[Hammarlund] Graphite is NOT an Abrasive...it is TOO!

Sat, 14 Dec 2002 11:32:34 -0500

Ken,
I too used the infamous graphite/motor oil concoction in a 1976 Lancia
Beta.  It did not destroy the engine after 10K miles, but the motor did
start to use/burn oil at a very high rate at about the 70K mile mark.
This is not exactly what I would call great engine life.  So it is
possible that the blend was not of superior quality.  I cannot
necessarily blame the oil however, since I did do some autocross racing
with the car and I was very hard on it in general.  But I was a little
surprised to see such quick wear on the engine using the latest and
greatest graphite motor oil!
So I am not sure where to sit on this issue of abrasive or lubricant.
I do hold a degree in Geology too.

Bruce K1XR

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Kenneth G. Gordon
Sent: Saturday, December 14, 2002 4:06 AM
To: Barry L. Ornitz
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Hammarlund] Graphite is NOT an Abrasive...it is TOO!

> In Hammarlund Digest #259, it was claimed by one poster that
> graphite is abrasive.  No proof or any evidence was given
> other than "ask any geologist or gem-ologist".
> 
> This poster is totally off-base.

Thank you for those kind words.

That was myself, Barry, and despite your often superior knowledge 
and education, and despite your rather long explanation of why 
graphite can't possibly be an abrasive, my experience has proven 
quite otherwise. 

Every time I have used graphite to lubricate any metal bearing, 
including an automobile engine in which I used a (at the time) 
highly touted graphite/oil mix, the eventual result was severe wear. 

The automobile engine I am referring to was totally worn out within 
10,000 miles because of this "lubricant", which "lubricant" didn't 
stay on the market long.

When I mentioned a geologist or gem-ologist, I meant Charles 
Knowles, recently retired from the University of Idaho from his 
position as the Idaho State Geologist. He, spontaneously one day, 
gave me an unasked for lecture concerning why graphite was an 
abrasive. 

His explanation was almost as long as yours on why it is a 
lubricant.

I don't remember the details, but as I recall, it had something to do 
with the fact that although the cleavage planes between some 
"sections" (my choice of word) of carbon in graphite are very loose 
and thus slide across one another, the carbon itself is hard. The 
end result, eventually, over a period of time, after you have broken 
nearly all the loose bonds, leaving only the strongly bonded carbon, 
is something very much like extremely fine carborundum.

I am sure Charles will be most happy to discuss the details with you 
or anyone else who asks.

I will talk with him next week and, if possible, get his e-mail address 
for you.

In the meantime, I won't use graphite to "lubricate" anything, 
especially my SP-600 dial drives.

Kenneth G. Gordon W7EKB
226 N. Washington St.
Moscow, Idaho 83843
(208)-882-8745
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