Correlation between Lubricating Oil Characteristic Parameters and Friction Characteristics

In order to help one to judge the friction properties of lubricating oils without tests, this paper intends to establish the correlation between the characteristic parameters of lubricating oils and the friction properties. The elastohydrodynamic and boundary friction properties of poly alpha olefin (PAO) synthetic oil, polyol ester oil and paraffin-based mineral oil were tested using a Mini-Traction Machine. Fourier transform infrared microscopy is used to identify material changes before and after friction tests. The kinematic and dynamic viscosities of the three lubricating oils were measured using a petroleum product viscosity tester and a rotating rheometer. The results show that the kinematic viscosity does not directly determine the COF (coefficient of friction) of the lubricating oil, but the higher the dynamic viscosity, the higher the COF of the lubricating oil. The higher the viscosity-pressure coefficient, the lower the viscosity index (the worse the viscosity-temperature performance), and the higher the COF of the lubricating oil, which is related to the adaptability of the molecular structure of lubricating oils to pressure and temperature. PAO synthetic oils and polyol ester oils have excellent friction properties resulting from their strong adaptability to temperature and pressure variations due to the presence of linear chains and flexible groups.