Investigations in wear and friction behavior of blends of Laxmitaru-FAME with nanoparticles as additives

Blending of biofuels with petro-diesels has become indispensable for environmental conservation, offering considerably enhanced tribological qualities that contribute in power saving along with extension in the lifespan of compression-ignition (CI) engines. The objective of this work is to investigate the tribological features of nanoadditivated Laxmitaru- fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) blends in petro-diesel, by means of a 4-ball tribometer following American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D 4172 standard. The experiments involved B-10 (10 percent biodiesel mixed with petro diesel), B-20 and B-30 variants along with neat petro-diesel. Nano Silicon dioxide (SiO2) was added in varying concentrations of 0.20%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1% by weight with Laxmitaru-FAME. The results revealed 75 % decrease in coefficient of friction (COF) and 55% reduction in wear compared to neat diesel (B0). Wear patterns of the experimental spheres were analysed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which indicated the material insertion and consequential mending on interface by nanoparticles due to highly stable dispersions.