmaster.
conventional vehicles, and the and diesel cars. The volumes of marketing@yahoo.co.uk.
TRIBOLOGY & LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY WWW.STLE.ORG
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