A Tribochemical Boost for Cu Based Lubricant Nano-Additive

Abstract

Waste cooking oils (WCOs) are widely considered in the scientific community as potential energy vector or source for bio-lubricants. This is because of the opportunity deriving from recycling and the difficulties in disposing of waste oils. Indeed, industrial plants for WCOs treatment include bio-refineries (bio-diesel, bio-lubricants, fine chemicals...) or simple recovery systems: the former ones assume triglycerides transformation into other compounds, according to the specific commercial destination; in the latter, triglycerides are preserved and the WCO is purified from by-products, formed during cooking process, in order to sell to the market. In an era scarred by CO2 and petroleum dependency, biodegradable products, offer many advantages. In this scenario, nanostructured additives, which are pointed out as the step forward in lubricant technology, can exploit WCOs’ derivatives for compatibilization or as reactive components allowing improvements in nanolubricant fluids. This paper proposes a Cu nanoparticle-based additive, properly surface functionalized and prepared through a “wet chemistry” approach, to be involved in tribochemical reaction with epoxidized vegetable oil. The idea was to promote the formation of tribofilm under contact, exploiting energy generated during the movement.