IJSRD - International Journal for Scientific Research & Development| Vol.

6, Issue 01, 2018 | ISSN (online): 2321-0613

Effect of Additives on Lubricating Oil

Mr. Anup S. Phatangare1 Mr. Aditya S. More2 Miss. Gayatri R. Kharde3 Miss. Tejaswi B. Thete4
Sagar D. Shelke5
1,2,3,4
Diploma Scholar 5Assistant Professor
1,2,3,4,5
Department of Mechanical Engineering (Polytechnic)
1,2,3,4,5
MSBTE P. Dr.VVP Polytechnic, Loni, Maharashtra, India
Abstract— The effects Of additive formulations namely oils with different viscosities can even be blended together to
Hexagonal Boron Nitrate (hBN) on the viscosity index of improve their performance in a given application.
lubricating oils (base oils) namely 20W40 temperatures 30 to [Bienkowski, (1993)].
90 were investigated. The base oils were blended with the Viscosity is a measure of the oil’s resistance to
additives in different proportions. The results gave a viscosity shear. It is more commonly known as resistance to flow. If
index of 96 and 98 respectively for 20W40 without additives lubricating oil is considered as a series of fluid layers
and with additives. The results revealed that 261 additive superimposed on each other, the viscosity of the oil is a
formulations gave the highest increase in viscosity in all measure of the resistance to flow between the individual
proportions increasing as the weight of the additive increases. layers. A high viscosity implies high resistances to flow while
Generally, all the four additive formulations used improved a low viscosity indicates a low resistance to flow. Viscosity
the viscosities of all the blends in all the proportions and at varies inversely with temperature. It is also affected by
both temperatures. The blends can be classified as very high pressure; higher pressure causes the viscosity to increase and
viscosity index being above 110. This means that they will subsequently, the load-carrying capacity of the oil also
undergo very little change in viscosity with temperature increases. This property enables the use of thin oils to
extremes and so can be considered to have stable viscosity. lubricate heavy machinery. The viscosity of a lubricant is
Key words: Lubricant (Base Oil), Kinematic, Viscosity, closely related to its ability to reduce friction. Generally, we
Additives, Viscosity Index, hBN, Temperatures want the thinnest oil which still forces the two moving
surfaces apart. If the lubricant is too thick, it will require a lot
I. INTRODUCTION of energy to move the surfaces (such as in honey); if it is too
A lubricant (also referred to as lube) is defined as a substance thin, the surfaces will rub on each other and friction will
introduced between two surfaces in relative motion to prevent increase. (1)
friction, improve efficiency and reduce wear. They can be in Two common methods for measuring viscosity are
the form of gas, liquid or solid. A lubricant prevents the direct shear and time methods. When viscosity is determined by
contact of rubbing surfaces and thus reduces wear. It keeps directly measuring shear stress and shear rate, it is expressed
the surface of metals clean and also prevents failure due to in centipoise (cP) and is referred to as the absolute or dynamic
seizure. Lubricants can also act as coolants by removing heat viscosity. It is more common to use kinematic viscosity,
effects and also prevent rusting and deposition of solids on which is the absolute viscosity divided by the density of the
close fitting parts. One of the single largest applications for oil being tested. Kinematic viscosity is expressed in
lubricants, in the form of motor oil, is to protect the internal centistokes (cSt).
combustion engines in motor vehicles and powered Viscosity in centistokes is conventionally given at
equipment [API, (2002)]. two standard temperatures: 400C and 1000C (1040F and
There are three major types of lubricants: Gaseous 2120F). Another method used to determine oil viscosity
lubricants e.g. air, helium, Liquid lubricants e.g. oils, water measures the time required for an oil sample to flow through
and Solid lubricants e.g. graphite, grease, teflon, a standard orifice at a standard temperature. Viscosity is then
molybdenum disulphide etc. Liquid lubricant is the most expressed in SUS (Saybolt Universal Seconds). SUS
commonly used lubricant because of its wide range of viscosities are also conventionally given at two standard
possible applications while gaseous and solid lubricants are temperatures: 37 0C and 980C (1000F and2100F). (2)
recommended in special applications [Boughton, (2003)]. Viscosity index, commonly designated VI, is an
Based on its origin, lubricating oil can be two basic arbitrary numbering scale that indicates the changes in oil
categories: mineral and synthetic. Mineral oils are refined viscosity with changes in temperature. It is a lubricating oil
from naturally occurring petroleum, or crude oil. Synthetic quality indicator, an arbitrary measure for the change of
oils are manufactured polyalphaolefins which are kinematic viscosity with temperature. Viscosity index can be
hydrocarbon-based polyglycols or ester oils and are often classified as follows: low VI - below 35; medium VI - 35 to
“tailor made” for specific application. Of all these, mineral 80; high VI - 80 to 110; very high VI - above 110. A high
oils are the most commonly used because the supply of crude viscosity index indicates small oil viscosity changes with
oil has rendered them inexpensive. Also a large body of data temperature. A low viscosity index indicates high viscosity
on their properties and use already exists. Another advantage changes with temperature. Therefore, a fluid that has a high
of mineral-based lubricating oils is that they can be produced viscosity index can be expected to undergo very little change
in a wide range of viscosities for diverse applications. They in viscosity with temperature extremes and is considered to
range from low-viscosity oils (light lube oil), which consist have a stable viscosity. A fluid with a low viscosity index can
of hydrogen-carbon chains with molecular weights of around be expected to undergo a significant change in viscosity as
200 atomic mass units (amu), to highly viscous lubricants the temperature fluctuates.(3)
with molecular weights as high as 1000 amu. Mineral-based

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 Effect of Additives on Lubricating Oil
(IJSRD/Vol. 6/Issue 01/2018/009)

Many applications require a lubricant to perform B. Nano Partials

across a wide range of conditions. Automotive lubricants
must reduce friction between engine components when it is
started from cold (relative to engine operating temperatures)
as well as when it is running (up to 200 °C).
The best oils (with the highest VI) will not very
much in viscosity over such a temperature range and therefore
will perform well throughout. (4)
Thus an ideal oil for most purposes is one that
maintains a constant viscosity throughout temperature
changes.(5)
Additives are chemical compounds added to refined
base oils t impart some specific properties to the lubricating Fig. 1: SEM of Boron Nitride Nanoparticles
oil either by enhancing inherent properties or adding new,
desired ones to the finished product. A lot of unfortified base C. Boron Nitride Nanoparticles
oils are being used as engine oils in our country. These base Product : Boron Nitride Nano-powder
oils have to an extent some of the properties required for (BN, Hexagonal, 99.8%, 80nm)
lubrication. However, these by themselves are not sufficient Purity : 99.8 %
to meet the lubrication requirement of today’s modern highly APS : 80 nm
rated engines. Thus, it is often desired to add various Colour : White
chemicals to improve the physical properties of these oils. Density : 2.29 g/cm³
Due to the advancement in technology, varieties of machines, Index : 1.74
instruments and appliances have been developed which have Coefficient : < 0.3
to be operated at extreme new temperature, pressure and Dielectric Constant : 3-4
speed thus, this demands some specific characteristics from Thermal Conductivity : 40-120
the lubricants. Base oil alone is unable to meet the demands Crystal Form : BN, Hexagonal
of these modern engines; hence additive(s) that enhances the Table 2:
performance of such lubricant is/are needed. Various
compounds have been discovered to possess operating III. PREPARATION OF SAMPLE
characteristics such as oxidation stability, viscosity index,
pour point, rust inhibition etc. [Bienkowski, (1993)]. Thus
this work is aimed at studying the effect of four additive
formulations on the viscosities of two base oils with regards
to enhancing their performance in service.

II. MATERIALS
A. Oil Selection
1) Type 1
 Oil Type: Base 20w40
 Specification:
SAE GRADE 20W-40
Kinematic Viscosity cSt @ 100°C 13.5 – 15.5
Viscosity Index, Min. 110
Flash point (COC), °C Min. 200 Fig. 2: Magnetic Stirrer
Pour Point, °C Max. (-) 21 A magnetic stirrer is a laboratory device that employs a
TBN mg KOH/gm 9.5 – 12.5 rotating magnetic field to cause a stir bar immersed in a liquid
Table 1: to spin very quickly, thus stirring it. The rotating field may be
2) Type 2 created either by a rotating magnet or a set of stationary
 Oil Type: Used 20w40 electromagnets, placed beneath the vessel with the liquid.
 Specification: Same as above WeiDai a, BassemKheireddin b, HongGao b, HongLiang

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 Effect of Additives on Lubricating Oil
(IJSRD/Vol. 6/Issue 01/2018/009)

The redwood viscometer consists of vertical

cylindrical oil cup with an orifice in the centre of its base. The
orifice can be closed by a ball. A hook pointing upward serves
as a guide mark for filling the oil. The cylindrical cup is
surrounded by the water bath. The water bath maintains the
temperature of the oil to be tested at constant temperature.
The oil is heated by heating the water bath by means of an
immersed electric heater in the water bath; the provision is
made for stirring the water, to maintain the uniform
temperature in the water bath and to place the thermometer to
record the temperature of oil and water bath. The cylinder is
47.625 mm in diameter and 88.90 mm deep. The orifice is
1.70 mm in diameter and 12 mm in length, this viscometer is
used to determine the kinematic viscosity of the oil. From the
kinematic viscosity the dynamic viscosity is determined.
Kinematic viscosity (µ): - The ratio of absolute
viscosity to density for any fluid is known as absolute
kinematics viscosity. It is donated by µ and in C.G.S. system,
Fig. 3: Testing its units are strokes and centistokes (1/100th of stoke)
A. Viscosity Test respectively.
𝐵
The standard test method ASTM D93 used for calculate µ=(𝐴 × 𝑡) −
𝑡
kinematic viscosity of transparent and opaque liquids. This
test method specifies a procedure for the determination of the IV. OBSERVATION
kinematic viscosity of liquid petroleum products, both
1) Improve the properties of lubricating oil by adding
transparent and opaque, by measuring the time for a volume
addetives.
of liquid to flow under gravity through a calibrated glass
2) To check the effect on viscosity of oil at different
capillary viscometer. The dynamic viscosity can be obtained
temperature.
by multiplying the kinematic viscosity by the density of the
3) To compare the effect of the vicosity of both base and
liquid.
used oil by adding addetives.
The time is measured for a fixed volume of liquid to
flow under gravity through the capillary of a calibrated A. Reading
viscometer under a reproducible driving head and a closely Dynami
controlled and known temperature. The kinematic viscosity Temperatur Kinemati
Time c
is the product of the measured flow time and calibration Oil e c
(sec) Viscosit
consist of the viscometer. Two such determinations are viscosity
y
needed from which to calculate a kinematic viscosity that is 30 675.9 1.4799 1.23
the average of two acceptable values. 50 355.3 0.7765 0.6347
The viscosity index via kinematic viscosity use for 60 238.6 0.5175 0.4196
Base oil
producing lubricating oil (Engine oil) for cars, buses, vans etc
(20w40) 130.9
and 500N used for production of heavy lubricating oil for 70 0.2743 0.2206
5
trucks, trailers, tractors, lorries etc were investigated using
80 88.53 0.1744 0.13917
hBN as additives . Two masses 5g of these additives were
90 60.0 0.102 0.0807
added to base oils.
2252.
B. Apparatus Used Base oil 30 4.9539 4.1271
0
(20w40)
The viscosity of the Nano lubricants was measured using a 50 1089 2.3940 1.9571
+
Redwood viscometer.50ml of oil was used for each trial. 60 674.0 1.4800 1.2003
Additive
Time required for emptying 50ml of oil was measured and 70 363.7 0.7956 0.6392
s
viscosity was calculated using Redwood formula. Three trials hBN 80 315.3 0.6818 0.5489
were conducted for each sample. The variations of kinematic 90 265.3 0.5767 0.4562
viscosities were obtaining at a temperature of 30-90ºC. 387.2
30 0.8471 0.7074
2
137.9
Use oil 50 0.2902 0.2373
2
(20w40)
60 80.12 0.1536 0.1246
70 61.22 0.1050 0.0845
80 50.0 0.073 0.05
90 46.7 0.063 0.050
Use oil 30 743.8 1.6327 1.3586
(20w40) 50 281.5 0.4621 0.3778
Fig. 4: Redwood Viscosity Meter

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 Effect of Additives on Lubricating Oil
(IJSRD/Vol. 6/Issue 01/2018/009)

+ 60 213.0 0.4600 0.3731 [3] ONYEJI, LAWRENCE IBE; ABOJE, A. AUDU,” The
Additive 70 180.0 0.3859 0.3103 Effect Of Additive On The Viscosity Index Of
s 80 135.7 0.2852 0.3275 Lubricating Oil (Engine Oil)
hBN 90 124.5 0.2592 0.2051 [4] Muhammad Ilman Hakimi Chua Abdullah Mohd Fadzli
Table 1: Observation Bin Abdollah Noreffendy Tamaldin Hilmi Amiruddin
Nur Rashid MatNuri , (2016),"Effect of hexagonal boron
B. Observation Graphs nitride nanoparticles as an additive on the extreme
pres+sure properties of engine oil",Industrial Lubrication
and Tribology, Vol. 68 Iss 4 pp. 441 – 445.
[5] Muhammad Ilman Hakimi Chua Abdullah, Mohd Fadzli
Bin Abdollah, Hilmi Amiruddin, Noreffendy Tamaldin,
Nur Rashid Mat Nuri, Optimization of Tribological
Performance of hBN/AL2O3 Nanoparticles as Engine Oil
Additives, / Procedia Engineer1ing 68 ( 2013 ) 313 –
319.
[6] EhsanllahEttefaghi“Experimentalevaluationofengineoil
propertiescontainingcopperoxidenanoparticlesasananoa
dditive”InternationalJournalofIndustrialChemistry 2013

Fig. 5:

Fig. 6:

V. CONCLUSION
The hBN nanoparticle Oxides is significantly reduce the
coefficient of friction and wear of friction pairs and will
increase Extreme Pressure properties significantly. hBN
plays important role in viscosity.
As the viscosity of used oil increase by 30-40% we
can reuse the used oil again.
This shows that the nanoparticles has the potential
of acting as a performance enhancer (additive) in the
lubricant. So to achieve better properties determining the
appropriate concentration is a very important

REFERENCES
[1] WeiDai, Bassem Kheireddin, HongGao,HongLiang,”
Roles of nanoparticles in oil lubrication”, Tribology
International 102(2016)88–98.
[2] Obasi, A.U, 2Udeagbara, S.G, 3Anusiobi, O.J “Effect of
Additives on the Performance of Engine Oil” ,
International Journal of Engineering and Technology
Research Vol. 2, No. 9, October 2014, pp. 1 -11, ISSN:
2327-0349.

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