Rocketman Coatings Details QLC Surface Technology for Lower Friction, Greater Durability and More
Rocky and Billy Jordache explain how proprietary ceramic chemistry and “kinetic wave” application technology target friction and wear in racing engines.
Rocketman Coatings presented its approach to reducing mechanical friction and protecting performance engine components during EPARTRADE’s Race Industry Now webinar, “The Next Generation of Low-Friction Surface Technology—For Low Friction, Durability, and More Power.”
Featuring Rocky Jordache, Owner, and Billy Jordache, Vice President, the technical discussion explored the company’s proprietary QLC material, its application process, piston-ring testing and opportunities for manufacturers to incorporate the technology into their production operations. Brad Gillie of SiriusXM, Channel 90, Late Shift, hosted the session.
At the center of the presentation was a distinction the company considers fundamental: although marketed as a coating, QLC is described by Rocketman as a treatment that becomes integrated with a component’s surface.
“It becomes part of the surface, not something on top of the surface,” Rocky explained.
A Thin Ceramic Treatment Applied Without Heating the Part
QLC stands for quartz-like ceramic. Rocky emphasized that the name describes aspects of its appearance, rather than identifying the material as quartz. The formulation uses a proprietary mixture of rare earth materials, with the chemistry and application details maintained as trade secrets.
According to Rocketman, the treatment is approximately 1–5 microns thick and can be applied to a broad range of metallic substrates, including ferrous and non-ferrous components. The presenters also identified potential compatibility with certain plastics and carbon-fiber materials.
Rocketman calls its proprietary application process “kinetic wave” technology. Rocky described it as embedding the treatment material into the component’s outer surface and bonding it at the atomic level. The company attributes QLC’s resistance to separation and wear to that integration.
A significant manufacturing feature is that the process does not require heating the component above ambient conditions. Billy emphasized the importance for heat-treated valvetrain parts: the treatment is intended to preserve the heat treatment already established by the component manufacturer.
For engine builders and suppliers, that offers a route to surface modification without introducing a separate high-temperature processing step.
Reported Friction Coefficient of 0.07 in Piston-Ring Testing
Rocketman reported testing with a national laboratory that produced an average coefficient of friction of approximately 0.07 on a treated part. During the presentation, Billy discussed a piston-ring friction graph showing an initial running-in period followed by a reduction in friction and a relatively stable trace.
Rocky attributed the low-friction behavior to the way the treatment’s structure responds to sliding contact. He described the material as developing an arrangement that allows layers to slide relative to one another under load, using a deck of cards as an analogy.
The webinar did not identify the laboratory or specify the full test conditions, including load, speed, lubrication and counterface material. The reported figure therefore describes the testing discussed in the presentation rather than a universal value for every application.
Rocketman positioned the treatment as a means of reducing parasitic mechanical losses across an engine. Although the presenters discussed the potential to free up horsepower on the dyno, they did not provide a quantified engine horsepower gain during the session.
Oil Retention and Protection During Startup
Alongside friction reduction, Billy highlighted QLC’s oleophilic behavior—its affinity for oil.
Using treated lifters as examples, he described how oil is retained by the treated surface. Rocketman sees that property as particularly useful during startup and other operating conditions in which a fully established oil film may be interrupted.
Rocky also described QLC as providing a solid-lubricating function through its sliding behavior. The company’s objective is to combine that characteristic with oil retention to help protect expensive components during vulnerable moments in operation.
The discussion framed durability as a central part of the value proposition. For builders with repeatable engine programs, Rocketman sees opportunities to protect an entire package of friction-critical components rather than treat only an isolated problem part.
Piston Rings: Flank Treatment and Face Treatment Have Different Jobs
The piston-ring discussion illustrated why application details matter.
Rocketman treats ring flanks—the upper and lower surfaces—to help prevent sticking in the piston’s ring grooves. The company can also treat the ring face, which contacts the cylinder wall, to target sliding friction at that interface.
However, Rocky emphasized that face treatment introduces a separate engineering consideration: the engine builder must establish an effective sealing strategy with the treated ring.
That makes ring-face treatment a development decision involving the ring-and-cylinder combination, rather than an automatic substitution into an existing package.
The company also described QLC as transferring heat rather than acting as a thermal barrier. Rocky said the treatment could support heat flow from the piston through the ring to the cylinder wall. No quantitative thermal-conductivity or piston-temperature results were presented.
Asked about treating cylinder walls, the presenters said the capability was possible but was not an application they were ready to offer.
Building a Complete Friction-Reduction Package
Applications discussed included camshafts, lifters, piston rings, engine bearings, transmission gears, distributor gears and oil-pump gears, including those used in dry-sump systems.
Rocketman’s proposed approach is to integrate treatment across multiple sliding and moving interfaces in a repeatable engine program. That would allow builders to assess the combined effects on friction, component condition and dyno performance.
The presenters also emphasized the limits of surface treatment. QLC cannot correct a defective camshaft core, inadequate underlying material or an improperly assembled engine.
“If you have a bad core, you have a bad core,” Billy said.
Rocky specifically excluded rear-end ring-and-pinion gears from the applications he was recommending, distinguishing their material-loss problems from the friction issues targeted in the presentation.
Industrial Loads Provide Another Development Environment
Beyond racing, Rocky described work involving tools used by large robotic systems to form sheet metal into three-dimensional components.
According to his account, the application involved forces on the order of 10,000–20,000 newtons and provided a demanding environment for evaluating treatment durability. He said the customer had tried numerous other coatings before adopting Rocketman’s approach.
The example illustrated the company’s broader focus on sliding contact and wear in manufacturing, aerospace and other industrial applications, alongside performance engines.
Manufacturer Licensing and Further Material Development
Rocketman is now pursuing larger manufacturing partners and licensing opportunities for both its QLC material and the equipment used to apply it.
The intended model would allow component manufacturers to incorporate the treatment into their own operations and supply treated products directly to customers. The presenters said the company continues to undertake some work for individual engine builders while increasingly focusing on larger production opportunities.
Rocky also previewed a harder material under development, referred to during the webinar as Tritanium 3. He described it as related to QLC but intended for applications requiring greater hardness, with a possible release before the end of 2026.
For racing suppliers and engine developers, the presentation outlined a technology focused on reducing friction while protecting the investment in precision components. Its application-specific considerations—from ring sealing to substrate quality—also underscored the importance of evaluating the treatment within the complete mechanical system.
For more information, watch the full webinar here.
