Tribological investigation of frictional behaviour of mild steel under canola bio-lubricant conditions

Abstract

In this study, two stock engine oils were developed using different blends of a vegetable oil (canola oil), mixed with fully synthetic oil (0 %, 20 %, 40 %, 60 %, and 80 % of synthetic oil). The viscosity of the prepared blends was determined at different temperatures (20 ºC – 80 ºC). Tribological experiments were conducted, according to the conditions of the prepared lubricants, to investigate the influence of the newly developed oil on the frictional characteristics of mild steel material against stainless steel subjected to adhesive wear loading. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the worn surface of the mild steel. The results revealed that blending the canola oil with synthetic oil increases the viscosity of the lubricants. Moreover, the viscosity of the canola oil and its blends with synthetic oil is controlled by the environmental temperature since increasing the temperature reduces viscosity. The experimental results revealed that the frictional coefficient of the mild steel was dependent on the applied load and velocity rather than the sliding distance. In addition, pure canola oil as a lubricant was able to compete in performance with a blend of 80 % synthetic and 20 % canola oils.