• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2001

The lubricating performance of 23 kinds of polyol ester base oils 〔POEs〕 having different branch shapes was investigated by using a four ball tribometer under boundary lubrication condition. All the polyol ester base oils used in this study were made up of polyhydric alcohols of two-four valence and normal or branched fatty acids of different carbon number. The wear characteristics of polyol ester base oils are different from those of mineral oil, strongly affected by the branch shapes of fatty acids in their molecles. In particular, the polyol ester base oils having normal fatty acids such as n-octanoic acid, n-nonanoic acid etc. show much better wear performance than POEs having branched fatty acids such as 2-ethylhexanoic acid, 3,5,5-trimethyl hexanoic acid, etc. As the carbon chain length of normal fatty acids, in case of POEs of normal fatty acids, is increased, their wear rate is decreased and, in case of POEs of branched fatty acids, as the degree of branch of branched fatty acids is decreased, their wear rate is decreased. All the wear results of polyol ester base oils could be reasonably explained by comparing cohesive ability among fatty acid molecules in adsorption film by fatty acids obtained as POEs were decomposed.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.146-152
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• 2001

Environmentally adapted synthetic base oils of polyalkylene glycols (PAGs) and polyol esters (POEs) show a high polarity because of their functional groups containing oxygen atom. The lubricating performance of these polar base oils was investigated by using a four-ball tribometer under boundary lubrication condition. Four polyalkylene glycols and five polyol ester base oils were used as sample base oils of high polarity. A mineral oil (MO) and alkylnaphthalene (AN) were used as low polarity base oils. Tricrecylphosphate (TCP) was added to all the base oils, in the range of 10 mmol/L-2000 mmol/L, as an antiwear additive. All the TCP-for-mutated base oils showed optimum concentration characteristics for minimizing wear. The order of optimum concentration of all the base oils was in a good accordance with the order of relative stability of TCP in base oils. The interaction model on solvation between additive and different polar base oils can expect the stability order of TCP. Thus, the model on solvation can explain well the order of optimum concentration of all the base oils, by using the effect of polarity (dielectric constant, $\varepsilon$) and molecular size (molecular weight, MW) of them on stability of TCP in polar base oils. Finally, a good correlation of the optimum concentration for all the base oils was obtained when it was arranged as a function of C∝(M $W_{Base Oil}$/M $W_{TCP}$)$^{-2}$.71/.($\varepsilon$$_{Base Oil}$)$^{3.38}$ by these two parameters.s..

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.162-177
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• 2001

The hydrolysis rates of seven kinds of polyol ester base oils 〔POEs〕 of different branch shape were investigated by using a simple apparatus under mild acidic condition. Seven polyol ester base oils were made of poly hydric alcohols of two-four valence, normal or branched fatty acids of different carbon number. p-Toluene sulfonic acid was used as acid catalyst to accelerate the rate of hydrolysis. Partial esters and fatty acid produced by sequential hydrolysis of POEs were identified and their concentrations were determined by calibrated-internal standard method using Gas Chromatography. The rate constants of each step in sequential hydrolysis were determined by the least square method from rate equation and the concentration of each component, were compared with one another. It was shown that the rate of hydrolysis of POEs was strongly affected by whether molecular structure of fatty acid was straight chain or branch chain and which position was branched. The hydrolysis stability for all the POEs can be reasonably explained by using a steric hindrance effect anticipated fi:om their molecular structures affecting as water molecule makes an attack on the carbonyl carbon of POEs.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.171-178
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• 2001

In order to elucidate the lubricating mechanism of polyolester base oils [POEs], the wear characteristics of 27 kinds of polyolester base oils including mixed POEs were investigated. Their wear results were discussed in terms of the effect of molecular structure on wear performance and compared with those of mineral oil. In addition, the adsorption ability of POEs to reduced iron and their hydrolysis rates were measured and the effect of their molecular structures on the adsorptivity and hydrolysis rate of POEs was discussed, respectively. Finally, the lubricating mechanism anlyzed from these results of wear characteristics, adsorptivity and hydrolysis rate was proposed. That is to say, POEs are firstly adsorbed to friction surface and decomposed by hydrolysis or thermal degradation. Fatty acids obtained by degradation of POEs form adsorption film on friction surface. The larger become cohesive ability among fatty acid molecules in the adsorption film, the better gets the wear performance of POEs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 1999.06a
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• pp.189-194
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• 1999

The antiwear performance of several organic phosphates ,such as tricrecylphosphate(TCP), tributylphosphate(TBP), diphenylhydrogenphosphate(DPHP) ,dissolved in polyol ester based oils is studied. These organic phosphates are well known for antiwear additive for lubricating oil that produce reacted surface protective film. These antiwear additives can drastically reduce wear with their concentration increasing, because the amount of additive adsorbed on metal sur(ace increases. But in the higher concentration region, the wear is increased by excessive and corrosive reaction of the metal surface with these additives. That is to say, there is an optimum concentration for minimum wear. The optimum concentration was different with the kinds of base oils and additives. Different polyolesters showed different optimum concentrations of the additive. The order of optimum concentration among the polyolesters was different with different phosphates. The order of the optimum concentration is shown that the effect of the concentration of additives on the antiwear performance. It can be explained by the interaction between additives and base oils using the solubility parameter.