Application of Suspended Nanoboric Acid as an Efficient Lubrication Additive in Engine Oil

Abstract

Lubricants play a vital role in machine life and performance, reducing friction and wear and preventing component failure. Performance-enhancing additives are a vital part of today’s modern lubricants. In response to this need, this experimental work presents the development of the new suspended nanoboric acid (nBA) additive added in engine oil that can drastically lowered friction and wear.This is a new invention of nBA additive hold in suspension and added into 5W-40 fully synthetic commercial lubricating oil. This invention is confidential and realized by Tribor ARGE Co. in Teknopark of YILDIZ Technical University in Istanbul-TURKEY.The particle size of nBA is determined with (Transmission Electron Microscopy) (TEM). Turbiscan Tower Stability Analyzer results proved that nBA particles were in suspension in commercial engine oil. Suspended nBA in engine oil is applied between ball and disk system in order to investigate their effect on friction and wear under lubricated conditions. Simulation and measurement of friction and wear were conducted using a ball on disk reciprocating tribometer UMT-3. Surface analysis was performed using 3D digital optical microscope and surface roughness, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM)/X-Ray and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Boron (B) from nBA is well detected, mixed with other elements of additives and protected the surface under boundary lubrication conditions. The results indicate that nBA can considerably improve the tribological performance of a ball and disk pairs under lubricated conditions. It has found that the friction coefficient is reduced with nBA suspended engine oil and protected the surface on both ball and disk mixing with other additives.