Adhesives, sealants and adhesive sealants by AXIOM® are produced in a wide range and differ from one another in several respects. By type of application Sealants and adhesives can be applied by spraying and by extrusion through special nozzles with openings of different shapes. Sprayable ones are used to create a protective anti-corrosion coating on various surfaces, and also…
Read more → Selecting AXIOM® hybrid polymer adhesives and sealants
Silicone gasket-forming sealants AS201, AS202 and AS205 are used to seal the valve cover, engine sump, water pump, thermostat, intake manifold, gearbox sump, and the differential and transfer case housings. More about the use of silicone gasket-forming sealants can be read here.
The removable threadlocker AS301 is used in threaded joints that are expected to be dismantled frequently with hand tools: cylinder head bolts, engine sump and gearbox pan gasket bolts, intake manifold and valve cover gasket bolts and others.
The permanent threadlocker AS302 is used in threaded joints that are not expected to be dismantled frequently: cylinder head and wheel studs (but not bolts!), flywheel mounting bolts, torque converter bolts, U-bolts in leaf-spring suspension. A threaded joint assembled with a permanent threadlocker can be dismantled if it is first heated to a temperature of 150°C. More about threadlockers can be read here.
Copper grease A9622 and aluminium lubricant A9623 are used to make it possible to separate parts, in other words, they prevent parts from seizing to one another. Both are able to work at very high temperatures, so they can be used in the hottest places. In particular, copper or aluminium lubricant is recommended for application to exhaust manifold studs, exhaust system fasteners, and also to wheel bolts, hub flanges and the backs of brake pads. More about copper and aluminium lubricants can be read here and here.
What are they used for?
AXIOM® gasket-forming sealants are intended for so-called flange sealing, that is, for sealing the joints of flat surfaces. They can be used as gaskets for the valve cover, intake manifold, engine sump, water pump, thermostat, timing chain cover, gearbox sump and the differential cover of the drive axle. They can be used both as gaskets and together with gaskets to improve the quality of the seal.
Read more → Gasket-forming sealants. What they are for and which to choose
How can nuts and bolts be kept from undoing during operation, so that the joint remains secure? This question became relevant from the very time the thread was invented. And the higher the speeds, the loads and the cost of mechanisms became, the more serious the problem of threaded joints «unscrewing themselves» became. Many locking methods have been invented: locknuts, split pins, Grover spring washers, drops of paint and so on. Each of these methods has its merits, but it also has drawbacks that sometimes make the use of one or another locking method impossible. Thus some methods require special nuts and bolts, others additional space, and others do not always reliably withstand vibration. The most modern and reliable method today is considered to be the use of liquid threadlockers: they provide reliable locking of the joint and at the same time do not have the drawbacks described above. What is more, using them is cheaper than practically all other methods.
Read more → Threadlockers. Which types exist and which to choose
Why are touchless washing products sold in different concentrations?
This is first of all an economic question. The point is that, per litre of working solution, a highly concentrated product takes up less space and has less weight, which makes it possible to save on transport and storage. But the higher the concentration of the detergent, the more expensive it is to produce per litre of ready solution. In each particular case, therefore, one has to calculate which product will turn out to be more cost-effective in the end. It is worth noting that the production of highly concentrated detergents (with a dilution ratio of 1:70 and above) requires not only high-quality raw materials but also a high standard of manufacturing. The presence of such products in a manufacturer’s range may therefore speak of its reliability and high competence.
What does the abbreviation PTFE in the name of a lubricant mean?
PTFE is the short name of polytetrafluoroethylene, also known as fluoroplastic. Another name for polytetrafluoroethylene is Teflon. But that is a trade mark, all rights to which belong to DuPont, so nobody else may use the word “Teflon” in the name of their products without the permission of this corporation. Polytetrafluoroethylene is famous for having the lowest coefficient of friction among polymers; in other words, it is the most slippery. In addition, polytetrafluoroethylene is very chemically resistant and is practically not wetted by water.
How does adhesive lubricant work?
Since this lubricant is intended for mechanisms to which it cannot be force-fed during operation, the lubricant must have good adhesion (bonding) to the lubricated surface. Once applied, it must remain on the surface for as long as possible and ideally must not be rubbed off the surface at all during operation. It is also important that adhesive lubricant displaces moisture and does not absorb dust and dirt – after all, the mechanisms for which this lubricant is intended often work in the open air.
What is a liquid wrench?
This name has become a household word for a class of lubricants whose main purpose is the ability to penetrate the smallest gaps of threaded joints that have “seized” together, to soften the rust binding them, to lubricate the friction surfaces where possible and to make it possible to undo a nut or bolt that seemed to be “welded” solid. When creating “liquid wrenches”, therefore, developers give priority to exactly the penetrating ability of these compositions, often deliberately sacrificing lubricating properties.
What is tyre dressing for?
Many believe that tyre dressing is mainly cosmetic in purpose – it gives tyres a black gloss, making them look like new. This function is certainly important for a tyre dressing, but its purpose is not limited to appearance alone. Much more important is that tyre dressing performs a protective function. The point is that rubber ages and breaks down under the action of sunlight, atmospheric oxygen and aggressive road chemicals. A quality tyre dressing containing silicone creates a protective film on the rubber surface, fills the microcracks and defects that have appeared and considerably slows the ageing of the rubber. Moreover, it can be used to protect not only rubber but also plastic.
What is the purpose of cleaning the brakes and clutch, and when is it necessary?
As a rule, cleaning is carried out when replacing brake pads and discs (drums) or the clutch disc and cover.
When brake pads are replaced, fingerprints will inevitably be left on the brake discs or drums, and they have to be removed. New brake discs or drums are covered with a grease that protects them from corrosion. Friction surfaces covered with grease may fail to provide proper deceleration at the first braking – the car will simply not slow down. To avoid such problems, after fitting the pads the friction surfaces must be cleaned of grease by treating them with brake and clutch parts cleaner.
The same applies to clutch parts. When replacing the clutch disc and cover, always treat the flywheel and the pressure plate with brake and clutch parts cleaner before fitting the new parts, and then fit the new parts, trying not to touch the friction surfaces with your hands. If the parts are not degreased, the clutch may slip, overheat and fail.
Why should a choke and carburettor cleaner be used to remove deposits? Can the deposits not be removed with petrol or kerosene?
Resins, carbon and other deposits formed in the intake tract cannot be washed off with petrol, because they precipitate out of petrol itself. A far stronger solvent is needed here. In addition, deposits and dirt are better washed off with a pressurised jet of cleaner, which is much more effective. In AXIOM® choke and carburettor cleaner we use a strong solvent; in addition, we have selected the gas pressure inside the can and the diameter of the spray valve so that the jet is strong enough while the consumption of the product remains moderate.
What properties should a penetrating lubricant have?
The properties a penetrating lubricant must have are quite varied and some even contradict one another. For example, in order to provide good penetrating properties high fluidity is needed, whereas in order to provide good lubricating properties low fluidity is needed instead. It is also important that a penetrating lubricant displaces water and softens rust
What makes graphite grease special?
The characteristics of graphite grease are determined by the properties of the graphite powder it contains. Graphite is distinguished by the fact that its molecules bond well to metal oxides and bond weakly to one another. Thanks to this, graphite creates a slippery film on the surface that withstands high loads and at the same time is not rubbed off the metal surface. Moreover, even if the grease begins to break down under the action of high loads and temperature, the graphite remaining on the surface of the rubbing parts continues to perform its function, acting as a dry lubricant. Graphite grease can therefore act both as a separating lubricant, preventing parts from “sticking” to one another, and as a friction lubricant, significantly reducing the friction force between parts. Because graphite holds well on the metal surface and has dirt-repellent properties, the grease also creates a kind of anti-corrosion coating, protecting the surface from atmospheric influences. Graphite has high electrical conductivity, so graphite grease can be used to protect battery terminals from corrosion without fear that the grease itself will create high electrical resistance.
Why do battery terminals need to be protected?
Oxidised battery terminals look untidy. But it is far more unpleasant that corrosion penetrates the contact patch between the battery terminal and the cable connected to it. As a result the effective contact area is reduced and the electrical resistance grows. This creates an increased load on the vehicle’s electrical equipment, in particular on the alternator, leads to undercharging of the battery and, at high electricity consumption, causes severe heating of the terminals. But the most important thing is that poor contact between the terminals leads to a significant drop in the starting current, and when the engine is being started the battery simply cannot deliver all the necessary power through the poor contact.
What are the main requirements for an aluminium anti-seize lubricant?
Such a lubricant is called a separating lubricant and its main purpose is to ensure reliable separation of parts that are in contact with one another under high forces, at high temperatures and under the action of aggressive media, for example road chemicals. At the same time the relative movement of the parts themselves may be very small (brake pad and caliper)