Examination of lubricity properties of mineral base oil, containing nanoparticles of hexagonal boron nitride, and evaluation of the influence of surfactants on their sedimentation

Abstract

The article presents the results of tests on the lubricity properties of SN150 base oil containing hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) of different granulation. The boron nitride with a particle size below 100 nm and the second one with a particle size below 25 μm were used. The lubricity tests were carried out on a four-ball apparatus. The methodology of these tests was determined on the basis of the normative document PN-EN ISO 20623: 2018-02, which contains the following parameters characterising the lubricity: initial seizure load ISL [N], weld load WL [N], load-wear index LWI [N], mean wear scar diameter MWSD [mm] obtained in a long duration wear test under a specified load; wear-load curve, i.e., the dependence of the mean wear scar diameter on the load, was also performed. Tests were also carried out to check the influence of selected surfactants on the sedimentation process of hexagonal boron nitride in the SN150 mineral base oil. Based on the conducted research and their analysis, it was found that hexagonal boron nitride has a positive effect on the lubricating properties of the base oil; better results were obtained for the boron nano-nitride with a particle size below 100 nm. It was also found that the problem of sedimentation of the solid particles of hexagonal boron nitride was solved by the addition of succinimide dispersant. Keywords: tribology, lubricity, boron nitride, surfactants, sedimentation