MOLYKOTE® Lubricants: Optimizing Equipment Performance

Why Stribeck Curves Matter in Maintenance 

In tribology, the Stribeck curve illustrates the relationship between friction and lubrication regimes: boundary, mixed, and hydrodynamic. Maintenance managers see this curve come to life every day—equipment failures often happen when systems operate too long in boundary or mixed lubrication regimes, where wear is accelerated. The goal is to shift as many operations as possible toward stable, low-friction regimes that extend equipment life and reduce breakdowns. 
 

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How MOLYKOTE® Extends Maintenance Cycles 

MOLYKOTE® specialty lubricants are designed with Stribeck principles in mind. By lowering the coefficient of friction and creating protective films across different lubrication regimes, they help minimize wear during startup, protect surfaces under heavy load, and maintain performance in continuous operation. 

Key benefits include: 

• Reduced wear in boundary and mixed lubrication regimes 
• Consistent film formation across varying loads and speeds 
• Longer relubrication intervals that cut maintenance labor costs 
• Higher overall plant efficiency through lower frictional losses 

 

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Broad Applications Across Industry 

MOLYKOTE® lubricants are trusted across industries where uptime and reliability are critical. Typical applications include the following: 

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Maintenance Strategy and Plant Reliability 

Understanding where your equipment operates on the Stribeck curve provides valuable insight into lubrication strategy. By using MOLYKOTE® solutions, maintenance teams can proactively manage friction and wear across all regimes—reducing unplanned downtime, optimizing total cost of ownership, and ensuring consistent plant performance. 

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Next Steps 

ChemPoint partners with DuPont to supply the full range of MOLYKOTE® lubricants. Whether you are troubleshooting wear problems or designing a lubrication program around tribology best practices, our team is here to help. 

Explore the MOLYKOTE® product line or contact our experts today to see how MOLYKOTE® can support your maintenance strategy.