EXPLORING THE ANTI-WEAR AND EXTREME PRESSURE LUBRICATING PERFORMANCE OF JATROPHA OIL MODIFIED WITH NANO-ADDITIVES AND GARLIC OIL

Abstract

It is imperative to emphasize the wear-reducing and load-sustaining abilities of the lubricating oils, as they are an essential part of their operation. In this study, the anti-wear and extreme pressure (EP) performance of Jatropha oil was explored. The investigation was executed on a 4-ball tester machine according to ASTM-D-4172 and D-2783 standards. Nano-sized Molybdenum disulfide and graphene were added to the base oil, whose addition reduced the wear on the test balls but failed to improve the EP properties. However, the addition of Garlic oil elevated the EP properties of the base oil. The Last Non-seizure load and weld point of the jatropha oil was elevated by up to 3 levels, while the Load Wear index was increased by 91.88%. The Flash Temperature Parameter of jatropha oil was increased by 658% and 250% at 100kgf and 126kgf load, respectively, after the addition of 5% garlic oil. Further, the wear scars were examined under an optical microscope and FESEM, which proved that the addition of nano-additives reduced the wear of the balls during anti-wear tests at lower loads, and garlic oil reduced the wear in EP conditions and produced smoother surfaces. These improvements were attributed to the formation of tribo-films on the surfaces as characterized by the EDS analysis. It was concluded that Garlic oil could be a substantial EP additive to vegetable oils (especially jatropha oil) to lift their load-carrying capacity without hampering their environmentally friendly nature.