Tribological and thermo-physical properties of jatropha oil containing TiO2 nanoparticles

Abstract

In this paper, an attempt was made to evaluate the tribological aspects of Al 6082 under lubricated conditions. The bio-lubricant jatropha oil was used, and its performance was compared with SAE20W40 engine oil. For enhancing the lubricating properties of jatropha oil, TiO2 nanoparticles were used. Experiments were conducted with pure jatropha oil with different weight percentages of TiO2 nanoparticles, such as 0%, 0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5%. The coefficient of friction and specific wear rate of the Al specimens were determined using a pin-on-disc tribo-meter as per ASTM G99 standards, at a constant speed of 1 m/s and different loads, such as 20, 40, and 60 N. The experimental results indicated that the addition of TiO2 to jatropha oil reduced the friction and enhanced anti-wear properties, compared with SAE20W40 engine oil. The lubricant viscosity and thermal conductivity were measured using a Redwood viscometer and a transient hot wire method. Surface analysis was performed using a scanning electron microscopy to study the surface morphology of the worn-out pin material. Surface examination revealed that TiO2 nanoparticles lead to a smoother worn surfaces than commercial engine oil SAE20W40.