Experimental Analysis of Tribological Properties of Simarouba Glauca Biodiesel With Nanoparticles

Abstract

Biolubricants are renewable, biodegradable, nontoxic, and have zero greenhouse gases. In this work, the tribological properties of the Simarouba glauca biodiesel (SBD) are studied with nanoparticles as additives. Nanoparticles of copper oxide (CuO) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) were added with 0.2, 0.5, 0.75, and 1% weight (wt) in the base SBD. The coefficient of friction (COF) and the wear scar diameters (WSD) were evaluated using four ball tester for the test conditions as per ASTM D 4172 standard. The morphologies of the worn surfaces were inspected by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The addition of nanoparticles improved the friction and wear characteristics of SBD. A combination of abrasive and adhesive wear was evident. The average COF for pure SBD was 0.0168. The results indicated that 0.75% and 0.2% of CuO nanoparticles as a beneficial percentage in the base oil exhibiting the lowest COF and WSD. CuO nanoparticles proved to be superior to SiO2 nanoparticles as additives in SBD, demonstrating 8% and 60% decrease in wear and friction parameters, respectively.