Performance and stability evaluation of nanoadditives for engine oil applications

摘要

In a real-world scenario, nanofluids are considered one of the most interesting engineering fluids for energy-saving and energy-efficient lubricants. Thus, the present paper emphasizes the comparative assessment of the performance behavior of nanofluids and engine oil in actual field applications using a heavy-duty diesel engine forklift. Due to the severity of operational conditions and the lowest oil drain interval, the forklift was selected for field trial applications. Additionally, the tribological properties in terms of friction and wear were investigated using a four-ball tribo-tester as per ASTM D5183 and ASTM D4172 B standard test methods. In this paper, oleic acid-functionalized ZnO nanoparticles were dispersed in SAE 15W40 multi-grade engine oil, and the two-step method was used to prepare the nanofluids. The stable dispersion was achieved by using proper mixing and ultra-sonication. The forklift was charged with 7.5-L nanofluids and used oil samples were collected every 50-100 forklift running hours. The analysis of used engine oil samples was carried out using ASTM standard test procedures. The finding reveals that nanofluids show a significant reduction in friction and wear properties by the order of 27.5 and 25.7, respectively, and the oil drain interval of nanofluids was increased by the order of 80-90 as compared to base engine oil. The comparative assessments confirmed that ZnO nanoparticles can be used as performance additives to enhance the service life and tribological properties of engine oils.