Soot–additive interactions in engine oils

Soot is known to cause engine wear. In this work, we focus on how engine oil formulation affects soot‐related wear, and how the lubricant‐derived anti‐wear film changes when soot is present. Friction and wear experiments of fully and partially formulated diesel engine oils (containing basestock, dispersants and viscosity modifiers) are conducted with a ball‐on‐disk rig in the presence of carbon black (CB) as a soot surrogate. The friction coefficient was largely unaffected by CB dispersed in the oils, but electrically insulating film formation, an indication of the formation of anti‐wear films, was decreased. Wear on the disk was found to either remain the same or decrease when CB was present, depending on the oil formulation. An examination of the lubricant‐derived films using Raman and Auger electron spectroscopies found that the presence of more abundant amorphous carbon and lesser amounts of anti‐wear film components on the surface was associated with higher wear. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of gasses on the viscosity of dimethyl ether

Dimethyl ether (DME) has been recognised as a clean substitute for diesel oil as it does not form soot during combustion. DME has a vapour pressure of 6 bar at 25 °C; so pressurisation is necessary to keep DME liquid at ambient temperature. Inert gases are good candidates as pressurising media, but their effect on DME viscosity is unknown.Argon (Ar), nitrogen (N₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂), hydrogen (H₂) and propane (C₃H₈) have been investigated at pressure levels of 12–15 bar. A Cannon-Manning semi-micro capillary glass viscometer, size 25, enclosed in a cylindrical pressure container, of glass, submerged completely in a constant temperature bath, has been used. A distinct reduction of efflux times was found only for the gas, CO₂. The reduction in efflux time was about 9%.The kinematic viscosity of pure DME was determined to be: 0.188±0.001 cSt, 25 °C. A previously reported viscosity of pure DME has been corrected for the surface tension effect. Viscosity determination was initially based on a direct comparison of efflux times of DME with that of distilled water. The calculation gave a revised viscosity of 0.186±0.002 cSt, 25 °C, consistent with the above experimental result.     

A rig test to measure friction and wear of heavy duty diesel engine piston rings and cylinder liners using realistic lubricants

Laboratory tests to evaluate piston ring and cylinder liner materials for their friction and wear behavior in realistic engine oils are described to support the development of new standard test methods. A ring segment was tested against a flat specimen of gray cast iron typical of cylinder liners. A wide range of lubricants including Jet A aviation fuel, mineral oil, and a new and engine-aged, fully formulated 15W40 heavy duty oil were used to evaluate the sensitivity of the tests to lubricant condition. Test temperatures ranged from 25 to 100 °C. A stepped load procedure was used to evaluate friction behavior using a run-in ring segment. At 100 °C, all lubricants showed boundary lubrication behavior, however, differences among the lubricants could be detected. Wear tests were carried out at 240 N for 6 h at 100 °C with new ring segments. The extent of wear was measured by weight loss, wear volume and wear depth using a geometric model that takes into account compound curvatures before and after testing. Wear volume by weight loss compared well with profilometry. Laboratory test results are compared to engine wear rates.     

Effect of diesel soot contaminated oil on engine wear — investigation of novel oil formulations

Exhaust Gas Re-circulation (EGR) has been found to be very effective in reducing emissions of oxides of nitrogen, for light duty diesel engines. However, EGR results in a sharp increase in particulate matter emissions in heavy-duty diesel engines.The effects of soot contaminated engine oil on wear of engine components was examined using a statistically designed experiment. The three oil properties studied were phosphorous level, dispersant level and sulfonate substrate level. The above three variables were formulated at two levels: High (1) and Low (−1). This resulted in a 2³ matrix (eight oil blends). The effect of soot was also taken into consideration, which resulted in a 2⁴ factorial experiment.A three-body wear machine was designed and developed to simulate and estimate the extent of wear. Ball-on-flat-disk tests were conducted to qualitatively study wear by comparing wear scars due to soot with wear scars due to a known abrasive (alumina). A Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was used to study the microstructures of the wear scars. Surface chemical analysis was performed on soot particles and wear scars using Energy–Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX).Results show that diesel soot interacts with oil additives reducing the oil's anti-wear properties possibly by abrasive wear mechanism. Statistical analysis (GLM) showed that the phosphorous level plays a dominant role on oil's wear performance. The effect of dispersant level was not very significant, though on an average, higher dispersant levels reduced wear. The effect of sulfonate was not revealed within the range of these concentrations. Ball-on-flat-disk type tests also revealed the increased wear due to the presence of soot. SEM studies of Wear Scar Diameters suggest that soot is abrasive.     

Characteristics of diesel engine soot that lead to excessive oil thickening

This is a study of soot from a heavy duty diesel (HDD) engine test designed to evaluate the soot handling ability of a lubricant. This study aims to understand what properties of diesel soot produced under certain conditions contribute to loss of viscosity control through examination of the morphology, nanostructure and oxygen functionalization of particulates obtained from two heavy duty diesel engine tests with different levels of EGR. Particulate samples obtained from the used engine oil that lost viscosity control at relatively low soot levels showed that the soot in this case was more graphitic and had lower oxygen functionalization.     

Influence of Dispersant and ZDDP on Soot Wear

Diesel engines and gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines both produce soot due to incomplete combustion of the fuel and some enters the lubricant where it accumulates between drain intervals, promoting wear of rubbing engine components. Currently the most favoured mechanism for this wear is that the anti-wear additives present in engine oils, primarily zinc dialkyldithiophosphates (ZDDPs), react very rapidly with rubbing surfaces to form relatively soft reaction products. These are easily abraded by soot, resulting in a corrosive-abrasive wear mechanism. This study has explored the impact of engine oil dispersant additives on this type of wear using combinations of dispersant, ZDDP and carbon black, a soot surrogate. It has been found that both the concentration and type of dispersant are critical in influencing wear. With most dispersants studied, wear becomes very high over an intermediate dispersant concentration range of ca 0.1–0.4 wt% N, with both lower and higher dispersant levels showing much less wear. However a few dispersants appear able to suppress high wear by ZDDP and carbon black over the whole concentration range. A series of experiments have been carried out to determine the origin of this behaviour and it is believed that high levels of dispersant, and, for a few dispersants, all concentration levels, protect the iron sulphide tribofilm initially formed by ZDDP from abrasion by carbon black.     

Palm oil and mineral oil based lubricants—their tribological and emission performance

A comparative study of wear, friction, viscosity, lubricant degradation and exhaust emissions was carried out on a palm oil and a mineral oil-based commercial lubricating oil. The wear and friction test was at first conducted using a reciprocating universal wear machine followed by a two-stroke gasoline Yamaha portable generator set, ET 950. The test conditions for the bench test were: pressure, 3.0 MPa; sliding speed, 0.20 m s⁻¹; sliding stroke, 80 mm; room temperature, 25°C. The test conditions for the actual engine were: constant load, 0.4 kW for wear of the piston ring but various loads for exhaust emissions and constant speed, 2800 rpm. Analysis of post bench test lubricating oils was performed using ISL viscometer, TAN/TBN analyzer and FT-IR spectroscopy to investigate viscosity, TAN value and the oxidation level, respectively. Exhaust emission analysis was also performed using a BOSCH exhaust gas analyzer. Experimental results demonstrated that the palm oil based lubricating oil exhibited better performance in terms of wears, and that the mineral oil based lubricating oil exhibited better performance in terms of friction. However, the palm oil based lubricant was the more effective in reducing the emmission levels of CO and hydrocarbon.     

Effect of coconut oil‐blended fuels on diesel engine wear and lubrication

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation into the wear and lubrication characteristics of a diesel engine using ordinary coconut oil (COIL)‐blended fuels. The blended fuels consisted of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% COIL with diesel fuel (DF2). Pure DF2 was used for comparison purposes. The engine was operated with 50% throttle setting at a constant speed of 2000 rpm for a period of 100 h with each fuel. The same lubricating oil, equivalent to SAE 40, was used for all fuel systems. A multi‐element oil analyser was used to measure wear metals (Fe, Cr, Cu, Al, and Pb), contaminant elements (Si, B, and V), and additive elements (Zn, Ca, P, and Mg) in the used lubricating oil. Fourier transform infrared analysis was performed to measure the degradation products (soot, oxidation, nitration, and sulphation products) in the used lubricant. Karl Fischer (ASTM D 1744) and potentiometric titrations (ASTM D 2896) were used to measure water concentration and total base number (TBN), respectively. An automatic viscometer (ASTM D 445) was used to measure lubricant viscosity. The results show that wear metals and contaminant elements increase with an increasing amount of COIL in DF2. An increasing amount of COIL in the blends reduces additive elements, with the reduction for blends of up to 30% COIL being quite similar to that for DF2. Soot and sulphation decrease with increasing COIL in the blended fuels due to reduced aromatics and sulphur in comparison to DF2. The water concentration increases for blended fuels with more than 30% COIL. The TBN and viscosity changes are found to be almost normal. The engine did not appear to have any starting and combustion problems when operating with the COIL‐blended fuels. The lubricating oil analysis data from this study will help in the selection of tribological components and compatible lubricating oils for coconut oil‐ or biofuel‐operated diesel engines.     

Lubricating oil influence on exhaust hydrocarbon emissions from a gasoline fueled engine

Engine exhaust hydrocarbon emissions have been investigated for different lubricating oils, using gasoline as fuel. Six samples of lubricants have been tested: synthetic SAE 5W30 and SAE 5W40, semi-synthetic SAE 15W40 and SAE 20W50, and mineral SAE 15W40 and SAE 20W50. Experiments were carried out in a production engine mounted on a bench test dynamometer, varying engine load and speed in the range from 1500 to 6000 rev/min. The results demonstrate the influence of lubricant viscosity and base oil on hydrocarbon emissions. The synthetic oils showed the lowest hydrocarbon emission levels, especially in the low engine speed range.     

Literature review of OCP viscosity modifiers

Olefin copolymers and terpolymers (OCPs) are used as viscosity modifiers in a large proportion of the European and world multigrade oil market. The polymer properties of the basic ethylene propylene polymers are critical to the physical characteristics of the final lubricant and its engine performance. The important parameters are discussed. Ethylene propylene polymers intended for use in other industrial applications should be checked thoroughly to avoid potential field problems. Modifications of these speciality OCPs to dispersant polymers enhance diesel and dispersant lubricant properties, enabling the most severe lubricant performance requirements to be met. The paper also reviews developments reported in the literature on the production and handling of the products together with their application, particularly with reference to their effect on low temperature properties, engine cleanliness, wear and fuel economy of the lubricant.     

Application of nanoparticle tracking analysis platform for the measurement of soot-in-oil agglomerates from automotive engines

Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) has been applied to characterising soot agglomerates of particles and compared with Transmission Electron Microscoscopy (TEM). Soot nanoparticles were extracted from used oil drawn from the sump of a light duty automotive diesel engine. The samples were prepared for analysis by diluting with heptane. Individual tracking of soot agglomerates allows for size distribution analysis. The size of soot was compared with length measurements of projected two-dimensional TEM images of agglomerates. Both the techniques show that soot-in-oil exists as agglomerates with average size of 120 nm. NTA is able to measure particles in polydisperse solutions and reports the size and volume distribution of soot-in-oil aggregates; it has the advantages of being fast and relatively low cost if compared with TEM.     

The nanostructure of soot-in-oil particles and agglomerates from an automotive diesel engine

The characteristics of soot particles and agglomerates of particles extracted from samples of lubricating oil drawn from the sump of a diesel engine have been investigated. The engine was a high pressure common rail, direct injection diesel designed for light duty automotive applications. Soot from the samples was prepared for imaging by sample dilution with heptane, followed by washing in diethyl ether and in some cases, sample centrifugation. The size and shape of agglomerates were defined from measurements of projected length and width allowing for chain contortion. When used, centrifugation is shown to alter the size and shape of agglomerates, increasing the proportion of chain agglomerates and reducing clusters. Without centrifugation, roughly half of the soot in oil exists in long-chain agglomerates with average length of 130 nm and 50 nm in width. Clusters with modest branching account for the remaining 46%. The average aspect ratio (L/W) was of 2.9. The diameter of spherical primary particles that form the agglomerates ranges between 10 and 35 nm grouped in a Gaussian distribution with a mean value of 20.2 nm. All primary particles exhibit an inner core and an outer shell. The inner core is composed by several nuclei of around 4 nm diameter. Inner core is of around 8–15 nm in diameter and outer shell 4–12 nm thick.     

Biodeterioration potentials of microorganisms isolated from car engine lubricating oil

Biodeterioration potentials of bacteria isolated from used car engine lubricating oil were examined using both used and unused oils as substrate. Used oil served as a better substrate for growth of the bacteria than unused oil. The bacterial isolates were identified as Bacillus, Corynebacterium, Actinomyces, Micrococcus, Serratia, Citrobacter, Edwardsiella, Pseudomonas, Nocardia and Acinetobacter species. Fungal genera isolated from the oil were Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Cephalosporium, Mucor, Monosporium, Penicillium and the yeast Saccharomyces. Incubation of the bacteria at different temperatures for 48 hours showed that 100% grew at 30°C, 56% grew at 45°C, 44% grew at 55°C, 31% grew at 60°C while 25% grew at 70°C and survived at 80°C. These results indicate that lubricating oil in service is more prone to biodeterioration than unused oil.     

悬浮碳烟微粒对柴油发动机磨损的影响

进入机油的碳烟微粒增多是现代低排放车用柴油发动机突出问题。探讨了碳烟微粒对发动机各摩擦副磨损的影响，分析了碳烟微粒的磨损机制，并指出提高分散剂性能与用量是减少碳烟微粒磨损的重要方法。     

High-pressure behavior of toroidal CVT fluid for automobile

Practical toroidal-type continuously variable transmission (t-CVT) is subjected to extremely severe operating conditions, viz., maximum contact pressure is very high at 4 GPa, rolling speed exceeds over 30 m/s and lubricant temperature goes up over 140 °C. Traction measurements were recently made at wide range of contact pressures, oil temperatures and rolling speeds by USCAR Group. The objective of this research is to investigate high-pressure rheology of the traction characteristics at extremely severe EHL contact conditions. The effects of contact pressure and temperature on maximum traction coefficient were evaluated using the phase diagram and the liquid/solid transition lubrication diagram.     

Tribological Characteristics of Calophyllum inophyllum–Based TMP (Trimethylolpropane) Ester as Energy-Saving and Biodegradable Lubricant

The purpose of this research is an experimental study of Calophyllum inophyllum (CI)-based trymethylolpropane (TMP) ester as an energy-saving and biodegradable lubricant and compare it with commercial lubricant and paraffin mineral oil using a four-ball tribometer. CI-based TMP ester is a renewable lubricant that is nonedible, biodegradable, and nontoxic and has net zero greenhouse gases. The TMP ester was produced from CI oil, which has high lubricity properties such as higher density, higher viscosity at both 40°C and 100°C and higher viscosity index (VI). Experiments were conducted during 3,600 s with constant load of 40 kg and constant sliding speed of 1,200 rpm at temperatures of 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100°C for all three types of lubricant. The results show that CI TMP ester had the lowest coefficient of friction (COF) as well as lower consumption of energy at all test temperatures, but the worn surface roughness average (R_a) and wear scar diameter were higher compared to paraffin mineral oil and commercial lubricant. Before 80°C, CI TMP ester actually has a higher flash temperature parameter (FTP) than paraffin mineral oil and as the temperature increases, the FTP of TMP ester decreases. The worn surfaces of the stationary balls were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and results show that CI TMP ester has the highest wear compared to paraffin mineral oil and lowest wear compared to commercial lubricant. However, CI TMP ester is environmentally desired, competitive to commercial lubricant, and its use should be encouraged.     

热重分析仪测量柴油机油烟炱含量

利用2950型TGA热重分析仪测量柴油机油中烟炱的含量,以便调整柴油发动机的供油提前角,使机油中的烟炱含量达到规定值。     

Rolling Contact Fatigue Evaluation of Advanced Bearing Steels with and Without the Oil Anti-Wear Additive Tricresyl Phosphate

The effect of the oil anti-wear additive tricresyl phosphate (TCP) on rolling contact fatigue (RCF) life of advanced bearing steels—AISI VIMVAR M50, CSS 42L, Pyrowear 675, and Cronidur 30 was investigated with silicon nitride balls at 177 °C and at a maximum Hertzian stress of 5.5 GPa. TCP at 1% additive concentration was blended into a synthetic polyol ester turbine engine lubricant basestock having a nominal viscosity of 3 cSt at 100 °C. Additionally, the basestock was fortified with the anti-oxidants dioctyl-diphenyl amine (DODPA) and phenyl-α-napthyl amine (PANA) at 1% concentration each. The presence of TCP has a measurable positive effect on RCF life and wear. Also, all the advanced bearing materials exhibited superior fatigue life compared to conventional bearing steel M50, both with and without TCP. The study indicates that current gas turbine lubricant formulations with TCP have positive effects on fatigue life and wear performance of M50, Pyrowear 675, CSS 42L, and Cronidur 30.     

The Behavior of Diluted Sooted Oils in Lubricated Contacts

An increase in the engine lubricant soot levels has recently been noticed. This increase in soot content of lubricating oils has caused a series of problems in the overall performance of the engine. In a practical context, sooted oils consist of carbonaceous matter suspended in engine oil forming a system commonly known as a colloid sol. The objective of this paper is to better understand the mechanism of action of oil containing soot particles in the lubricated contacts and to identify how the colloidal nature of the sooted oil is related to its performance. This study has shown by means of ultra-thin film interferometry and image analysis techniques that soot colloid particles are entrained in the contact inlet where they can influence the friction and wear characteristics of the base stock. This study shows that soot primary particles are entrained into the contact at slow speeds, affecting the film characteristics of clean engine oils. This entrainment of particles is more pronounced at high temperatures.     

An Alternative Procedure to Quantify Soot in Engine Oil by Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy

Abstract

Due to new pollutant emissions standards, internal combustion engines need several emission control strategies (and related procedures) such as exhaust gas recirculation, diesel/gasoline particulate filters, and selective catalyst reduction that allow them to comply with complete requirements defined on those standards. These strategies result in faster degradation of engine oil, one of the most relevant consequences of which is an increase in soot contamination level. All of these strategies facilitate soot generation. Consequently, soot is one of the most important contaminants present in engine oil. The main technique to measure the content of soot in oil is thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), but this technique has certain limitations. TGA requires a long and specific procedure and has limitations in measuring small concentrations of soot in oil. Therefore, the design of an alternative technique to quantify soot in oil is relevant. One alternative is Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, but it also has limitations related to low concentrations of soot in oil. This work presents an alternative technique based on ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy that allows quantification of small soot contents in used engine oil samples and avoids potential interference from other typical contaminants or those related to measurement processes, such as sample cuvette material.