Empty Fruit Bunches Oil as New Lubricant

Abstract

In this study, a tribological property of new oil extract from the empty fruit bunches (EFB) of palm fruit was studied as a new alternative source of lubricant oil. The experimental works were did using a fourball tribotester following the ASTM D4172 standard. The wear conditions on the balls surface were examined using CCD microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM). A similar experimental works were conducted using engine oil as a benchmark for the new tested lubricant. The correlation between coefficient of friction and time was calculated using statistical software. The results showed that empty fruit bunch oil has higher anti-friction and anti-wear ability compared to engine oil.