Friction and Wear Characteristics of Water-Based ZnO and Al2O3 Nanofluids

In recent years, nanofluids have been an active area of research due to their enhanced thermal conductivity over base fluids. However, the tribological properties of nanofluids have not been thoroughly studied. In this research, friction and wear characteristics of water-based nanofluids was carried out. Commercially available water-based nanofluids with 50% ZnO and 50% Al2O3 nanoparticle concentration were used as the lubricant. The 50% concentration nanofluids were diluted using deionized water and an ultrasonic bath into different volume concentrations. The effects of nanoparticle type, particle concentration, and surface roughness of the specimen on the friction and wear characteristics were investigated. The friction and wear tests were performed using a UMT-2 Micro-Tribometer with a ball-on-disk configuration. The surface roughness and wear volume were measured using a WYKO 3D optical surface profiler, and chemical characterization analysis was done using a PHI 5000 VersaProbe X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS). It was found that nanoparticles have a great effect on the friction and wear characteristics of lubricants.