Project Launch: TriCoWear

Nearly half of all rolling bearing failures are caused by wear and corrosion. A new research project is taking a close look at the interactions of additives in lubricants during boundary layer formation to ensure a long service life for machines and conserve resources.

From heavily loaded gearboxes in offshore wind turbines to electric mobility and the maritime industry—optimized lubricants ensure smooth operation wherever rolling bearings must withstand extreme mechanical forces and corrosive environments. To meet these high performance requirements, the lubricants contain various additives; typically, anti-wear additives (EP/AW) and corrosion inhibitors (CI) are used in combination.

Optimized additive combinations in lubricants are intended to reduce rolling bearing failures

Since competition and/or synergies occur between these surfactant additives, a thorough understanding of these interactions is crucial for safe operation. In the previous project (DGMK 848) demonstrated the effects of additive combinations, concentration, and contact conditions on the performance of EP/AW when CI was added.

BMWE Funds TriCoWear Research Project

On October 1, 2026, the BMWE-funded follow-up project "Interactions Between Wear-Protection Additives and Corrosion Inhibitors in Oil-Lubricated Rolling Contacts" (DGMK 902) will begin.

This project builds on the results of the previous project and systematically investigates the influence of CI on the wear protection of oil-lubricated rolling bearings, as well as its effects on tribocorrosion protection.

As a result, lubricant developers gain a methodology for identifying suitable additive combinations, while lubricant users can make a more targeted preliminary selection of additives and avoid unsuitable combinations, thereby reducing testing requirements. Ultimately, this maximizes the potential of the additive formulation, allowing for more economical use.

Project Partner: RWTH Aachen University

• Institute for Machine Elements and Systems Development 
• Joint Electron Microscopy Laboratory 

Join us!

The project is being supported by a panel of experts comprising representatives from currently 25 companies. Would you like to get involved in supporting the project? Please contact us!

This project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy pursuant to a resolution of the German Bundestag (IGF Project 01IF25501N).