Effects of Ethanol Contamination on Friction and Elastohydrodynamic Film Thickness of Engine Oils

Abstract

The use of ethanol as engine fuel has increased for environmental reasons, both in flex-fuel engines and as increasing amounts of ethanol blended with gasoline in conventional engines. This article describes an investigation into the effects of ethanol contamination of lubricants during engine use with ethanol fuel. To facilitate this, a new technique was developed to measure small amounts of ethanol in lubricants. Elastohydrodynamic film thickness measurements and Stribeck curves were obtained for Group I base and formulated oils containing small added amounts of ethanol. The effect of the water present in hydrated ethanol was evaluated by carrying out tests using both hydrated and anhydrous ethanol. Measurements were also carried out using a Group II base oil with added ethanol. These measurements showed that in the low entrainment speed region, where the elastohydrodynamic film is very thin so that boundary lubrication prevails, the addition of ethanol produced a boundary film, which was not present for the base oils. By contrast, the addition of ethanol to formulated oil reduced film thickness in all lubrication regimes. The friction tests showed friction reduction due to addition of ethanol to the base oil, in particular at low speeds. For the formulated oil, ethanol reduced friction at high speeds, which was associated with a reduction in the viscosity of the lubricant, but at low speeds, ethanol reduced the formation of a boundary layer, increasing friction. The presence of water in hydrated ethanol did not significantly change the film thickness and friction when compared with anhydrous ethanol.