Use of commercial aerosol lubricants

[MickG0105]

Are commercial aerosol lubricants like WD-40 used for applications such as lubricating cabin and cockpit seat tracks?

[edsbar]

Only if you use the special formula from "Bunnings Aerospace".

[MickG0105]

Only if you use the special formula from "Bunnings Aerospace".
Or Mitre DC 10?

[wrenchalot]

Actually WD-40 is a Water Dispersant, and took 40 recepies before they got it right; WD-40 is useless as a lubricant. There are a whole lot of good lubricants out there. The best ones are dry film lubricants for your applications on seats and such. Won't smell, and won't pick-up dust, lint, and dirt, and won't mar your pant legs.
Graphite in spray cans,( black in color) Teflon in spray cans ( colorless) are excellent, and widely used.

Cheers,

[MickG0105]

Actually WD-40 is a Water Dispersant, and took 40 recepies before they got it right; WD-40 is useless as a lubricant. There are a whole lot of good lubricants out there. The best ones are dry film lubricants for your applications on seats and such. Won't smell, and won't pick-up dust, lint, and dirt, and won't mar your pant legs.
Graphite in spray cans,( black in color) Teflon in spray cans ( colorless) are excellent, and widely used.

Cheers,
Thanks for that. I'm actually trying to determine if airlines use WD-40 and the like for in cockpit/pax cabin applications rather than identify a suitable lubricant per se.

[onetrack]

It is widely believed one of the largest constituents of WD-40 is fish oil - which is the reason why the spray is water-repelling, and leaves a protective coating. As a lubricant, it is on the lower levels of lubricating ability.
There are better seat slide track products available. Look for some of the door lock spray lubricants, that leave a lubricant coating.
My personal choice is the spray lubricants that contain PTFE and Molybdenum Disulphide. MoS2 is well known for its dry lubricating abilities.
Greases are constructed from heavy-consistency metallic soap fillers, that contain mineral oils suspended in the filler material.
Over time (a month or two) the oils will drain away from the metallic soap filler, which then can no longer carry out its job of lubrication.

[MickG0105]

It is widely believed one of the largest constituents of WD-40 is fish oil - which is the reason why the spray is water-repelling, and leaves a protective coating. As a lubricant, it is on the lower levels of lubricating ability.
There are better seat slide track products available. Look for some of the door lock spray lubricants, that leave a lubricant coating.
My personal choice is the spray lubricants that contain PTFE and Molybdenum Disulphide. MoS2 is well known for its dry lubricating abilities.
Greases are constructed from heavy-consistency metallic soap fillers, that contain mineral oils suspended in the filler material.
Over time (a month or two) the oils will drain away from the metallic soap filler, which then can no longer carry out its job of lubrication.
Thanks for that onetrack but I'm not actually looking for a good lubricant for seat tracks, I'm trying to determine if airlines use WD-40 and the like for in cockpit/pax cabin applications.

[yotty]

I think I know where this thread might be headed! Are you trying to link the demise of MH 370 with a possible explosion due to the reaction of a cockpit crew oxygen leak with a hydrocarbon source like WD40?

[MickG0105]

I think I know where this thread might be headed! Are you trying to link the demise of MH 370 with a possible explosion due to the reaction of a cockpit crew oxygen leak with a hydrocarbon source like WD40?
I think you might be right. I'm not thinking explosion (that would not be consistent with any of the data or physical evidence), I'm thinking fire - oxygen enriched atmosphere, cockpit foot heaters, seat track grease or other hydrocarbon-based lubricant, ...

[yotty]

I'm not putting forward that hypothesis, I was just pointing out the direction that you might be headed in! :ugh:

[Stanwell]

If I may add to onetrack's response, the major component of WD-40 is kerosene (paraffin, to those in UK).

[MickG0105]

I'm not putting forward that hypothesis, I was just pointing out the direction that you might be headed in! :ugh:
I was saying that I think you're right when you say you think you know where the thread was going, and you were.

[MickG0105]

If I may add to onetrack's response, the major component of WD-40 is kerosene (paraffin, to those in UK).
I'd looked up the safety data sheet for WD-40 a while back, by weight it's >60% naphtha (petroleum), hydrodesulfurized heavy (CAS #64742-82-1). Naphtha has basically the same flash point (47 °C) and upper/lower flammability limits (1. 4 - 7. 6 % (V)) as petrol (motor spirit, gasoline).

[yotty]

I think it unlikely that a gradual leak in the 02 system could cause the problem. The equipment cooling/aircond would disperse that limited amount of 02 very quickly. Though you couldn't argue that a major leak might not cause a reaction "if all the holes in the cheese lined up"!

[MickG0105]

I think it unlikely that a gradual leak in the 02 system could cause the problem. The equipment cooling/aircond would disperse that limited amount of 02 very quickly. Though you couldn't argue that a major leak might not cause a reaction "if all the holes in the cheese lined up"!
You might be right. You only need a 10% increase in the concentration of oxygen (from the usual 21% to 23%) to achieve an oxygen-enriched atmosphere. Get to 23% and the chemistry of fire changes and it changes dramatically - ordinarily non-flammable materials become flammable, ignition temperatures come down, flammability ranges widen, rate of combustion goes up, flame temperatures go up.
And it takes far less oxygen (by weight or number of molecules) to raise the concentration of an 8,000,foot atmosphere to 23% than would be required to achieve the same result at sea level.
However, as interesting as that might be it is all largely irrelevant if WD-40 or a similar compound isn't present. Which brings me back to my original question:
Are commercial aerosol lubricants like WD-40 used for applications such as lubricating cabin and cockpit seat tracks?

[yotty]

What you really need to find out is what materials Malaysian use on their 777s. It doesn't matter what other operators use!

[onetrack]

I might add, WD-40 is regularly used as a tractor diesel/industrial diesel engine, aid to cold starting, in place of the ether-based starting aids.
It is quite flammable - but no more so than diesel - and it has the benefit of not burning explosively as large doses of ether do, which quite often results in broken piston rings.

Are commercial aerosol lubricants like WD-40 used for applications such as lubricating cabin and cockpit seat tracks?Well, I can't answer that question precisely - nor can I definitely say it's in use in Malaysian aviation - but it sure looks like the Bulgarian agents for WD-40 are happy to recommend it for aviation purposes. :)

http://bomarbg.eu/wd-40_aviation.html

[MickG0105]

What you really need to find out is what materials Malaysian use on their 777s. It doesn't matter what other operators use!
I've got a similar thread in the South East Asia forum. You wouldn't know any maintainers at MAB would you?

[hoss183]

Be careful of WD40 around some plastics, specifically Polycarbonate and Polystyrene, it attacks a degrades them.

[bvcu]

Not come across it in use on AIRBUS/BOEING for any applications , don't believe its in the list of materials for either. Recall its use in the military at least 25 years ago , spraying it down Buccaneer engines after low level sea trips .Got stopped when it was found to attack different rubbers and insulation on cables

[Sevarg]

I find a quick spray of WD 40 gives old windup clocks a new lease of life. Keeps them going till you have time to clean them correctly.

[MickG0105]

Not come across it in use on AIRBUS/BOEING for any applications , don't believe its in the list of materials for either. Recall its use in the military at least 25 years ago , spraying it down Buccaneer engines after low level sea trips .Got stopped when it was found to attack different rubbers and insulation on cables
Thanks for that.

[riff_raff]

WD-40 is probably not suitable for use anywhere in a pressurized aircraft cockpit or passenger cabin due to its VOC content. As others noted WD-40 is formulated to displace moisture from metal surfaces and provide short term corrosion protection. The seat tracks likely use some form of dry film lubrication, which minimizes contamination from loose floor debris.

[MAC 40612]

I believe the type of Lubricants used in then situation you list are MS4 [Silicon type] lubricants and I also remember a type of lubricant under the brand "Chesterton" being used on seat tracks in the past in the cabin.

[MickG0105]

Riff_Raff and MAC 40612,

Thanks for getting back to me.

[drwer2]

FWIW, No fish oil. I have it on good authority (hee hee) that the Primary ingredient is mineral oil, not diesel or JetA, lesser components are proprietary (the part that 'disperses') and the last is just fragrance. Lots of 'counterfeit' and illegal "real" shipments out of the far east.

My wife works at WD and I get all mine for free. I use it for everything in the machine shop because....its free. Its okay as a coolant on the lathe or mill, but there are better things that dont stink up the shop.

I did speak with a maintenance rep from Textron, er Beech, er...whoever makes Citations now; that WD is NOT ALLOWED in the shop area. Why? "because of its 'flammability'."

While it may be combustible, it does NOT support a flame on its own. Next time you're burning leaves/trash spray some on the fire. It will burn, but immediately goes out.

Sorry, I've been gone so long. Solved my tax issues in CA :)

[MickG0105]

FWIW, No fish oil. I have it on good authority (hee hee) that the Primary ingredient is mineral oil, not diesel or JetA, lesser components are proprietary (the part that 'disperses') and the last is just fragrance. Lots of 'counterfeit' and illegal "real" shipments out of the far east.

My wife works at WD and I get all mine for free. I use it for everything in the machine shop because....its free. Its okay as a coolant on the lathe or mill, but there are better things that dont stink up the shop.

I did speak with a maintenance rep from Textron, er Beech, er...whoever makes Citations now; that WD is NOT ALLOWED in the shop area. Why? "because of its 'flammability'."

While it may be combustible, it does NOT support a flame on its own. Next time you're burning leaves/trash spray some on the fire. It will burn, but immediately goes out.

Sorry, I've been gone so long. Solved my tax issues in CA :)
Thanks for that, I have no idea why some people think WD-40 contains fish oil.

[Band a Lot]

"I have no idea why some people think WD-40 contains fish oil."

It smells a bit like it, as to a reason I doubt it would be spayed on seat tracks.

I assume a 777 cockpit seat would have rollers on seats that roll on the tracks, any lubricating of the tracks will not be very effective or long term on a jammed roller.

As for WD40, don't see much around in the aviation game - more LPS1, LPS2 & LPS3 with 2 being closer in viscosity to WD40.

I would also assume that the 777 lubrication chart has nothing for seat tracks but would have for rollers if that is what is fitted.

I also think an O2 leak changing the cabin O2 levels very much a bit far fetched, there is just too much air flow for that - unless pilots don't do smelly farts!