Comment by hurricanepootis
19 hours ago
Couldn't WD-40's formula be reverse engineered using analytical chemical techniques? GC-MS, NMR, etc.
19 hours ago
Couldn't WD-40's formula be reverse engineered using analytical chemical techniques? GC-MS, NMR, etc.
The guy on YouTube who just recreated the formula of Coca-Cola with HPLC & etc should take a crack at it
Perfectly Replicating Coca Cola (It Took Me A Year) by LabCoatz https://youtu.be/TDkH3EbWTYc
Instructions unclear. Taste-tested WD40.
It smells so fucking good though, don't you think? You almost want to taste it.
No that was the Pepsi
Discussed here:
Perfectly Replicating Coca Cola [video] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46543509 - Jan 2026 (219 comments)
Coca-cola's "secret formula" is also just marketing.
The title is clickbait though, he admits near the end it is not in fact a perfect replication. I could feel this of course, long before even starting to watch it. Still, upsetting because otherwise it’s an entertaining video.
The main ingredient he is missing is coca leaf. I used to buy Mate de Coca tea from Peru/Boliva no problem. It's a decocanized coca leaf tea. Shame he didn't hunt around or try harder to get it.
6 replies →
Sorta, it’s a mix of mixtures of molecules so you also need to consider the makeup of whatever compound it’s made with (but it’s probably something dumb like kerosene).
Reality is you’d want to make something with similar physical characteristics and call it a day. Kinda like how we don’t bother with hplc on gasoline, you just fill your car with something that meets the specs and get on with life
Like in Grog
To some extent. There are limitations on the technique, including, but not limited to, not determining the relative concentrations and not detecting all components. The WSJ article actually links to an older Wired article about doing gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy on WD-40 and the results: https://www.wired.com/2009/04/st-whatsinside-6/
You could use techniques like HPLC to determine the concentrations within the sample if you know what's in it.
Related, somebody recently did this for Coke. There's a video on YouTube (I'd link it but my anti-procrastination filter is on).
But yes, I strongly suspect a motivated party could use analytical chemistry to work it out.
I imagine the "what's next" is the same for replicating Coke or WD-40, you have a similar product and none of the name recognition or ad spend.
Not worth much.
Ha! ;)
The components are on the MSDS (albeit only the CAS codes not the specific chemical), only the percentages seem to be a trade secret? Basically a light carrier oil mixed with kerosene-esque solvent. I almost feel the secrecy is part of the marketing ploy, since w-40 in particular isn't the "best" tool for any job (there are better standalone degreasers and penetrating lubricants). No one who cares enough about the exact composition would bother using wd-40 in the first place.
Knowing all the molecules in it might be only a minor step towards actually making it, especially since some inputs of production might not be present in the final product.
Trying to come up with that would result in WD-38, WD-41, etc.
Can't read the paywalled article, but Water Displacement formula 40 seemed to be the best of the formulas for being a lubricant.
It probably wouldn't be that hard. This mystique is mostly marketing. I mean it's not like WD-40 has no competitors on the market. It might not even be the best.