Effective protection against wear

Wear occurs when components are touching and there is insufficient lubrication. If there is high contact pressure, adjacent surfaces may bond (weld together). Abrasive wear occurs due to micro cutting by asperity peaks on one part of the rubbing pair. Lubricating oils or other base fluids are employed in order to avoid such wear. Including wear protection additives can improve both adhesive and abrasive wear. Although wear cannot be completely prevented, it can be considerably reduced.

Additives containing phosphates exhibit a positive influence on abrasive wear, while those containing sulphur are used as protection against adhesive wear. It is common to sue additives with a combination of phosphorus and sulphur because protection against both adhesive and abrasive wear is generally demanded.