BORPower additive?

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Logic

Ah yes; PTFE

I have never got into the science here. IIRC there where issues..?

BA forms that hard, chemically inert, self fixing, oxide layer that none of the other solid lubricants do.

So lets say you have this BO layer on your engine and 2 high points somewhere touch causing the oxide to be shorn off:
The oxide particle/s reacts with water in the oil forming BA again and the BA, with no metal surfaces left to react with, reacts with that same bare spot (sans high point) again.

Judging by the look of the oil alone: The BO layer formed really does stop corrosion.
The oil just refuses to go that dark, old colour.

In my experiments this worried me in that: "We are at 20 000km (IIRC) since the last oil change! I don't care how good the oil looks; now I'm changing it!'

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1) Any 'high points' ( asperities ) would have have already interacted in service during break-in, and worn each other down 'smooth,' before the boric oxide film was ever plated on.
2) As soon as the asperities were knocked off, oil would flow over their former locations to 'plate' the metals surface.
3) From then on, unless the engine was neglected or abused, at least boundary region lubrication would be separating opposing surfaces from actual contact, by definition.
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4) If your motor oil is not getting 'darker and nastier-looking', then it has lost its detergent and dispersant additive package, and is doomed to premature failure.
5) And regardless of what the oil's anti-wear additive capabilities are, all the other protective additives will technically be 'gone' by 7,500-miles of 'normal' driving, or whatever interval is recommended during the warranty period specified by the automaker.
6) After the warranty is expired, the automaker could care less how one treats their car. They're 'off the hook.'
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7) In the complete absence of boric oxide, the motor oil would already have an anti-corrosion ( acid buffering )/anti-oxidant ( carbon, gum, sludge, varnish ) / ant-wear ( ZDDP, Phosphates, acid phosphates, organic sulfur, chlorine, boron nitrogen ) additive package ( some will already contain 'boron' additives )/ anti-foaming / pour-point suppressants / viscosity-index improvers .