ETEX additive – the Nokia of Latvia?

Latvian engineers and scientists, together with their foreign colleagues, have worked intensively to develop, patent and, in five years, from 2020. and since 2020 has been offering the market a new energy-saving technology for all kinds of mechanisms – ETEX, which, according to research conducted by RTU, significantly reduces metal wear, restores the metallic coating, radically reduces friction, resulting in reduced resource consumption. In addition, it is an environmentally friendly and biodegradable product. We ask the product developer SIA CrossChem about this unique product.

What is ETEX?

It is a product of tribological composition that is added in friction assemblies: engines, gearboxes, reducers, bridges, hydraulic systems and many other places. The product is based on a 35-million-year-old mineral of geological origin, which is carefully purified, crushed to a size of 3 microns, then added to the specific ETEX product, which contains a total of thirty different components, forming a multi-component silicate mixture with a layered structure.

Using this product improves the energy efficiency of machines, equipment and mechanisms and reduces vehicle maintenance costs. One of the main advantages is the ability to process the mechanisms without disassembling them, operating in the daily work mode under normal load conditions. ETEX actually grows a new layer of metal, which wears away as the mechanism continues to operate, thus preventing wear on the surface of the part itself.

Where is ETEX used?

CrossChem’s ETEX line of anti-wear products is quite wide and specifically designed for each specific node:

• for gasoline and diesel engines,
• for mechanical and automatic transmissions or gearboxes,
• for industrial transmission and axle gears,
• for industrial hydraulic systems and much more.

Products are available for both light and heavy vehicles as well as for industrial use.

How does the use of ETEX work?

ETEX is added directly to the engine oil system or lubricant. It should be noted that we add ETEX to engine oil only when it has worked for at least 3000 km or 100 engine hours. The new oils contain a ZDDP additive that prevents ETEX from accessing metal surfaces. After the mentioned working hours or kilometers, ZDDP additive ETEX can no longer harm. So ETEX adds a bit to the run-in oil, allowing it to soak into the metal friction points during assembly operation. The additive forms a coating layer that remains for 50-75 thousand. km or 2000 working engine hours, so ETEX does not need to be changed at the next oil change or maintenance, the additive does not need to be added again during its operation, because ETEX is already in the system and will continue its work regardless of oil changes.

How does ETEX work?

The ETEX particles act like magnets on the friction points, upon reaching the friction point, the ETEX particles continue to break down and gradually enter the metal base surface, cleaning it of dirt and grease breakdown deposits. In the next step, the freed minerals fill, grow and smooth the metal surface, reducing friction, thereby increasing the efficiency of the mechanism and reducing the amount of resources required for work.

ETEX creates a durable, protective synthetic mineral and metal layer at the point of friction with high wear resistance and a significantly reduced coefficient of friction. The coating created by ETEX at the point of friction allows operation even in conditions of lack or complete loss of lubricant.

Where is ETEX from?

The scientific basis of the product can be found in 20. th century, 70’s in Russia, when the possibilities of reducing metal wear were studied. During perestroika, the scientific and technical basis of this research was put on the shelves and began to be covered with a layer of dust, until 2005. when one of the earlier specialists resumed work on this project. Since 2015 a team of Latvian scientists and enthusiasts joined it, creating a product called ETEX. In Latvia, measures were taken for this purpose
physical and chemical tests, involving RTU and its Tribotechnologies department as a competent organization. The results were so surprising that SIA CrossChem could no longer keep this product a secret and in 2020 started its public
production.

What are the advantages of ETEX?

The most important benefits are the saving of resources (gasoline, diesel fuel or electricity) and increased service life of the machine and mechanism. When the protective layer is formed, the engine has better compression and the fuel burns better, which also reduces the amount of emissions.

The lower the friction, the lower the energy consumption – reducing friction by 25% reduces resource consumption by 10%. For road transport, we can reduce fuel consumption by 5-10%, energy consumption by 8-15%. On the other hand, ETEX reduces vibration and noise by 30%.

In addition, the additive makes it possible to increase the service life of the transmission and engine oil, as well as to stabilize and increase compression and oil pressure.

All in all, it reduces operating costs. Our experts have calculated that the use of ETEX pays for itself after driving 1000 km or 100 operating hours of the equipment.

How to test the ETEX effect?

aThere are several ways to test the effect of the product, for example, for engines and other mechanisms, vibration can be measured before and after ETEX application, CO/CO2 emissions can be tested, for diesel engines haze and other parameters can be radically different before and after ETEX treatment. One of the most effective ways is to measure compression. We have done this countless times. For engines with a mileage of around 200,000 km, the compression indicators return to their original values after treatment with ETEX. A few weeks ago, we treated a cogeneration plant engine with ETEX and got fantastic results – we actually gave a second lease of life to an engine that had been working for quite a long time.

In gearboxes, bearings and other mechanisms, the performance of the ETEX product can be checked by measuring the operating temperature, as the additive reduces the heat to the original parameters.

The good properties of this product are already used by such companies as OMNIVA, UPS, BalticOvo and many others. In addition, ETEX has helped our racing driver Matīs Mežaks to win the title of champion in the BATCC championship, for which CrossChem is very happy and proud.

The next step in the evolution of ETEX?

The market is quite saturated with various additives, because every self-respecting chemist believes that he can produce some additive that will provide some benefit to the mechanisms for a shorter or longer time. We have planned to create our own oil already with an anti-friction additive. Friction is a problem that all oil companies struggle with. We have met with several global oil producers such as Mobile, BP and Total. In addition, CrossChem already has a good cooperation with them regarding our core product AdBlue. However, producing ETEX would mean making radical changes in production processes, companies would have to plan this several years in advance, but, as in every gigantic company, the bureaucracy there is unimaginable. That is why we decided to produce ETEX oil ourselves, it is planned to start already next year.

Where can I buy ETEX?

At CrossChem, in the online store and at CrossChem representatives. We have already produced the necessary ETEX product for the basic type of transport or mechanism, but for complex and larger mechanisms, such as cogeneration stations, ship engines, wind generators, we develop individual solutions.

You can buy ETEX here

This article was originally published in Saimnieks magazine (December, 2020).

This article was originally published in iAuto (9. Novembrer, 2021).