The Challenge

In a collaborative project, Lubrizol and Corning Environmental Technologies conducted an extensive field trial, examining the effect of engine oil additive chemistry on GPF performance. The formulations trialled included different additive chemistries and loadings, with the aim of investigating the effects of these on ash collection, and subsequent GPF and vehicle performance. A key aspect of the study was to understand the location, morphology and relative concentrations of ash within the intricate GPF structures, requiring a non-destructive method to probe internal GPF features without disturbing or damaging collected ash.

The Solution

In collaboration with Novitom advanced 3D imaging, and using I12 at Diamond, samples were studied using non-destructive X-ray tomography (XRT) to examine captured ash inside of the filters. Upon completion of the field trial, GPF hardware was removed from vehicles utilizing the different engine oil additive chemistries, and the intricate filter channels examined using XRT. The synchrotron source allowed multiple GPF channels to be examined at high-resolution along the entire channel lengths, ensuring robust and justified conclusions could be drawn. Using this approach, the research teams were able to clearly correlate the amount and location of ash collected within the GPFs with exhaust backpressure (caused by filter blocking) and fuel economy, subsequently linking this directly to engine oil additive chemistry.

The Benefits

X-ray imaging at Diamond offered researchers a rapid, non-invasive and quantifiable method to study a range of GPF samples. Using these results, the teams were able to assess the impact of different engine oil formulations on ash collection in GPF-fitted vehicles. The findings from this work will guide Lubrizol’s future engine oil formulating efforts, directly impacting the advanced additive chemistry that goes into engine oils and enabling the world to move cleaner.