Professor Pete Dowding, Technical Fellow at Infineum, was presented with the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s ISIS Impact (Economic) Award this week. This award by ISIS Neutron and Muon Source recognised his groundbreaking work on the mode of action of friction modifiers to improve the efficiency of combustion engines.

The project, which began in 2018, was spearheaded by Professor Dowding in collaboration with Infineum experts Oliver Delamore, Elizabeth Mould, Colin Willis, and industry and academic experts from the ISIS Neutron Facility, the University of Cambridge and the University of Edinburgh. It saw the development of a beamline tribometer to study additive structure at molecular level for friction, wear and lubrication.

Professor Pete Dowding says, “Close collaboration with experts from a wide variety of expertise is key in achieving successful innovation. Our external ecosystem continues to address Infineum challenges ranging from addressing product quality/performance challenges, to making key contributions to R&D programmes. The tribometer/predictive modelling is unique. It allows us to predict properties in-silico, without having to synthesise the molecules and so facilitates more rapid development. I am really proud that we have been acknowledged by the UK Scientific Community for our work, but this is only the beginning.”

In 2024, digital stimulation was added to the study to demonstrate how additive perform at molecular level and to create a digital tool which will predict friction based on chemical structure.

With additives as a core part of Infineum’s business, this development solidifies our excellence in technology as it drives research into fuel economy by making changes to the molecular structures of organic friction modifiers and hence reduce friction. Reducing friction reduction and improving fuel economy could lead to more sustainable internal combustion engines and decrease carbon emissions, driving Infineum’s purpose to create a sustainable future through innovative chemistry.

Chris Locke, EVP Commercial congratulated Professor Dowding and the team: “Achieving the maximum possible benefit in almost any field of applied chemistry begins with a fundamental understanding on what is happening at a molecular level. This work is just a great example of how collaboration between different institutions – both academic and industrial, bringing the complementary skills together – can really advance both our scientific understanding but also commercial application of those learnings, in this instance bringing together advanced analytical techniques with state-of-the-art theory and modelling, ultimately leading to better products. Well done to the extended team!”

Infineum extends our congratulations to Professor Dowding and the team behind the project.