Tribological behaviour of graphene oxide sheets as lubricating additives in bio-oil

Purpose This paper aims to study the upgradation of the lubricating performance of the renewable base oil , and to study the tribological behavior of graphene oxide (GO) sheets used as lubricating additives in bio-oil for iron/steel contact. Design/methodology/approach A multifunctional end-face tribometer was used to characterize the friction coefficient and wear loss of the tribosystem under different lubricants. Findings The experimental results show that GO sheets with small size benefit lubricating effects and the optimal concentration of GO sheets in bio-oil is 0.4-0.6 per cent, which can form a complete lubricating film on the frictional interfaces and obtain a low friction coefficient and wear loss. Higher concentration of GO sheets can result in a significant aggregation of the sheets, reducing the content of the lubricating components in the bio-oil, which results in the increase in friction and wear; at this stage, the main wear pattern was ascribed to adhesive wear. Practical implications These results show a promising prospect of improving the tribological performance of renewable base oil with the introduction of GO sheets as additives. Originality/value No literature has covered the tribological behaviour of GO sheets in bio-oil. This study contributes to accelerating the application of bio-oil.