Wear Characteristic of ZrO2/MGO as Lubricant in Different Rotating Speed

Proper rolling bearing lubricants and lubrication procedures are critical for delivering adequate bearing performance in critical situations. Main roles of Zirconium di oxide (ZrO2) nanoparticles in engine oil as lubricant additive for rolling bearing are reduction of wear and friction, extension of fatigue life, removal of frictional heat, and protection from corrosion. The present work investigates the tribological properties of SAE20W40 MGO and ZrO2 nano particles in SAE20W40 MGO oil for 0.4% concentration between steel/steel contact. In order to study wear under variable speed conditions, four-ball wear tests were carried out with chrome-plated steel balls (Grade E-52100), which were designed using 2 levels of factorial design of experiments (DOE). Nano-lubricant deterioration with and without ZrO2 were determined using empirical equations to project wear with reference to speed and ZrO2 concentration. Results presented that anti-wear properties of the SAE oil samples enhanced with ZrO2 irrespective of speed range.