SAE test confirms fuel economy improvements with ceramic nanoparticle conditioner

August 28, 2008: An SAE J1321 Type II fuel consumption test, performed by Claude Travis & Associates, an independent testing company, has verified the ability of a ceramic nanotechnology product from CerMet Lab to increase fuel economy in a heavy-duty truck.

CerMet is a nanoparticle ceramic conditioner that restores metal and reduces friction in metal-to-metal environments. As a fuel additive, it allows a cost-effective ceramic treatment of engines without engine disassembly or related downtime. Engine oil carries the CerMet’s microscopic ceramic nanoparticles to the friction zones to bond to the metal surfaces. Fuel economy benefits of the treatment last for approximately 60,000 miles of operation.

“The installation of CerMet Lab Company’s ceramic-metal conditioner in the engine oil sump of the test vehicle demonstrated a significant and repeatable improvement in fuel economy,” said Claude Travis, in his test summary. He added that the test vehicle’s gross vehicle weight (>77,000lbs.) and engine load factor-to-idle time (97.7%) were both higher than the national truck fleet averages.

The test consisted of multiple short 60-mile runs, under conditions described as an extreme worst-case scenario for in-service use. The test was conducted on an International 9001 tandem drive, equipped with a Cummins ISX 450 HP diesel engine. In actual field tests by freight carriers, fuel consumption decreases of -5% to -15% have been documented by the fleet drivers. These test periods have included a more typical mix of travel for heavy-duty trucks, including longer runs, partial and/or lighter loads, and a higher average amount of engine-idling time — all conditions where friction reduction has a direct relation to reducing fuel consumption.

Among numerous field tests, a freight carrier from Pennsylvania experienced an -8% decrease in fuel consumption when the company tested CerMet in 22 tractors with Cummins engines. An 8.6% savings was calculated by another commercial fleet company on their Mercedes and Volvo engines. In Mexico, Grupo Estrella Blanca performed a test on twenty large charter motorcoach busses and documented a -7.7% decrease in fuel consumption during the 61,000 mile test period.

The Department of Energy states that ceramics have been proven to dramatically improve performance, energy efficiency, power density, and in the case of diesel engines, lower exhaust emissions.

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