Evaluation of Tribological Properties of Transesterified Cottonseed Oil by adding Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) as an additive

The usage of vegetable oils has increased in many applications as they possess desirable lubrication properties. However, the use is limited due to poor tribological properties. Many researchers have attempted to explore the performance of various vegetable oils and the effect of adding anti-wear additives on tribological properties. In the present work, bio lubricant is obtained from pure cottonseed oil (CSO). Silicon Dioxide, a useful catalyst, is used as an anti-wear additive. Oleic Acid surface-modified Silicon Dioxide (OA-SiO2) is added at 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1% weight concentrations in transesterified cottonseed oil (TCSO). After the addition of OA-SiO2 nanoparticles, the improvement in the lubrication properties has been seen. A four-ball tester is used to measure the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear scar diameter (WSD) of CSO, TCSO, and additive-added TCSO as per ASTM standard D 4172. Friction and wear tests reveal that the TCSO with OA-SiO2 nanoparticles shows better tribological properties. It is observed that WSD and COF of TCSO are reduced by 11.85 % and 24.88 % respectively by adding 0.75 weight % of OA-SiO2 nanoparticles. Present work shows that TCSO, on adding OA-SiO2 additives, can be a strong alternative for mineral oil.