Tribological behavior of the refined, bleached, and deodorized palm kernel as an alternative lubricant

• Main Authors: Farhanah, A. N., Syahrullail, S.
• Format: Article
• Published: Sharif University of Technology 2018
• Subjects: TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
• Online Access: http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/79838/; http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/sci.2017.4339
• Institution: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

The effects of zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP) concentration on tribological behavior of the Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized (RBD) palm kernel were analyzed using a pin-on-disk tribotester. RBD palm kernel was selected as a base lubricant due to its availability, low price, renewability, and being environmentally friendly. Commercial mineral oil (SAE 40) was used for comparison. The tests were performed at 2.5 m/s sliding speed under 9.8 N applied load for 60 minutes at 25°C temperature (±2°C). Worn surface of the pin was measured by the optical microscope to understand the wear mechanism involved. Compared with SAE 40, experimental results show that the addition of 5 wt% of ZDDP reduced the coefficient of friction to 21%. However, the anti-wear property was still lower, approximately at 23%. Besides, the tribological behavior of RBD palm kernel was improved with ZDDP additive concentration above 1 wt% where the best performance was at 5 wt%. At this concentration level, ZDDP additive was able to protect the surface against wear and oxidation and, at the same time, reduce coefficient of friction, wear rate, and surface roughness values.