Nikasil
Encyclopedia
Nikasil is a trademarked electrodeposited
lipophilic
nickel
matrix silicon carbide
coating for engine components, mainly piston engine cylinder liners. It was introduced by Mahle
in 1967, initially developed to allow rotary engine
apex seals (NSU Ro80 and Mercedes C111) to work directly against the aluminum housing. This coating allowed aluminum cylinder
s and piston
s to work directly against each other with low wear and friction
. Unlike other methods, including cast iron
cylinder liners, Nikasil allowed very large cylinder bores with tight tolerances and thus allowed existing engine designs to be expanded easily, the aluminium cylinders also gave a much better heat conductivity than cast iron liners, which is an important factor for a high output engine. The coating was further developed by US Chrome Corporation in the USA in the early 1990s (under the trade name of "Nicom"), as a replacement for hard-chrome plated cylinder bores for Mecury Marine Racing, Kohler Engines, and as a repair replacement for factory-chromed snowmobiles, dirt bikes, ATVs, watercraft and automotive V8 liners/bores.
Porsche
started using this on the 1970 917
race car, and later on the 1973 911 RS. Porsche also used it on production cars, but for a short time switched to Alusil
due to cost savings for their base 911
. Nikasil cylinders were always used for the 911 Turbo and RS models. Nikasil coated aluminum cylinders allowed Porsche to build air-cooled engine
s that had the highest specific output
Nikasil was very popular in the 1990s. It was used by companies such as Audi
, BMW
, Ferrari
, Jaguar Cars and Moto Guzzi
in their new engine families. However, the sulfur
found in much of the world's low quality gasoline caused some Nikasil cylinders to break down over time http://www.go-lpg.co.uk/Nikasil.html, causing costly engine failures.
Nikasil or similar coatings under other trademarks are also still widely used in racing engines, including those used in Formula One
and ChampCar. Suzuki currently uses a race-proven nickel phosphorus-silicon-carbide proprietary coating trademarked SCEM (Suzuki Composite Electro-chemical Material) to maximize cylinder size and improve heat dissipation, e.g., on the engine of the Suzuki TL1000S
, V-Strom 650, and Hayabusa motorcycles.
Engines using Nikasil:
Electrophoretic deposition
Electrophoretic deposition , is a term for a broad range of industrial processes which includes electrocoating, e-coating, cathodic electrodeposition, and electrophoretic coating, or electrophoretic painting...
lipophilic
Lipophilic
Lipophilicity, , refers to the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, and non-polar solvents such as hexane or toluene. These non-polar solvents are themselves lipophilic — the axiom that like dissolves like generally holds true...
nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
matrix silicon carbide
Silicon carbide
Silicon carbide , also known as carborundum, is a compound of silicon and carbon with chemical formula SiC. It occurs in nature as the extremely rare mineral moissanite. Silicon carbide powder has been mass-produced since 1893 for use as an abrasive...
coating for engine components, mainly piston engine cylinder liners. It was introduced by Mahle
Mahle GmbH
Mahle GmbH is one of the 30 largest automotive suppliers worldwide. As the leading manufacturer of components and systems for combustion engines and its periphery, the Mahle Group is among the top three systems suppliers worldwide for piston systems, cylinder components, valve train systems, air...
in 1967, initially developed to allow rotary engine
Rotary engine
The rotary engine was an early type of internal-combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration, in which the crankshaft remained stationary and the entire cylinder block rotated around it...
apex seals (NSU Ro80 and Mercedes C111) to work directly against the aluminum housing. This coating allowed aluminum cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
s and piston
Piston
A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tight by piston rings. In an engine, its purpose is to transfer force from...
s to work directly against each other with low wear and friction
Friction
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and/or material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction:...
. Unlike other methods, including cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
cylinder liners, Nikasil allowed very large cylinder bores with tight tolerances and thus allowed existing engine designs to be expanded easily, the aluminium cylinders also gave a much better heat conductivity than cast iron liners, which is an important factor for a high output engine. The coating was further developed by US Chrome Corporation in the USA in the early 1990s (under the trade name of "Nicom"), as a replacement for hard-chrome plated cylinder bores for Mecury Marine Racing, Kohler Engines, and as a repair replacement for factory-chromed snowmobiles, dirt bikes, ATVs, watercraft and automotive V8 liners/bores.
Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
started using this on the 1970 917
Porsche 917
The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Powered by the Type 912 flat-12 engine of 4.5, 4.9, or 5 litres, the 917/30 variant was capable of a 0- time of 2.3 seconds, 0– in 5.3 seconds, and a top speed of over .There are 6...
race car, and later on the 1973 911 RS. Porsche also used it on production cars, but for a short time switched to Alusil
Alusil
Alusil as a hypereutectic aluminium-silicon alloy contains approximately 78% aluminium and 17% silicon. This alloy was created in 1927 by Schweizer & Fehrenbach of Baden-Baden Germany and further developed by Kolbenschmidt....
due to cost savings for their base 911
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
. Nikasil cylinders were always used for the 911 Turbo and RS models. Nikasil coated aluminum cylinders allowed Porsche to build air-cooled engine
Air-cooled engine
Air-cooled engines rely on the circulation of air directly over hot parts of the engine to cool them.-Introduction:Most modern internal combustion engines are cooled by a closed circuit carrying liquid coolant through channels in the engine block and cylinder head, where the coolant absorbs heat,...
s that had the highest specific output
Nikasil was very popular in the 1990s. It was used by companies such as Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
, BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
, Jaguar Cars and Moto Guzzi
Moto Guzzi
Moto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It is one of seven brands owned by Piaggio.Established in 1921 in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the company is noted for its central historic role in Italy's motorcycling manufacture, its prominence worldwide in motorcycle racing, and a series of...
in their new engine families. However, the sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
found in much of the world's low quality gasoline caused some Nikasil cylinders to break down over time http://www.go-lpg.co.uk/Nikasil.html, causing costly engine failures.
Nikasil or similar coatings under other trademarks are also still widely used in racing engines, including those used in Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
and ChampCar. Suzuki currently uses a race-proven nickel phosphorus-silicon-carbide proprietary coating trademarked SCEM (Suzuki Composite Electro-chemical Material) to maximize cylinder size and improve heat dissipation, e.g., on the engine of the Suzuki TL1000S
Suzuki TL1000S
- General background :The Suzuki TL1000S was introduced by Suzuki in 1997 and was produced until 2001 and is frequently referred to as the TLS or Suzuki TLS. It is notable for the V-twin engine which is still used in Suzuki's modern SV1000 and V-Strom 1000 motorcycles.The TLS motor featured a 90°...
, V-Strom 650, and Hayabusa motorcycles.
Engines using Nikasil:
- Aprilia RS125 And Aprilia SX/RX 125
- Armstrong MT500 - Rotax engine cylinder lining
- Chevrolet LT5 engine, designed by LotusLotus CarsLotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...
and used exclusively in the Corvette ZR-1Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1The Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 is a high performance version of the Chevrolet Corvette C6. Both the C3 from 1969–1971 and C4 Corvettes from 1990-1995 had ZR-1 models... - CitroënCitroënCitroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
Visa twin - Citroën GSCitroën GSThe Citroën GS and Citroën GSA are small family cars produced by the French automaker Citroën. The GS was voted European Car of the Year for 1971, and was probably the most technologically advanced car in its class when launched, with class leading comfort, safety and aerodynamics.-Market...
birotor wankel engine made by ComotorComotorThe Company Comotor SA was a joint venture between NSU and Citroën, created in Luxembourg in April 1967. Its goal was to produce Wankel engines.... - Compact Radial Engines MZ34
- BMW M52BMW M52The BMW M52 is a Straight 6 piston engine. Displacement ranges from 2000 cc to 3200 cc. It is a DOHC 24-valve engine, originally introduced with VANOS Variable Valve Timing. It replaced the BMW M50 engine in 1994 and was replaced in 2001 with the BMW M54 engine...
I6, except exports to North America - BMW M52TU I6, same as M52 except with VVT on both camshafts
- BMW M60BMW M60The M60 is the internal code for the V8 engine manufactured by BMW from April 1992 to 1995. It replaced the BMW M30 inline six - with the exception of the BMW E32, in which the M30B30 continued to be available.-Development:...
V8V8 engineA V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... - BMW R80GS, as measure to reduce weight over cast-iron lined cylinders
- BMW S1000RRBMW S1000RRThe BMW S1000RR is a sport bike initially manufactured by BMW Motorrad to compete in the 2009 Superbike World Championship, that is now in commercial production...
, scheduled for early 2010 release. - Ferrari F50Ferrari F50The Ferrari F50 is a mid-engined range-topping sports car made by Ferrari. The F50 was introduced in 1995 to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The car is a two door, two seat convertible with a removable hardtop...
V12V12 engineA V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft.... - Ford RS200Ford RS200The Ford RS200 is a mid-engined, four-wheel drive sports car produced by Ford from 1984 to 1986. The road-going RS200 was based on Ford's Group B rally car and was designed to comply with FIA homologation regulations, which required 200 road legal versions be built...
- Honda RS125RHonda RS125RThe Honda RS125R is a 125 cc two-stroke Grand Prix racing motorcycle built for racing purposes only.More info from Honda / HRC can be found here: -2008 Honda RS125R specifications:MODELRS125RTYPEJR01LENGTH × WIDTH × HEIGHT...
http://world.honda.com/HRC/products/rs125r/ - cylinder lining - Honda RS250RHonda RS250RThe Honda RS250R is a twin-cylinder 250 cc two-stroke GP racing motorcycle built for racing purposes only.- External links :...
http://world.honda.com/HRC/products/rs250r/ - cylinder lining - Honda NSR 150SP
- Honda XR650R
- Jaguar AJ-V8Jaguar AJ-V8 engineThe Jaguar AJ-V8 is a compact DOHC V8 piston engine used in many Jaguar vehicles. It was the fourth new engine type in the history of the company. In 1997 it replaced both designs previously available on Jaguar cars: the straight-6 Jaguar AJ6 engine , and the Jaguar V12 engine...
, 1997 - 2000 (XK series VIN range 001036-042775, XJ V8 series VIN 812256-878717) - Kawasaki KLX650R
- KTMKTMKTM Sportmotorcycle AG is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and moped manufacturer.The company was founded in 1934 by engineer Hans Trunkenpolz in Mattighofen. It started out as a metal working shop and was named Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen...
LC4 - KreidlerKreidlerKreidler was a German manufacturer of small motorcycles and mopeds, based in Kornwestheim, between Ludwigsburg and Stuttgart. The company was founded in 1903 as "Kreidlers Metall- und Drahtwerke" by Anton Kreidler and started to build motorcycles in 1951. In 1959 one third of all German...
Florett,Flory - Lambretta TS1
- Lotus Esprit Turbo 2.2
- Maserati BiturboMaserati BiturboThe Maserati Biturbo is a sports car introduced by Maserati in 1981. The Biturbo is a two-door, four-seater notchback coupé featuring, as the name implies, a two-litre V6 engine with two turbochargers and a luxurious interior.The car was designed by Pierangelo Andreani, an engineer from the De...
2.0 V6 Engines - Moto GuzziMoto GuzziMoto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It is one of seven brands owned by Piaggio.Established in 1921 in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the company is noted for its central historic role in Italy's motorcycling manufacture, its prominence worldwide in motorcycle racing, and a series of...
850 T3 and derived engines - NSU Ro80
- Porsche 912 engine ( engine in 917 car, not to be confused with the Porsche 912 car )
- Porsche 911 1973+ (excluding some 1975-1978 911S)
- SuzukiSuzukiis a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
LTR450 - Suzuki RGV250Suzuki RGV250- Introduction :The RGV250 is a high performance sports bike which had a great number of its features and design clues based on the Grand Prix technologies and ideas. It is a race-replica based on Suzuki's 250 cc GP bikes from 1987 to 1998, the RGV Gamma V-2 racer...
- SuzukiSuzukiis a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
Raider R150 - Tomos A55 engine
- Tomos E90
- Vespa T5
- Sonex AeroVee Aircraft Engine
- Yamaha ATV motors
- Yamaha WR250R
- Ford PumaFord PumaThe Ford Puma was a small sports coupé produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1997 to 2001 http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/owners-reviews/search.aspx?range=438#fuel=P&Body=Coupe&transmission=M, for sale in Europe...