New technology..oil additive package in the filter

[Filter guy]

As there seems to be those that like to know what's going on, I thought this article might be of interest:

Donaldson Says New Technology Can Extend Oil, Oil Filter Life

11/1/2004
Donaldson Co., Minneapolis, Minn. has introduced built-in additive replenishment technology to extend oil and oil-filter life significantly longer than conventional cellulose oil filters.
The company calls the new product Donaldson Endurance Plus.
"Many long-haul operators will be able to significantly increase the OEM recommended oil change intervals with Donaldson Endurance Plus," said John Hacker, director of liquid filtration development. "To determine the new oil change interval, Donaldson recommends doing oil analysis. Our new product has the potential to drastically reduce fleet maintenance costs by eliminating every second oil and filter change. In addition, truck owners can install our new filters in place of existing filters with no special hardware or added maintenance procedures."
The Donaldson release explained, “as oil enters a replenishment container at the top of the Donaldson Endurance Plus filter, it reintroduces a concentrated blend of additives to the oil. The oil then passes through Donaldson's Synteq filter media, which captures engine-damaging contaminants. The process sends clean, replenished oil back to the engine, helping ensure the vehicle's continued peak operation.”
As a direct replacement for existing, standard spin-on filters, Donaldson Endurance Plus is available for popular on-road truck engines. The filters provide comprehensive engine protection and the longest filter life available in the industry.
For more information, visit www.donaldson.com.

http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=53017
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Well this article is interesting but they could have filled it in a bit more.

First, Donaldson is only offering this filter for Cummins, Cat, and Detroit engines. They will expand their filter offering to other heavy duty engines.

What the article doesn't tell you, but I will

,
Is that this product has been fleet tested for 2 years in conjunction with oil additive companies.

How they accomplish this is via a gel is used in the filter. As the oil flows over the "gel additive replenishment" is absorbs into the existing oil. I believe the gel is coated on the media. But I will have to confirm the actual construction.

As I find out more i'll add it to this thread.

The question is, are the automotive engine companies looking at this technology?

Can't answer at the moment.

But it could have some interesting possibilities for OEM engine warranties and filter/oil change intervals...

 

[btanchors]

Interesting, but I don't think this is "New" technology - In fact, I recall the company Monroe (more famous for making shock absorbers) used to market an oil filter that contained additive replentishment...This was in the late 70's or early 80's....

 

[unDummy]

Puradyn bypass filters have a bypass filter with time release oil additive replenishment.

And, don't forget Fram. They sold a filter with teflon.

So, I don't see it as "new technology". But, its about time that full flow filters come with a leachable additive package. Problem is, how is API going to deal with it? What if the additive PPMs exceed the enviroweenies' limits for those additives?

The thought of having to only change the filter and top off the oil might one day be a reality.

 

[Filter guy]

Well here's a little more info from an Industry publication that unfortunately isn't online yet to link to, so I will type out the relevant bit:

"After three years of R&D, which included testing of additive packages in a unique gel form, Donaldson redesigned part of it's full-flow filter line to accomodate approximately a coffee-cup full of additives in the new gel form. As the oil passed through the filter, it would flow over the gel and slowly release fresh additive into the oil---sort of like time-release medicines.

Another two years of field testing with major over-the-road fleets was done to monitor the gels slow-release rate and , through regular oil analysis, to see how the oil's TBN level was holding up."

Now the interesting bit to me is where is the gel that the oil flows over? Coated on the media ( doubtful). In the bottom of the can (possibly). Or on the clean side down the center tube area ( more likely).

How they are probably accomplishing this is there are certain polymers which one can coat the gel with. Much, as the article mentions, like your aspirin gel capsule.

You put X amount of these into the filter shell, they end up becoming like a big blob of gel once the oil flows, but the oil erodes the layer of polymer to allow the inhibitor package to replenish the oil. Then as the oil continues to flow over the "glob", the next polymer is deteriorated to get at the next bit of gel to reinhibit the oil, and it continues until the gel is totally used up.

This technology has been used in the coolant time release chemicals in coolant filters for heavy duty engines.

The quantity of gel capsules can be dipensed based on engine needs.

btw..the entire article was in Diesel Progress North American edition.
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Now as for automotive application, it becomes a simple thing to determine, with the engine OEM and OEM oil supplier, the necessary amount of chemical replenishment to add to an exisitng filter.

The OEM then can market their engine only needs oil changes every 6,000 severe driving or 12,000 normal driving miles.

This free's up their maintence department to become more profitable.

It allows a marketing advantage over their competition, until they do it as well.

It saves the consumer the extra trip to get their oil changed somewhere. ( not everyone is like most in here who change their own oil).

Environmentally friendly, as less filters and oil to dispose of. Less dependant on foreign oil

There would be marketing advantages. Or at least I could see them..

[ December 04, 2004, 07:55 PM: Message edited by: Filter guy ]

 

[Gary Allan]

As undummy said ... Check this out

This is how PuraDyne does it. That's in a bypass setup though.

It looks like you're correct that they are a bunch of pellets ..but it appears that the pellets themselves are pourous.

I guess they could put them on either side of the media.

[ December 04, 2004, 10:13 PM: Message edited by: Gary Allan ]

 

[Ray H]

Enviroweenies aside, what I'd like to know is how well the "one-size-fits-all" time-release additive approach in the filter cohabits* with the (presumably) carefully engineered additive package the blender used in the finished motor oil formulation.

*That word used in ALL its definitive aspects. Think about it.

 

[Filter guy]

Gary, as you said, it's in a by-pass unit.

Most cars do not use by-pass filtration unless one remote mounts their own. They are not offered as optional equipment from Auto OEM's.

So which method will an Auto OEM opt for? The most convenient and cost effective, for them, is to put an oil replenishment package in the existing full-flow filter.

With heavy duty engines, they are either standard or an option depending on engine type. With Cummins they use a combination full-flow/by-pass filter. With Detroit, Caterpillar, Mack, Volvo, Mercedes, a by-pass unit is an option. ( and with the soot problem in oil, the new government regulations on emissions and future oil formula's, by-pass filtration is one option that OEM's are pursuing to solve the problem )

Funny enough, Mercedes tested the leader in by-pass filtration, Luberfiner's 750 unit and element.

They concluded it was a very effective and efficient unit. Their problem was the media used in the element. Because it was not a "paper" element, and they had sold their consumers on the benefits of their paper media..they felt uncomfortable promoting a "better" element that wasn't paper. So in Germany they offered a paper media replacement and worldwide opted for what Luberfiner used for media.

I guess Germans couldn't convince their own but it was good enough for the rest of the world....lol

 

[unDummy]

If its just for TBN boosting for longer OCIs, then I don't see it as "carefully engineered". Looking at the VOAs/used oil analysis, all oils seem to have the same basic additives(Z,Ph, Ca, Mg,....).
Also, with the number of maintenance dose additives(lubecontrol, autorx, neutra, lubegard, valvoline, marvel mystery, rislone, militec, oil extreme, TBN boosters......) that are being used with any brand of oil, I think that an additive can be made to serve a purpose that will work with any carefully engineered additive package by any supplier in any oil.

Will Donaldson offer this filter in all automotive sizes? Probably not.
If you need to go remote anyway, you could remotely mount the full flow Donaldson, you could remotely mount the bypass Puradyn, or you can just use any filter and add a TBN booster if trying to go a gazillion miles without an oil change.