Influence of Additives on Antiwear and Extreme Pressure Behaviour of the Vegetable Oils

There are many studies presenting the properties of the vegetable oils, emphasizing the valuation potential of these oils types, as lubricants. Many of these researches are focused on advantages, as high biodegradability and renewability of the vegetable oils, but also on their disadvantages, like poor thermal stability and oxidation resistance. The aim of the present research study was the evaluation of two less investigated properties of the vegetable oils, the antiwear and extreme pressure characteristics, as well as the influence of functional additives that improve these characteristics. The experimental tests highlight an interesting behavior of these types of oils in comparison with the mineral oils type, which could be explained by the different mechanism of interaction with the lubricated surfaces.