Nanoparticle-dispersed lubricants reduce friction and
wear of tribo-pairs
by providing nanoscale polishing and asperity filling mechanisms.
But these particles also have an adverse effect on the lubrication
due to the agglomeration and poor interaction with the tribo-interface.
Herein, we explore the effect of surface modification of TiO2 nanoparticles on the tribological properties of commercial engine
oil. Surface modifications of TiO2 nanoparticles are done
by coating layers of amorphous carbon and nitrogen-doped amorphous
carbon. Investigations of the tribological properties of surface-modified
TiO2 nanoparticle-dispersed oils show improved performance
due to high dispersibility in engine oil. There is a decrease in the
coefficient of friction by ∼35% and the wear scar diameter
by ∼27% when compared to the base oil. Both a surface roughness
reduction of ∼85% and a wear depth profile reduction of ∼88%
are due to the nanoscale polishing mechanism at the tribo-interface
by nanoparticles. To gain insights of the effects of oil concentration
and ball types on the wear scar diameter, a statistical approach is
employed. The analysis of variance test yields that the different
oil concentrations have a significant effect on the wear scar diameter.
The trends obtained from this statistical test are consistent with
the experimental results. This novel approach opens up exploring advanced
methods of statistical analysis for tribological applications.