Lubricant Base Research Articles

Susceptibility of Poly–Alpha Olefin and Diisooctyl Sebacate Base Oils With Different Polarities to Oleic Acid Surface–Capped Ultra‐Small Cerium Oxide Nanoparticle

ABSTRACTA key issue for nano‐additive to effectively exert tribological function is to ensure its entrance to and adhesion on the frictional contact surfaces. But the adhesion of nano‐additive on the rubbed surfaces under oil lubrication faces the challenge of the competitive adsorption of lubricant base oil thereon. In this study, oleic acid–modified ultra‐small cerium oxide (OA‐CeO2) nanoparticle was synthesised by one‐pot liquid‐phase surface‐modification method in the presence of OA as the surface modifier. The susceptibility of non‐polar poly–alpha olefin 6 (PAO6) and polar diisooctyl sebacate (DIOS) base oils to the as‐prepared OA‐CeO2 nano‐additive was investigated, and the effect of the OA‐CeO2 nano‐additive on the friction‐reducing and anti‐wear abilities of the two kinds of base oils towards a steel–steel sliding contact was investigated with four‐ball friction and wear tester. Furthermore, the tribological mechanism of the adsorption and deposition of the OA‐CeO2 nano‐additive on the surface of friction steel and the competitive adsorption of base oil were discussed. Characterisations by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrate that the as‐prepared OA‐CeO2 nanoparticle is of a spherical shape and has an ultra‐small average size of 1.2 nm. As the lubricant additive in PAO6 and DIOS base oils, the OA‐CeO2 nano‐additive exhibits different tribological properties, which is attributed to the difference in the base oils' polarity. Namely, the CeO2 nanoparticle in the non‐polar PAO6 base oil is more easily adsorbed on the rubbed surface of the steel–steel sliding contact, thereby forming the CeO2 deposition film to improve the tribological properties of the base oil. However, the CeO2 nanoparticle added in polar DIOS base oil is difficult to form the CeO2 deposition film, because of the competitive and preferential adsorption of the polar base oil on the rubbed steel surface. Therefore, it is imperative to select the base oils with proper polarity to better exert the friction‐reducing and anti‐wear functions of the OA‐CeO2 nano‐additive.

Empirical investigation of the effect of adding nanoparticles to HB-80 gas turbine oil: Evaluation of thermophysical behaviors

The current study aims to conduct an empirical investigation on the performance of copper (II) oxide (CuO), Graphene Oxide (GO), and Molybdenum (VI) Oxide (MoO3) nanoparticles as additives for HB-80 base lubricant and their effects on essential characteristics such as density, flashpoint and flammability, cloud point and pour point, viscosity and viscosity indicators, thermal conductivity coefficient, friction coefficient and wear. The test results show that nanoparticles have minor effects on density and viscosity but managed to improve viscosity indicators. Flashpoint, flammability, cloud point, and pour point all increased after the addition of nanoparticles. The increase in the concentration of nanoparticles also improved and increased the lubricant's thermal conductivity coefficient; the highest increase was 11.3 % compared to the base oil with the addition of 1 wt% CuO. Adding nanoparticles to lubricant decreases wear and friction coefficient by creating a lubricant film, especially at lower nanoparticle concentrations, which leads to a more stable lubricant film by nanoparticles. Copper (II) Oxide nanoparticles had the best performance in reducing friction coefficient and wear at 0.2 wt% with 22.86 % and 63.92 % reduction compared to the base oil, respectively.

Wear mechanism of alloy steel under dicationic liquid lubricant with IL-grafted graphene oxide as an additive

A dicationic liquid (DIL) was synthesized and used as a base lubricant. IL-grafted graphene oxides (MGO) were manufactured as an additive to the DIL lubricant. Then, the MGO/DIL was applied as a lubricant for the surface contact between a stainless steel ball and bearing steel. The tribological performance of MGO/DIL was measured and compared to those from a monocationic liquid (MIL) based lubricant. The MGO/DIL lubricant produced better friction and wear performance at room temperature but poor wear at 100 °C. Through novel instrumentation techniques, it could be found that when DIL is exposed to air at higher temperatures, more oxygen is adsorbed into DIL, which accordingly reacts with underlying bearing steel, resulting in critical surface oxidation and wear.

Tribological characterization of SAE20W40 lubricant added with surface activated nanoparticles (Al2O3 and SiO2)

This research work focuses on the performance characteristics of the standard SAE20W40 lubricant with the addition of nanoparticles (aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) in equal proportion). The nanoparticles were surface-activated using oleic acid to homogenize the lubricant dispersion. The lubricant was added with 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 wt% of nanoparticles and subjected to a mechano-thermal process to synthesize nanolubricant. The physio-chemical properties (flash point, fire point, thermal stability, kinematic viscosity, acid value, and iodine value) and tribological characteristics (specific wear rate, friction coefficient, and wear mechanism) of the nanolubricant were determined and correlated with dispersed nanoparticles. Instrumental characterization of SEM, EDS, TEM, FT-IR, and UV-Vis tests were performed to validate the surface-activated nanolubricant. The base lubricant demonstrated favorable tribological characteristics when enhanced with 0.1 wt% additives.

Compatibility Study of Polyamide (PA6) with Lubricant Bases for Electric Vehicle Applications

This study explored the crucial relationship between base fluids and polyamide, a prevalent polymer in electric vehicle (EV) components, with the aim of enhancing the longevity and performance of EVs in the context of thermal management by immersion cooling. Focusing on polyalphaolefin and polyol ester as base fluids, an immersion test was conducted to assess their interaction with polyamide 6 using adapted ASTM standards. The results revealed the significant influences of both fluids on the physical properties and chemical structure of polyamide. Polyol ester demonstrated a lesser impact on the chemical and mechanical properties of polyamide 6.

Spiral-wound organic solvent membrane modules for dewaxing solvent recovery

The petrochemical industry is typically energy-intensive, involving frequent and intricate separation processes. SINOPEC is a globally recognized lubricant manufacturer and distributor, with a substantial production capacity exceeding 1.7 million tonnes in 2022. The dewaxing solvent recovery process in lubricant production necessitates a multi-stage flash and distillation treatment, resulting in substantial energy consumption and high costs. Utilizing organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) membranes offers a feasible alternative approach to address this issue. A series of thin film composite OSN membranes with varying molecule weight cut-offs were prepared through precise adjustment of the chemical composition and proportion of the organic co-monomers. The application potential of the optimized membranes in the lubricant dewaxing solvent recovery was evaluated using lubricant base oil derived from the actual production line, specifically light deasphalted oil and vacuum cut2. The membrane exhibited a rejection of 99.3 % for light deasphalted oil and 95.6 % for vacuum cut2, with corresponding fluxes of 16.8 and 13.4 LMH under 2 MPa, respectively. Based on this, spiral-wound membrane modules (1.8″ × 12″) were fabricated and their suitability for dewaxing solvent recovery was further validated. The fabrication of spiral-wound membrane modules (8″ × 40″) is in progress, with intentions to conduct a pilot plant trial on the lubricant oil manufacturing line.

Investigations on Ways to Improve the Scuffing and Wear Behavior of Oil-Free Water-Based Lubricants for Gear Applications

Abstract Today, mineral or synthetic oils that are made out of fossil raw materials are the most common lubricants in gear drive applications. Most of them are nonbiodegradable and may pose a risk to the environment. An important step to minimize the risk and the ecological footprint is the use of biodegradable and eco-friendly lubricants. Former research shows the potential of water-based lubricants in gear applications. Therefore, an oil-free, water-based lubricant was developed for this study. The base lubricant contains plant-based thickeners to generate an appropriate viscosity for a sufficient lubricant film thickness in the tooth contact. In experimental investigations, the sliding wear and scuffing performance has been examined under variation of the added polymers and additives. The scuffing tests A/8.3/RT are performed according to DIN ISO 14635-1. The wear test procedure is based on DGMK 377-01. In both scuffing tests with the sample, the failure load stage = 8 was achieved. For case-carburized gears, a “medium” to “high” amount of wear can be detected. Additional tests with nitrided gears show a “low” amount of wear. This article aims to show the great potential of water-based oils for gear lubrication and suggests operating conditions for maximum wear and scuffing carrying capacity.

Assessment on tribological responsiveness of different polymers on AISI 52100 steel using a sensitive reciprocating tribometer

Bio-based lubricants are becoming more prevalent in the lubrication sector to substitute the traditional petroleum based. In the current study, jatropha oil was used as the base lubricant with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and organic Eichhornia crassipes-carboxymethylcellulose (EC-CMC) polymers as additives. The research employed a sensitive reciprocating apparatus to examine the tribological responsiveness of the formulation on AISI 52100 steel material in terms of coefficient of friction (COF), wear rate, wear scar diameter, and surface roughness (Ra). Polymeric and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies were conducted on the formulations. The findings indicate that both additives in jatropha in concentrations produced higher COF than unmodified jatropha oil at 100 and 250 r/min under low load (15 N), but improved performance under higher load (35 N). Under wear rate examination, the formulations demonstrated a slight reduction under higher working conditions; however, the 0.5 wt% EC-CMC blended sample performed poorly in terms of both COF and wear rate. In the research, 0.4 wt% PTFE and 0.3 wt% EC-CMC produced the best outcomes for their respective categories. The nano lubricant exhibited remarkable performance when tested under more demanding working conditions (500 r/min and 45 N) but performed better when 0.4 wt% PTFE was utilized, which is comparable to the reference commercial shell lubricant used. The ability of the nano lubricants to penetrate and generate some films at the sliding contact during operation shows their enhanced performance at higher operating conditions, which was supported by the results of the energy-dispersive X-ray study.

The Application of Ionic Liquids in the Lubrication Field: Their Design, Mechanisms, and Behaviors

Ionic liquids (ILs) are molten organic salts consisting of organic cations and weakly coordinating organic/inorganic anions at room temperature. ILs have excellent physical and chemical properties such as high thermal stability, high combustible temperature, high miscibility with organic compounds and so on, making them good candidates for high performance lubricants and lubricant additives. The functional designability of ILs makes them novel lubrication materials that can break through the bottleneck of the active control of friction and lubrication. This paper firstly briefly introduces how to design the physical and chemical properties of the ILs required for different friction conditions by bonding specific cations with anions. Then, the lubrication mechanisms of ILs as base lubricants and additives for oils and water are focused on. The correlation between the structure of ILs and the lubrication results are established, which can guide the structural design of ILs in different applications. The response behaviors of friction characteristics under external electric fields are analyzed, which can provide a theoretical basis for the intelligent control of friction based on ILs.

Investigative Analysis of Automatic Mode Detection for a Lubricant Base Oil Production Plant Using PCA and Machine-Learning Models.

Lubricants are important fluids and are commonly used to suppress friction between two metallic surfaces and as a medium for heat transportation. In an industrial plant considered in this study, the base oil mode changes can only be detected based on the kinematic viscosity values obtained using lab analysis. Since the lab analysis data are only available every 8 h, detecting the change in the production modes for 4, 6, and 10 cSt and the transitions among them are significantly delayed, causing unnecessary off-spec products that have to be directed to the slopping tank. In this paper, the innovativeness of the work comes from the idea of trying to unravel the underlying pattern of the plant data that correlate to the changes in the base oil modes and using that to classify hourly the kinematic viscosity values. Hence, a novel industrial application is presented to predict the class of base oil mode change on an hourly basis that can significantly reduce the losses in terms of off spec products and sloping tank wastes. The modes are segregated into three classes based on the values of kinematic viscosity. The classes are C-1 (4 cSt), C-2 (6 cSt), and C-3 (10 cSt). Anything in between the stipulated thresholds is called transition [T-12 (C-1 to C-2), T-21(C-2 to C-1), T-23 (C-2 to C-3), T-31 (C-3 to C-1), and T-32 (C-3 to C-2)]. To unravel the pattern, principal component analysis (PCA) is utilized on 42,000 operating plant data. After a thorough analysis, the third principal component provides the highest correlation to the eight classes of the base oil mode changes [C-1 (4 cSt), C-2 (6 cSt), and C-3 (10 cSt) and the transitions T-12 (C-1 to C-2), T-21(C-2 to C-1), T-23 (C-2 to C-3), T-31 (C-3 to C-1), and T-32 (C-3 to C-2)]. This third principal component is then utilized together with plant process variable values as inputs to four machine learning models, namely, XGBOOST, Random Forest, and CatBoost algorithms to predict the mode of the base oil hourly. The overall comparison analysis shows that utilizing the XGBoost algorithm for the prediction of the eight classes of the base oil modes at a faster hourly rate results in the most consistent classification accuracy of 92.96% for the test set and 89.22% in the deployment set. This capability to predict the mode change in the hourly basis can significantly reduce the losses in terms of off spec products in the production line.

ТРИБОТЕХНИЧЕСКИЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ СМАЗКИ «ЛИТОЛ-24» С ДОБАВКАМИ ГЕОМОДИФИКАТОРОВ ТРЕНИЯ И ГРАФЕНА

In the technical service of machines and equipment, additives to lubricants are used that reduce the coefficient of friction and wear, and extend the life of tribocouplings. The article examined the tribological characteristics of the Litol-24 grease with additives of a friction geomodifier and graphene. (Research purpose)To evaluate the prospects for using a friction geomodifier and graphene in the commercially produced lubricant “Litol-24”. (Materials and methods) Litol-24 grease, manufactured in accordance with the state standard, was used as the base lubricant. Penetration and dropping point were determined using standard methods. Laboratory tests for wear resistance were carried out on a friction machine 2070. Bench tests - on a specially designed pilot plant, on serial rolling bearings. During the tests, the bearing temperature, noise level, friction torque, and radial clearance were monitored. (Results and discussion) Experimental studies have shown that the combined introduction of a friction geomodifier and graphene in an amount of 0.2 percent leads to a greater reduction in wear (by 9.7 percent) and temperature (by 19.3 percent), and the friction moment in the contact zone in comparison with only one geomodifier. The study established that the dropping temperature remained constant with increasing concentration of fillers. When controlling mechanical losses with an experimental connection, a reduction in the friction moment of bearings by 11.1-12.5 percent was achieved. (Conclusions) The introduction of a friction geomodifier and graphene into the Litol-24 grease makes it possible to reduce wear, the coefficient of friction, the temperature in the mating zone of parts, operating costs and increase the durability of the bearing.

Catalytic synthesis of renewable lubricant base oils with methyl oleate and aromatics

Aromatic-ester and cyclo-branched alkane renewable lubricant base oils were produced from methyl oleate and biomass-derived aromatics by alkylation and alkylation followed by hydrodeoxygenation (HDO).

ПОВЫШЕНИЕ ДОЛГОВЕЧНОСТИ ПОДШИПНИКОВЫХ УЗЛОВ СОВЕРШЕНСТВОВАНИЕМ СМАЗОЧНОЙ СРЕДЫ

We considered the issue of increasing the operational life of ball and roller bearings. Having studied the known tribomaterials to increase the resource of worn friction joints in terms of efficiency, environmental friendliness, low cost, ease of preparation and application, it was found that the introduction of friction surface geomodifiers from a mixture of serpentines, highly dispersed powders of layered hydrosilicates Mg, Al, Ni, Fe into their oils and lubricants, provides a sufficiently effective increase in the life of rolling bearings during maintenance machine and tractor park in the agro-industrial complex. (Research purpose) The research purpose is identifying the least abrasive geomodifier powder from five samples of different deposits and its optimal concentration in Litol-24 grease. (Materials and methods) Conducted standard tests of the roller-by-roller tribocouple for abrasive wear spots of bearing rollers. They were injected into Litol-24 grease in the same concentration. An assessment of the abrasiveness of powders by excision of wear spots was carried out visually and with photography on microscopes. Tribo-tests were performed with the least abrasive powder at a powder concentration in the range of 0.5-3.0 percent. The optimal concentration of the powder was revealed by the size of the wear spot areas, friction moments, and temperatures in the contact of the rollers. (Results and discussion) It was found that the least abrasive powder was N4. When its concentration in the lubricant was up to 0.5 percent, the tribological indicators corresponded to the base lubricant, with an increase in concentration to 1.0 percent, the friction moment and the wear spot decreased while maintaining the temperature in contact. With an increase in concentration to 1.5 percent, mechanical losses increased with a slight increase in wear, at concentrations of 2.5-3.0 percent, the temperature increased from 111 to 133.4 degrees Celsius, which negatively affects bearings and lubrication. (Conclusions) It was found that the optimal concentration of powder N4 in Litol-24 grease should be 1.0-1.5 percent.

A critical review of the effect of nano-lubricant on the performance of hydrodynamic journal bearing

The applications of nano-lubricants in journal bearing are found to be capable of improving load-carrying capacity and reducing friction. Many numerical and experimental investigations have been performed to find the effect of nano-lubricants on the performance of the journal bearing. In this paper, a state-of-the-art review is done of the articles of numerical and experimental assessments of the effect of nano-lubricants on the performance of journal bearings. Here research articles are classified on the basis of nanoparticles used as nano-additive, which are further classified in the category of numerical and experimental study. It is seen that the application of nano TiO2, CuO and Al2O3 based nano-lubricants gives much higher load-carrying capacity than the base lubricants. This article concludes by discussing the effect of different nanoparticle-based nano-lubricants on the performance characteristics of the journal bearing and mathematical models used for numerical investigations.

Impact of various parameters on the tribological performance of nano lubricants considering oxide nanoparticles in conventional, semi-synthetic, and fully synthetic lube oils

In the realm of lubrication, nanoparticles exert a notably positive influence on enhancing tribological performance, particularly certain oxide nanoparticles exhibit exceptional capabilities as friction and wear mitigators. However, a substantial research gap exists concerning the efficacy of oxide nanoparticles across various lubricant categories. Therefore, this study meticulously elucidates the effective integration of oxide nanoparticles in diverse lubricant categories. Using HRTEM, XRD, and FTIR, we characterize shape, size, and crystallinity. A Taguchi L18 orthogonal array is used for experimental planning, with performance characteristics of nano lubricants measured using four-ball testers. The experimental findings reveal a hierarchy of parameters governing the minimization of the coefficient of friction (COF), which are as follows: nanoparticle type, nanoparticle composition, load, speed, and lubricant, in that order. Similarly, the parameters controlling the reduction of wear scar diameter (WSD) are ranked as follows: load, nanoparticle composition, nanoparticle type, speed, and lubricant (base oil). Furthermore, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) is conducted to assess the contributions of these factors to COF and WSD. Regarding COF, 43.37% of the variance is attributed to nanoparticle type, 26.78% to nanoparticle composition, 14.49% to load, 11.8% to speed, and 2.36% to lubricant (base oil). In the case of WSD, the factor contributions are 47.67% for load, 22.4% for nanoparticle composition, 14.03% for nanoparticle type, 7.26% for lubricant (base oil), and 7.01% for speed.

Experimental Investigations on Thermophysical, Tribological and Rheological Properties of MoS2 and WS2 Based Nanolubricants with Castor Oil as Base Lubricant

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and Tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanoparticles addition to castor oil produce nano lubricants of novel properties. These nanomaterial additives are dispersed thoroughly in the liquid phase and are intended to boost the base fluid's thermo-physical, rheological, and tribological properties. All these properties have been studied by varying concentrations of nanoparticles from 0.05 to 2.5%. The size of both nanoparticles are in the range of <20nm. The density of nano lubricants was found to change with respect to nanoparticle concentration and temperature. The density increases from 0.06 to 0.6% with respect to the increase in concentration and decreases by 4%, for increasing temperature from 25 to 100 o C. A significant (15 %) increase in thermal conductivity with MoS2 nanoparticles in lubricants could be observed while with WS2 nanoparticles only 8 % enhancement was observed. The rheological study suggests that nano lubricants have better dynamic viscosity and shear stress than neat castor oil. A tribology study showed improved lubrication properties of the nanolubricants as compared with base castor oil. The addition of MoS2 and WS2 nanoparticles in castor oil decreased the friction coefficient by 53 % and 42 %, respectively, and reduced the wear scar diameter by 24% and 20 %, respectively, as compared to base castor oil. This study was done to develop nonedible vegetable oil based nanolubricants exploring their potential as emerging lubricants.

Experimental Study on Gear EP Lubricant Mixed with Al2O3/SiO2/ZrO2 Composite Additives to Design a Predictive System

The friction and wear volume loss is the main cause for a failure & energy losses in heavy-duty gearboxes and it can be controlled by using a modified lubricant mixed with nano additives. This study investigates the wear and friction behaviour of gear EP oil blended with composite nano additives (Al2O3/SiO2/ZrO2) in combination with Zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate. All trials were conducted under various concentrations of composite nanoparticles, at loads of 60-100 N and sliding velocities of 0.65-1.5 m/s. The experimental study on antiwear and anti-friction properties for the oil was conducted on a pin-on-disc apparatus. The design of experiment was developed using response surface approach to investigate optimum friction coefficient and wear volume loss in lubricant. It is found that blending of nano composite add-ons blended with Zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate in gear EP lubricant significantly diminishes a wear volume loss, friction coefficient by 15.62 % and 20.6 % respectively as compared to a base lubricant. The findings of this investigation and the obtained correlations were converted in to customized visual basis based soft tool as a predictor for future aspects.

Tribology Characteristic of Ball Bearing SKF RB-12.7/G20W using SAE 5W-30 Lubricant with Carbon-Based Nanomaterial Addition

The thermophysical, rheological, and tribological properties in lubricant are essential for preserving the engines, power steering systems, and engine components from damage caused by friction and wear. The incorporation of nano-sized particles into lubricating oils has been reported to enhance these properties. Therefore, this study explores the impacts resulting from the incorporation of graphene, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNT), and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) at a quantity of 0.04 grams into the SAE 5W-30 base oil. These nanoparticles were synthesized using a two-step method, resulting in nanolubricants. The addition of carbon-based nanomaterials increases the density and decreases the viscosity of the base lubricant. The flow of nanolubricants exhibits non-Newtonian shear thinning behavior during the test at elevated temperatures. The results of the four-ball tribo-tester test reveal the increase of Coefficient of Friction (CoF) values and the extent of wear scar area. Further, the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis was employed to observe the wear morphology of the nanolubricants on the SKF RB-12.7/G20W ball bearing. Its results indicate a prevalence of groove-type wear as compared to conventional lubricants.

Влияние регенерации слоистого модификатора трения на триботехнические свойства смазочных композиций

The paper examines an influence of the regeneration efficiency of the developed anti-wear additive on tribological properties of the lubricating composition, including a lubricating oil and the additive. The anti-wear additive was a layered friction modifier – molybdenum diselenide MoSe2, mixed in the volume of a composition of unsaturated fatty acids – stearic acid and oleic acid. Lubricating oil M-16G2TSS was chosen as the base lubricant, with respect to which the tribological properties of other lubricants submitted for testing are compared. For all cycles of tests, a volume of no more than 25 cm3 of lubricant was used to avoid high thermal inertia when the test samples moved on the friction machine. Experiments of the regeneration of the additive were carried out on a rotary mixing unit of the author's design, and the solution has a long storage period of 8 640 hours (about 12 calendar months). The possibility of restoring the uniform distribution of molybdenum diselenide throughout the volume of the additive in a suspended state has been revealed. This lubricant composition, after restoration of the structure by stirring, can be used in the production of a lubricant composition based on M-16G2TSS oil. Using a reciprocating friction unit of a friction machine, simulating the cylinder-piston group of a marine diesel engine, the resulting lubricant composition was compared with other lubricants based on molybdenum diselenide, the additive solutions of which have different storage periods before being added to the lubricating oil, as well as with the base lubricating oil. The assessment of the tribological properties of lubricants based on M-16G2TSS oil by determining the weight wear and further using this value to estimate the resource of the friction unit has been made. Rotational regeneration has shown satisfactory effectiveness in partially restoring of the tribological properties of a lubricant composition with the participation of an additive, but is not enough effective compared to rotational pulsation mixing of the additive in order to create perspective lubricant compositions.

SIMULATION OF OPTIMAL MIX OF SIO2-TIO2-AL2O3 NANO ADDITIVES FOR THE MINIMAL WEAR AND COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION OF LUBRICANT USING FUZZY LOGIC

Nano-particles of oxides of various metals are typically added with the base lubricants for enhancing the tribological properties, especially the wear and coefficient of friction of the lubricants. However, it is required to determine the optimum proportion of mix of the nano-additives in order to obtain the desirable characteristics gained through the addition of various oxides of metals mixed with the lubricants. This paper deals with the application of fuzzy logic to simulate the various proportions of a mix of three nano-additives of SiO2, Al2O3 and TiO2 with the corresponding predicted values of tribological characteristics of wear and coefficient of friction. The limited number of outcomes obtained from a full factorial design of experiments carried out with these three nano-additives at three different levels of mixing, are used as inputs to the fuzzy logic simulation. This approach facilitates simulating as many combinations of nano-additives as possible with the base lubricant oil along with the predicted output of characteristics of interest, which otherwise will be cumbersome to carry out the experiments for all the combinations of mix of additives.