Study of silane-based antiwear additives: Wear and chemistry

The chemistry and wear performance of a silane-containing additive in combination with conventional commercial engine oil additives such as zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP), calcium-type detergent (Ca detergent), and B- and N-containing dispersant were investigated. The tribological behavior of the low-sulfur base stock 100 N blended with the above additives was investigated using a pin-on-disc Plint friction and wear tester at 100 °C. The wear scar width (WSW) of the upper steel pins was determined using an optical microscope. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to analyze the chemistry and thickness of the thin tribofilm formed on the disc. The morphologies of the wear scars on the lower steel discs were observed using an atomic force microscope (AFM). It was found when the silane additive is mixed with Ca detergent and B- and N-containing dispersant, the antiwear performance of the blend was greatly improved, while the friction coefficient remained almost unchanged. Indeed, the wear performance was comparable to or better than ZDDP on its own, and much better than a commercial oil blend. The silane additive is converted to hydrous SiO₂ by the water in the oil, and this SiO₂ then interacted chemically with the surface and Ca in the detergent under sliding to form a relatively thick tribofilm containing mainly a Ca silicate species. The incorporation of Si and B had little effect on the tribochemistry of ZDDP in the oil blends. When ZDDP and B- and N-containing dispersants were mixed with the silane additive, polyphosphate-type tribofilms, similar to that of ZDDP alone, were formed. However, addition of ZDDP had adverse effects on the wear performance of the silane-based blend.