TriboDyn Takes Top Spot In Independent University Tests
TriboDyn Takes Top Spot In University Doctoral Program Oil Testing Competition
TriboDyn TRI-EX 2 with patented Ceramic Coating technology was recently tested as part of a Doctoral Program at the prestigious Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland.
IMPORTANT: This test was conducted by the University as part of a Doctoral Program in Engineering. We share these results because, to the best of our understanding, this test was NOT funded by any oil company or affiliate of an oil company. We share these results because they are independent and we were blind that the testing was even conducted until we were contacted with the results.
- TriboDyn did not provide any financial compensation to the university for this test or compensation of any kind.
- Tribodyn did not have any input into the other brands tested.
- TriboDyn did not have any input into the testing mechanisms.
- TriboDyn did not have any input into the measuring of the test.
- TriboDyn did not have any input how the test results were evaluated.
- Images and test results were provided by the university.
Oils Included In Test - Image Provided By Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Testing Procedure
Each Oil was tested on a precision-tuned Timken Bearing Testing tool. This tool is the industry standard for testing oils for film strength, which is the single most important characteristic of oil to protect against damage caused by metal-on-metal friction.
The bearing testing tool is a device that presses a steel bearing against a steel wheel that is spinning in oil. The pressure is measured exactly and can be adjusted up and down. The wheel is turned by an electrical motor that is programmed to shut down when the resistance on the wheel reaches a certain pressure.
Image Provided by Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
This test is universally accepted as a fair test of the film strength of the oil. The higher the film strength, the longer the motor will run because the oil is forming a lubricating barrier between the wheel and the bearing. Once an oil breaks down, the bearing and wheel are rubbed together without lubrication, friction increases rapidly which causes the motor to overload and shut off. Additionally, the bearing shows a "scar" from where the wheel was rubbing against it as the oil began to break down. This scar can be measured as another measure of how well the oil protected the metal during the test. A smaller scar is a sign of high film strength. The optimal situation is an oil that provided the longest run time AND the smallest scar size on the bearing.
Image Provided By Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
The testing process was as follows:
- Each oil was heated to 212 degrees to simulate normal operating temperature.
- Test machine was started to spin the wheel in oil.
- The bearing was pressed against the wheel spinning in oil, and pressure was increased at precise increments until the motor shut off due to an overload.
- The time, pressure, and temperature at the overload point were recorded and verified by the university staff.
Images provided by Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Street Oils vs Track Oils
Oil manufacturers create different oils for different uses. These blends can vary to create results based on the specific stresses an oil may face. The stresses a passenger car or truck faces are much lower than the stresses a race car will put on oil. Extreme temperatures, higher pressure, and high RPM loading are examples of stresses racing can put on oil. Manufacturers may make a racing version of their oil or some brands may specialize in making oils specifically for racing. Generally, racing oils will have higher tolerances than street oils.
To assure a fair comparison, the oils were separated based on the manufacturer's recommended usage and the weight of the oil.
Test Results
Film Strength
As far as oils go, this is the single most important characteristic for any lubricant of any kind. When 2 metal surfaces rub together, friction is formed which leads to scratching and wearing of metal surfaces. Oil is the only defense against friction. The film strength is a measure of how much pressure an oil can withstand before it is essentially squeezed out, leaving the metal exposed.
Film Strength is measured is PSI, the higher the film strength, the more pressure the oil could withstand before the metal surfaces failed and the friction caused the device to overload and shut off.
TriboDyn TRI-EX2 20W-50 placed first overall with a PSi of 304,239 which was close to double the strength of the next best oil.
Load-Tripping Time Test Results
The first category reported was the Load Tripping time, which is the time (in seconds) the wheel spun in oil before the film strength failed and caused an overload, shutting off the test machine motor.
In the Street Oil category, TriboDyn TRI-EX 2 5W-30 Motor Oil recorded the longest load-tripping time of 292 seconds. The next closest oil came in at 40 seconds.
Image Provided by Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
In the Track Oil category, TriboDyn TRI-EX 2 20W-50 was the top performer with a load-tripping time of 258 seconds. The closest competitor came in at 235 seconds.
Image Provided by Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Scar Size Test Results
Scar Size demonstrates how well an protects the metal surfaces from wear. It was no surprise that TriboDyn scored off the charts to other oils. When pressure increase, TriboDyn TRI-EX 2 releases a thin, self-lubricating ceramic film. This film protects surfaces from metal-to-metal damage better than any synthetic oil alone. TriboDyn TRI-EX 2 5W-30 demonstrated a scar size almost 5 times smaller than its nearest competitor.
Image Provided by Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
TriboDyn TRI-EX 2 20W-50 came in with a 3.56 mm2 scar size which was the smallest of the Track Oils tested. Again, the other track oils are special formulations made for racing. TriboDyn TRI-EX 2 beat the best the other premium oil competitors produce.
Image Provided by Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Price Quality Index
Metropolia University created what they called the "Price Quality Index". This was a combination of all of the test data compiled to determine the overall value delivered by the oil. In short, how well do the oils perform at delivering protection from wear at higher pressures and temperatures vs the cost of the oil.
Image Provided by Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Unsurprisingly, TriboDyn TRI-EX 2 5W-30 came out on top in the street oils category. This result is consistent with TriboDyn's performance in the Load-Tripping and Scar Size tests.
Image Provided by Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
TriboDyn also came out on top in the Price Quality Index for track oils.
It is noteworthy how TriboDyn's street oil performs at a similar level to TriboDyn racing oil. All TriboDyn formulas have been developed to deliver the ultimate performance regardless of the vehicle type.
Can an Oil Increase Horsepower?
Many products on the market claim to provide a horsepower increase. The truth is that almost all quality oils will increase horsepower by a very small amount simply because new oil generally lubricates better than older oil.
Metropolia University decided to test the top performers from their test to see which oil produced the most horsepower gain. One vehicle was used for the test to assure a fair test for each oil. The vehicle was filled with 1 of the oils and then run on a dyno. The horsepower achieved was recorded. The vehicle was drained of all oil and the oil filter was changed before the next oil was put in the vehicle. This process was repeated for the top 7 oils.
Image Provided by Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
TriboDyn TRI-EX 2 20W-50 produced the highest horsepower reading on the dyno during the test at 312.3 horsepower. The next closest competitor came in at 311.2. TriboDyn produced a measurable difference in horsepower from the other oils right out of the bottle. Because TriboDyn TRI-EX 2 deploys a ceramic film as it goes thru heat cycles over time, the horsepower would most likely INCREASE over this first-time reading as the ceramic film coats the internal engine parts.
Overall Conclusions
We were extremely happy to see the results of this INDEPENDENT test. As with any product, finding unbiased research on a product is rare today and this test demonstrated the performance of TriboDyn TRI-EX 2 against more established brands in a controlled test.
TriboDyn performs at a level above all other lubricants because it was engineered to TREAT THE METAL, NOT JUST THE OIL. The aerospace and aviation industries along with elite motorsports have been ceramic coating internal parts for decades to produce the ultimate performance. TriboDyn has brought this technology to everyone with TRI-EX 2. Combining the finest synthetic oils with ceramic coating creates a lubricant that performs better in all conditions than any other oil alone.