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Low friction of phytic acid as a water-based lubricant additive

Yong Wan (School of Mechanical Engineering, Qingdao Technological University, Qingdao, P.R. China)
Yankun Yu (School of Mechanical Engineering, Qingdao Technological University, Qingdao, P.R. China)
Shuai Gao (School of Mechanical Engineering, Qingdao Technological University, Qingdao, P.R. China)
Jianguo Gao (Inspection and Quarantine Centre, Shandong Exit & Entry Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Qingdao, P.R. China)

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology

ISSN: 0036-8792

Article publication date: 13 November 2017

132

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate naturally occurring phytic acid (PA) as a green-water-based lubricant.

Design/methodology/approach

Lubrication is studied using a ball-on-disk tribometer with silica glass against silicon nitride contact, and the friction coefficient and wear are measured in the boundary lubrication regimes.

Findings

Excellent lubrication performance was found by using PA aqueous solutions. After the running-in process, the sliding coefficient of friction could drop to as low as 0.01 with a quite low concentration of 7.5 × 10−4 M. The lubricating performance of PA solution could be further improved by increasing PA concentration. The work suggests that the excellent lubricity of PA in aqueous solution can be mostly contributed to its adsorption on the silica surface.

Originality/value

The paper shows that the natural products could be used as water-based lubricant additives.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Financial support offered by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51375249) and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China (201410083) is gratefully acknowledged.

Citation

Wan, Y., Yu, Y., Gao, S. and Gao, J. (2017), "Low friction of phytic acid as a water-based lubricant additive", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 69 No. 6, pp. 1085-1090. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILT-06-2016-0136

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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