Tribological behavior of vegetable oil-based lubricants with nanoparticles of oxides in boundary lubrication conditions

Abstract This work studied the development of vegetable based lubricants and the addition of oxides nanoparticles (ZnO and CuO) as additive for extreme pressure (EP), exploring the EP and oil base influence in tribological behavior. The results showed that with the addition of nanoparticles to conventional lubricant, the tribological properties can be significantly improved. A smoother and more compact tribofilm has formed on the worn surface, which is responsible for the further reduced friction and wear. Also, lubricants developed from modified vegetable oil can replace mineral oil, improving the tribological and environmental characteristics. However, the addition of nanoparticles in vegetable base lubricants is not beneficial to wear reduction.