Enhancing the tribological and rheological characteristics of 5W-40 motor oil by blending with soybean oil and hybrid nanoparticles additives

Abstract

The primary source of lubricants' characteristics is the addition of materials intended to enhance or provide specific qualities. Various nanostructured materials are now used as innovative additives, utilising their unique properties to improve the performance of lubricants. This study investigates the effects of adding hybrid TiO 2 /CuO nanoparticles to 5W-40 engine oil blended with soybean oil and evaluates their impact on several performance parameters. The primary goal of this work was to examine the effect of adding hybrid TiO 2 /CuO nanoparticles to base oil/soybean oil, prepared using varying concentrations (0.01, 0.025, 0.05, and 0.075 %) of TiO 2 while maintaining a fixed percentage of CuO with 0.1 wt.% in all samples, on the tribological properties, kinematic viscosity, pour point, flash point, and thermal conductivity. According to the results obtained, the wear scar diameter (WSD) and coefficient of friction (COF) were reduced by 53% and 48%, respectively, at a concentration of 0.025 wt.%. The kinematic viscosity, flash point, pour point, and thermal conductivity of nanolubricants with a 0.025 wt.% concentration showed improvements of 82 %, 62%, 34%, and 7%, respectively, compared to the base oil. The addition of soybean oil alone did not result in any significant change in the oil’s properties.