Analysis of tribological performance of biodiesel

Biodiesel is a promising alternative among the different fuels put forward as a substitute for diesel fuel. One important issue in internal combustion engines is the lubrication of the equipments which are lubricated by the fuel itself. Previous studies have shown that biodiesel possesses excellent inherent lubricity. However, biodiesel is susceptible to oxidation reactions due to the presence of unsaturation in its moiety. These reactions are accelerated in the presence of oxygen and high temperatures and may alter the lubrication characteristics. In this particular research work, an investigation has been made to assess the impact of load, temperature, and biodiesel concentration upon friction and wear in the four-ball wear machine. The effect of individual parameter utilizing other biodiesels has already been presented elsewhere. The current study demonstrates the response of biodiesel and oxidized biodiesel with combined variation of operating parameters. The selected temperatures and loads were 45-60-75 degrees C and 40-50-60 kg, respectively. The tests were conducted with diesel (B0), B20 (20% jatropha methyl ester by volume), B40, B100, and oxidized biodiesel. It was found that these variables not only individually but also collectively affect the tribological performance of biodiesel.