Lube-Tech PUBLISHED BY LUBE: THE EUROPEAN LUBRICANTS INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
at the friction interface. This in turn suppresses the formation of free hydrogen ions and blocks their absorption into the steel—effectively halting the cascade of events that leads to methane formation, intergranular pressure, and crack propagation. Additionally, copper’s high electrical conductivity appears to provide a preferential path for electrical current, diverting it away from high-resistance entry into the bearing surface, which further reduces hydrogen ingress driven by electrical potential.
When these results are compared to published WEC testing datasets—such as those by Gould et al. (2021)—the copper-based prototype outperforms even high-end commercial wind turbine oils tested under similar mechanical and electrical conditions. In tests using 250 mA DC currents and comparable Hertzian pressures, many commercial oils succumb to WEC formation well before the 200 million cycle mark. The fact that Lubricant B completed the entire test without a single crack, pit, or microstructural anomaly is not just promising—it represents a step-change in how lubricant formulations might address WECs in the field.
The broader implications By rethinking wear as a system-level phenomenon driven by mechanical, electrical, and chemical factors, and by targeting the common root—hydrogen activity—we can design lubricants that prevent damage before it begins.
The novel lubricant additive based on oil-soluble copper salts is able to tackle three key contributors to WEC formation: 1. Mechanical pressure and flash temperature – Copper ions help form a soft, ductile film on surface asperities, effectively increasing the real area of contact and reducing pressure spikes. This lowers local temperatures, which helps avoid the electron emissions that lead to hydrogen formation.
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2. Hydrogen generation and diffusion – Copper is much less reactive than iron and will not release hydrogen when exposed to frictional heat or stray electrons. Moreover, the copper film forms a barrier that inhibits hydrogen from diffusing into the steel.
3. Electrically induced wear – Copper’s excellent conductivity allows stray currents to pass over the surface with minimal resistance, preventing the high-energy pathways that would otherwise drive hydrogen deeper into the bearing material.
The additive also has “self-healing” properties. Copper ions can embed into the iron lattice and repair emerging wear features, contributing to the formation of a stable tribofilm that actively resists degradation. For operators of wind farms, locomotives, or heavy industrial equipment, this could mean dramatically extended service intervals, lower failure rates, and fewer catastrophic shutdowns. For lubricant formulators, it opens new avenues for innovation using non-traditional additive chemistries. Of course, further testing is needed. Measuring hydrogen concentration changes in steel over time will help confirm the proposed mechanism, and field validation will be essential to prove the additive’s effectiveness at scale. But the early signs are promising.
The message is clear: by understanding the true drivers of wear, we can go beyond resisting failure— we can design lubricants that actively prevent it.
ingramtribology.com
neol.world
References Hosenfeldt, T., Bugiel, C., Leimann, D.-O., Loos, J., Luther, R., Merk, D., et al. (2024). White etching cracks - position paper of the German society for Tribology. doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.27783.41121
Mamykin S, Ingram M, Alieva L and Privalova V (2025) Preventing electrically induced subsurface initiated pitting failures (incl. WSF, WEC, WEA) with copper based lubricant additives. Front. Mech. Eng. 11:1585472. doi: 10.3389/fmech.2025.1585472
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