NanoLub is the world's first commercial line of inorganic lubricant additives based on tungsten disulfide (WS₂) fullerene-like spherical nanoparticles. It is supplied as oil concentrates and pastes for enhancing the performance of lubricating oils and greases, and can also be used as a dry lubricant, in coatings, and for composite materials.

NanoLub reduces friction and wear significantly better than conventional lubricants especially at high loads, prolongs device service life, and lowers maintenance costs and downtimes. It is useful in applications ranging from bearings, gears, chains, engines, heavy equipment, to satellites.

NanoLub is EU REACH registered. It was found to be non-toxic according to OECD test protocols in certified labs for oral, skin, and inhalation exposures.

Common solid lubricants like graphite and molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) are layered compounds in the form of flat platelets. Their layers slide past each other to reduce friction. The problem with this structure is that the edges of the layers are chemically reactive, which causes them to slowly decompose, break apart, and bind to the metal surface. The relative large size of the layered platelets prevents them from entering the surface irregularities of metal parts and thus they tend to accumulate on the surface of the parts they are meant to lubricate. These factors ultimately diminish their lubricating ability, causing the metal parts to grind against each other and wear down. Thus, there is a need for smaller, more stable solid lubricants.

NanoLub's inorganic WS₂ fullerene-like nanoparticles are significantly smaller than the corresponding conventional platelets. These nanoparticles are closed multi-walled structures eliminating the presence of open edges. This achieves a much more chemically stable material. Each particle consists of a number of progressively smaller concentric spheres nested one within the other. The nested structure has been compared to that of an onion or a Russian doll. The diameter of the nanoparticles is on the order of 100 nm (about a thousand times smaller than the diameter of a human hair). These nanoparticles, due to their size, shape, chemistry, and structure, have special properties that are not possible with conventional size and shaped materials.

The NanoLub spherical nanoparticles reduce friction and wear by a rolling mechanism much better than the layered platelets which work by sliding. An additional advantage of NanoLub is the gradual exfoliation of the external spheres of the nanoparticles which builds a protective film of molecular WS₂ on the metal parts. This film contributes to improved lubricating performance.

Extensive evaluations show that NanoLub reduces friction, wear and temperature significantly better than other solid lubricants, especially at high loads. It also diminishes galling, seizing, and fretting of metal surfaces.

NanoLub is effective as an additive to fluid lubricants and greases, to tribological coatings, and to composites. It can also be used as a dry solid lubricant and for impregnating self-lubricating parts.

NanoLub works very well on relatively rough surfaces. Up until now the surfaces of parts had to be machined to as smooth as possible in order to provide extremely flat surfaces for friction reduction. By using NanoLub in the lubricant, the parts can be machined to a less demanding finish since NanoLub reduces friction very efficiently even for rough contacting surfaces.  This is due to the NanoLub solid lubricant's ability to enter into the crevices of the roughened surface following slow release of the nanoparticles for lubricating the parts. This slow release coupled with the presence of the protective film enable extended operation and longer times between maintenance.

NanoLub^® is as registered trademark of NanoMaterials, Ltd. 

NanoMaterials, Ltd. (a fully owned subsidiary of ApNano Materials, Inc.) 18 Einstein Street, Weizmann Science Park, Nes Ziona, 74140, ISRAEL.
Tel:+972-8-930-2671, Fax:+972-8-930-2675 info@apnano.com
ApNano Materials, Inc (Headquarters). 22 W. 38th Street New York, NY 10018-6262 USA Telephone: +1-212-302-2070 Fax: +1-212-719-0893