Stability, Viscosity, and Tribology Properties of Polyol Ester Oil-Based Biolubricant Filled with TEMPO-Oxidized Bacterial Cellulose Nanofiber

This research is aimed at studying the stability and tribology properties of the polyol ester oil- (POE-) based biolubricant mixed with various filler loadings from microparticle of TEMPO-oxidized bacterial cellulose (NDCt) as an additive and sorbitan monostearate (Span 60) as a surfactant. Morphology, rheology, and tribology tests were conducted. The addition of NDCt and Span 60 to pure POE as a base fluid showed elevated viscosity, lower value of coefficient friction (COF), and a remarkable decrease in the wear rate (WR). The presence of 0.6 wt% NDCt and 1.8 wt% Span 60 in POE (N2S4) decreased the COF value by 79% in comparison to POE. At room temperature, this N2S4 biolubricant sample showed a higher thermal conductivity by 4% and lower WR value by 49% compared to POE. This study introduced the preparation of the ecofriendly biolubricant filled with NDCt improving the tribology properties remarkably.