Superlow friction of high mileage used oil with CuDTC in presence of MoDTC

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to improve the antifriction and antiabrasive behavior of the used oil through the addition of a lubricant. Design/methodology/approach The author selected 85W-90 used oil with three kinds of 4,758, 10,507 and 16,223 km mileages, which may represent run-in wear period, steady-state wear period and rapid wear for used oil, respectively. Nano copper, molybdenum dithiocarbamate (MoDTC) and copper dioctyl dithiocarbamate (CuDTC) of lubricant additive are added to the used oil to improve its antifriction performances and service life. The influence of lubricant additive on the tribological properties of used oil is investigated by the friction tests. Findings An abnormal phenomenon has been observed by the friction test under high mileage used oil with CuDTC in presence of MoDTC lubrication, and superlow friction coefficient of 0.04 has been achieved after a running-in period for the first time. It is found that CuDTC additive is beneficial to improve greatly the antifriction behavior of used oil, especially when MoDTC is present. The results indicate that the dissoluble of CuDTC and the tribochemical reaction of MoDTC play an important role in superlow friction of high mileage used oil. Moreover, the superlow friction is also closely related to the viscosity of used oil. Originality/value The possible mechanism of superlow friction is attributed to the additive thinning effect and the synergistic effect of the dissoluble of CuDTC and the tribochemical reaction of MoDTC binary lubricant additives in high mileage used oil. This work will extend the application of CuDTC additive widely and explore a new method to the reutilization and the life extension of used lubricating oil.