Skip to main content
Log in

Study of tribological properties of ecofriendly lubricant additives derived from leaf-surface waxes

  • Article
  • Published:
Science China Technological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Three kinds of leaf-surface waxes are extracted from the leaves of Euonymus japonicas (EJ), Sabina chinensis (SC) and Sabina procumbens (SP) to be tested for their tribological properties. Lubricating oils containing these 3 waxes respectively were analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) for their chemical constituents and tested with friction and wear testing machine and time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) for the tribological mechanism. It was found that all the tested cuticular wax can reduce the coefficient of friction, and the waxes of SC and EJ can reduce the wear width. The contents of acid and esters in the wax can improve the friction reducing property by forming tribochemical films on the metal, but result in the increase of wear due to corrosion. The increase of ions containing C, H, O and the decline of aluminum positive ions on the worn surface, demonstrate that the tribofilms derived from long chain compounds play a role of protecting the metal surfaces.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gong Q Y, Yu L G. The tribology environmental friendly lubricants and additives. Lubri Eng, 2000, 25: 65–68

    Google Scholar 

  2. Li W, Jiang C, Wang X, et al. Preparation and tribological of vegetable oil based lubricating oil additive (in Chinese). Shiyou Xuebao Shiyou Jiagong/Acta Petrolei Sinica, 2015, 31: 468–475

    Google Scholar 

  3. Dong L, Fang J H, Chen G X, et al. The development of green lubricants (in Chinese). Synthetic Lubri, 2003, 03: 10–16

    Google Scholar 

  4. Yang H M, He D P, Zhang Y F, et al. The expectation of preparation of green lubricant oil (in Chinese). China Oils Fats, 2003, 11: 65–67

    Google Scholar 

  5. Fang J H, Chen B S, Liu W M, et al. Effect of amide type modified rapeseed oil as lubricating additive on friction and wear behavior of steel-steel and steel-aluminum alloy systems. T Nonferr Metal Soc China, 2004, 14: 435–438

    Google Scholar 

  6. Fang J, Chen B, Dong L, et al. Effect of amide type modified castor oil as lubricating additive on friction and wear behavior of steel-steel and steel-aluminum alloy systems (in Chinese). Acta Petrolei Sinica (Petroleum Processing Section), 2009, S1: 78–81

    Google Scholar 

  7. Fox N J, Stachowiak G W. Vegetable oil-based lubricants—A review of oxidation. Tribol Int, 2007, 40: 1035–1046

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Zhao X Y, Yang J Y, Tao D H, et al. Synthesis and lubricating properties of plasma polymerized waste vegetable oil (in Chinese). Huadong Ligong Daxue Xuebao, 2014, 40: 161–166

    Google Scholar 

  9. Fang J H, Chen B S, Wang J, et al. Tribology performance of epoxy oleic acid methyl ester lubricant additives. Lubri oil, 2015, 2: 22–25

    Google Scholar 

  10. Zhang L, Liu Y, Chen Z, et al. Behavior and mechanism of ultralow friction of basil seed gel. Colloid Surface A, 2016, 489: 454–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Kunst L, Samuels A L. Biosynthesis and secretion of plant cuticular wax. Prog Lipid Res, 2003, 42: 51–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Franco C M M, Clarke P J, Tate M E, et al. Hydrophobic properties and chemical characterisation of natural water repellent materials in Australian sands. J Hydrol, 2000, 231-232: 47–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Vermeer C P, Nastold P, Jetter R. Homologous very-long-chain 1,3-alkanediols and 3-hydroxyaldehydes in leaf cuticular waxes of Ricinus communis L.. Phytochemistry, 2003, 62: 433–438

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Ji X, Jetter R. Very long chain alkylresorcinols accumulate in the intracuticular wax of rye (Secale cereale L.) leaves near the tissue surface. Phytochemistry, 2008, 69: 1197–1207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Xu X C, Xia Y Q, Wu H, et al. The tribological properties of plant leaf extracts as lubricant additives for an aluminum-on-steel contact (in Chinese). Chin Sci Bull (Chin Ver), 2014, 59: 3621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Shi Q, Xia Y, Feng X. Lubricant adding with wheat leaf surface wax improving friction performance of steel/copper friction pair (in Chinese). Trans Chinese Soc Agr Eng, 2016, 32: 54–59

    Google Scholar 

  17. Xu S J, Jiang P A, Wang Z W, et al. Crystal structures and chemical composition of leaf surface wax depositions on the desert moss Syntrichia caninervis. Biochem Systatics Ecology, 2009, 37: 723–730

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Xia Y, Xu X, Feng X, et al. Leaf-surface wax of desert plants as a potential lubricant additive. Friction, 2015, 3: 208–213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Wu C, Wang X. Research of foliar dust content estimation by reflectance spectroscopy of Euonymus japonicus Thunb. Environ NanoTech Monitor Manage, 2016, 5: 54–61

    Google Scholar 

  20. Dutta D, Ghosh S. Effect of lime stone dust on geopolymerisation and geopolymeric structure. Int J Emer Tech Adv Eng, 2012, 2: 757–763

    Google Scholar 

  21. Feng Z C. Illustrated Sylva of Gannan. Gansu: Gansu Science and Technology Press, 1994. 26–34

    Google Scholar 

  22. Chen Y, Zhang M, Chen T, et al. The relationship between seasonal changes in anti-oxidative system and freezing tolerance in the leaves of evergreen woody plants of Sabina. South African J Bot, 2006, 72: 272–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Yan J, Zeng X, Ren T, et al. Boundary lubrication of stainless steel and CoCrMo alloy materials based on three ester-based additives. Tribol Int, 2014, 73: 88–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Pierre L E S, Owens R S, Klint R V. Chemical effects in the boundary lubrication of aluminum. Wear, 1966, 9: 160–168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Montgomery R S. The effect of alcohols and ethers on the wear behavior of aluminum. Wear, 1965, 8: 466–473

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to YanQiu Xia.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xia, Y., Hu, Y., Feng, X. et al. Study of tribological properties of ecofriendly lubricant additives derived from leaf-surface waxes. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 61, 408–416 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-017-9076-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-017-9076-0

Keywords

Navigation