Effect of palm oil methyl ester and its emulsions on lubricant degradation and engine component wear

Abstract

AbstractThis paper presents the results of experimental work carried out to evaluate the effect of palm oil methyl ester also known as palm oil diesel (POD) and its emulsions, as alternative fuels, on unmodified indirect‐injection diesel engine wear and lubricant oil deterioration compared with ordinary diesel (OD). A constant 2500 rpm engine setting at half throttle was maintained throughout the wear debris and lubricant oil analysis period for 20 h for each fuel system. Samples of lubricant oil were collected through a one‐way valve connected to the crankcase sump at intervals of 4 h. The first sample was collected immediately after the engine had warmed up. The same lubricating oil, a conventional SAE 30, was used for all experiments. A multi‐element oil analyser was used to measure metal wear debris and lubricating oil additive depletion for the used lubricating oil. An ISL automatic houillon viscometer (ASTM D 445) and potentiometric titration (ASTM D 2896) were used to measure the viscosity and total base number, respectively.The lubricant oil analysis results for POD, OD, and their emulsions containing 10% water by volume were compared. Very promising results were obtained. The accumulation of metal wear debris in crankcase oil samples was lower with POD and its emulsion compared with the OD fuel. The addition of 10% water (by volume) to POD showed a promising tendency for wear resistance.