Radical-neutralizing coating for a lubricant system

1. A method, comprising:

preparing a radical-neutralizing composition comprising a cerium compound and a carrier;

applying the radical-neutralizing composition to a passageway surface of a lubricant passageway in a lubricant system component, wherein the lubricant passageway is configured to receive a liquid lubricant;

drying the radical-neutralizing composition to form a radical-neutralizing coating on the passageway surface comprising cerium oxide;

flowing the liquid lubricant through the lubricant passageway; and

neutralizing at least one of an alkoxy radical or an alkyl radical comprised in the liquid lubricant.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preparing the radical-neutralizing composition comprises combining cerium nitrate in the carrier, wherein the carrier is at least one of water or a mixture of ethanol and polyethylene glycol, and wherein applying the radical-neutralizing composition to the passageway surface comprises dipping the lubricant passageway into the radical-neutralizing composition.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drying the passageway surface comprises calcination of the radical-neutralizing composition at a temperature ranging from 446° C. to 997° C.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radical-neutralizing coating comprises a coating thickness ranging from one nanometer to one micrometer, and wherein the radical-neutralizing coating comprises a plurality of cerium oxide nanocrystallites each having a size ranging from one nanometer to five nanometers.

5. A lubrication system, comprising:

a lubricant system component comprising a lubricant passageway defined by a passageway surface and configured to allow passage of a liquid lubricant therethrough; and

a radical-neutralizing coating coupled to and along the passageway surface comprising cerium oxide, wherein the radical-neutralizing coating has a coating thickness ranging from one nanometer to one micrometer, and wherein the radical-neutralizing coating is configured to neutralize at least one of an alkoxy radical or an alkyl radical comprised in the liquid lubricant.

6. The lubrication system of claim 5 , wherein the radical-neutralizing coating further comprises a dopant.

7. The lubrication system of claim 6 , wherein the dopant is at least one of lanthanum or zirconium.

8. The lubrication system of claim 6 , wherein the cerium oxide comprises between 50% and 99.9% by weight of the radical-neutralizing coating.

9. The lubrication system of claim 6 , wherein the dopant comprises between 0.01% and 50% of the radical-neutralizing coating.

10. The lubrication system of claim 6 , wherein the dopant comprises between 0.01% and 10% of the radical-neutralizing coating.

11. The lubrication system of claim 5 , wherein the radical-neutralizing coating thickness ranges from 0.2 micrometer to one micrometer.

12. A lubrication system, comprising:

a lubricant system component comprising a lubricant passageway defined by a passageway surface and configured to allow passage of a liquid lubricant therethrough; and

a radical-neutralizing coating coupled to and along the passageway surface comprising cerium oxide, wherein the radical-neutralizing coating comprises a plurality of cerium oxide nanocrystallites each having a size ranging from one nanometer to five nanometers, and wherein the radical-neutralizing coating is configured to neutralize at least one of an alkoxy radical or an alkyl radical comprised in the liquid lubricant.

13. The lubrication system of claim 12 , wherein the size of each cerium oxide nanocrystallite ranges from one nanometer to two nanometers.

14. The lubrication system of claim 12 , wherein the size of each cerium oxide nanocrystallite ranges from two nanometers to five nanometers.

15. The lubrication system of claim 12 , wherein the radical-neutralizing coating further comprises a dopant.

16. The lubrication system of claim 15 , wherein the dopant is at least one of lanthanum or zirconium.

17. The lubrication system of claim 15 , wherein the cerium oxide comprises between 50% and 99.9% by weight of the radical-neutralizing coating.

18. The lubrication system of claim 15 , wherein the dopant comprises between 0.01% and 50% of the radical-neutralizing coating.

19. The lubrication system of claim 15 , wherein the dopant comprises between 0.01% and 10% of the radical-neutralizing coating.

20. The lubrication system of claim 12 , wherein the radical-neutralizing coating comprises a coating thickness ranging between one nanometer and one micrometer.