New lubricant allows Chinese fighter planes to perform in extremely low temperatures
China has developed a new lubricant that will ensure its third-generation fighter planes can start their engines instantly and take off in extremely low temperatures, the country's armed forces announced Friday.
According to an unnamed scientist working in a fuel research institute of China's Air Force, the specialized lubricant can also enable fighter engines to continue working for longer hours in very high temperatures.
Specifically, the new-version lubricant is designed for use at extremes of temperature both 20 degrees higher and 20 degrees lower than its predecessor.
The advance involves adjusting the viscosity of the solution so that it doesn't freeze. The new lubricant is based on basic oil molecular structure refined from thousands of ester structures, according to the scientist.
