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Materials tolerate bio fuel wear

A Bekaert Advanced Coatings product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Sep 28, 2007

Coating valves with Bekaert's DLC coatings protects the intake valves from the build-up of fuel residue, resulting in better wear resistance and a lower coefficient of friction.

Use of Bekaert's Diamond-Like coatings on valves ensures reliable valve function and significant wear resistance on moving parts.

Use of unleaded fuel became a requirement in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) circuit in 2007.

The downside of unleaded fuel is that it has different solubility characteristics than regular petrol.

This can cause residue build-up problems in race engines that result in valve malfunction and premature wear of certain engine components.

In the future, NASCAR may follow the example of the 2007 IndyCar Race series (IRL) and adopt the use of E85, a high-performance fuel mixture containing 85% ethanol and 15% petrol.

The use of these bio-fuels is expected to cause additional wear on engine components, leading to a need for more wear-resistant DLC coatings.

"Deposit build-up in the fuel intake system is not a new phenomenon".

"The conflicting demands of increased horsepower, fuel economy, and emissions control mean that fuel management systems must operate within very close tolerances", explains Michael De Maegt, General Manager Bekaert DLC.

"Bekaert has extensively researched the new developments in bio-fuels and their impact on valve function and parts longevity in race car engine".

"Our customers approached us for a solution to these technical challenges that would enable them to reap the benefits of new fuels, while retaining good wear resistance and low coefficient of friction".

By coating valves with Bekaert's specifically developed DLC coatings, intake valves are protected from the build-up of fuel residue, resulting in better wear resistance and a lower coefficient of friction.

Bekaert intends to continue its investigation during the NASCAR season by working with customer feedback to develop coatings as a solution to future fuel engine problems in the racing and automotive market.

Bekaert has also released Bekaert Dylyn Plus coatings for high-volume automotive solutions.

The coating reduces friction losses, resulting in higher engine output and improved fuel consumption.

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