Background
Sanyo Chemical’s ACLUBE NS-100 is a new polymer additive for EV E-Axle units, offering outstanding anti-wear and anti-seizure performance in low-viscosity E-fluids.
Developed using proprietary polymer technology, it also provides copper corrosion resistance, electrical insulation, and oxidation stability, enhancing E-Axle durability and improving EV energy efficiency and driving range.
With the global push for carbon neutrality, electrification of automobiles has been strongly accelerating, and the adoption of highly efficient E-Axle drive units—which integrate the motor, inverter, and gears—is expanding. E-fluid is required to provide a wide range of properties, including anti-wear property, cooling capability, electrical insulation, and copper corrosion resistance. These properties are among the basic requirements for E-fluid.
Recently, E-fluid has become lower in viscosity to improve cruising range by providing cooling properties and reducing viscous resistance. However, this trend results in thinner oil films, increasing the risk of wear and seizure in sliding parts and other mechanical components—a new technical challenge. To address this, Sanyo Chemical has developed a new polymer additive that maintains high anti-wear property and anti-seizure property even in low viscosity environments, while also meeting the diverse performance requirements of E-fluid.
Product Features
The newly developed ACLUBE NS-100 utilizes Sanyo’s proprietary organic polymer technology, which was cultivated through the ACLUBE series originally developed for engine vehicle lubricants to improve viscosity characteristics. With a unique design that introduces adsorptive functional groups to the polymer side chains, this additive offers the following features:
A. Excellent Oil Film Formation, Anti-Wear Property, and Anti-Seizure Property
(1) Adsorptive functional groups on the side chains enable the formation of a sufficiently thick oil film, even at low viscosity.
(2) With only 2 wt% addition as the polymer component, ACLUBE NS-100 improves the last non-seizure load by up to approximately 25% compared to the base Efluid (without additive) (as evaluated by the 4-ball method).
(3) Reduces the risk of drive unit failure due to wear or seizure, contributing to higher efficiency and longer life of gear components.
(4) IT can be used in combination with other additives, such as phosphorus compounds, for even greater anti-wear and anti-seizure property.
B. Provides the Basic Properties Required for E-fluid
(1) The optimized organic polymer structure ensures that the product possesses copper corrosion resistance, electrical insulation, oxidation stability, and other essential properties required for E-fluid.
(2) Performance equal to or better than conventional products has been confirmed through copper strip corrosion tests, volume resistivity measurements, and accelerated oxidation tests.
Future Outlook
ACLUBE NS-100 has already been adopted by major customers, having demonstrated high anti-wear property and reliability in field evaluations by domestic and international lubricant manufacturers. Sanyo Chemical will continue to meet the evolving needs of users, drive further innovation, and expand the application of this technology to a wide range of electrified mobility and industrial machinery, contributing to the realization of a more sustainable society.
Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)