A NASA-developed solid lubricant is saving the manufacturing industry millions of dollars by improving efficiency, lowering friction and reducing emissions. Originally created to be part of powerful, oil-free aircraft turbo engines operating at high temperatures, it’s now used in the private sector to produce a variety of engines with more reliability, lower weight and reduced maintenance.
Not all lubricants are liquid — Teflon-coated cookware is one example of a dry lubricant that you might have in your home. Space exploration poses challenges that make traditional lubricants impractical, such as extremely low ambient temperatures, radiation, exposure to vacuum, and the absence of gravity. So NASA often uses dry lubricants in gears and other spacecraft parts to keep them from seizing up or generating friction and heat.
Learn more about how NASA helped develop technology that impacts powdererd lubricants within your city's manufacturing environment!