Issue 26, 2024

Ready-to-use graphene-related material-added multi-grade oils: characterization and performance in car engine working conditions

Abstract

The need for energy efficiency is leading to the growing use of additives to enhance the performance of oil in automotive engines. Great interest is focused on nano-additives even if to date there is still no practical use in commercial liquid lubricants. Herein, the potential of industrially scalable and low-cost graphene-related materials (GRMs) as additives to enhance the performance of oil in automotive engines is explored. The use of polyalkylmethacrylate dispersants, the most common key additives to formulate “green technology” lubricant oils liquid-processed GRM, is explored, investigating the role of the lateral size and the chemical analysis in the stability of the lubricant GRM dispersions. Showing the maximum duration of stability and a production method that avoids the use of strong oxidants, rheological tests were then focused on multilayered graphene flakes with sub-micrometre lateral size mixed in two commercial oil grades (5W-30 and 5W-40) under conditions similar to those of engine operation. The addition of such a filler increases the viscosity without affecting the Newtonian fluid behavior, while four-ball tests show a reduction in wear, indicating improved lubrication performance. Finally, preliminary bench-test on a commercial car engine showed increased power output corresponding to enhanced engine efficiency. The results clearly indicate the effective improvement in lubricating commercial oils due to GRM additives.

Graphical abstract: Ready-to-use graphene-related material-added multi-grade oils: characterization and performance in car engine working conditions

Supplementary files

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Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Mar 2024
Accepted
27 May 2024
First published
11 Jun 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2024,14, 18730-18738

Ready-to-use graphene-related material-added multi-grade oils: characterization and performance in car engine working conditions

M. Garcia Lleo, V. Sacchetti, C. Cacciola, E. Medri, S. Ligi, A. Liscio and M. Minelli, RSC Adv., 2024, 14, 18730 DOI: 10.1039/D4RA02406K

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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