Anti‐friction and self‐repairing abilities of ultrafine serpentine, attapulgite and kaolin in oil for the cylinder liner‐piston ring tribo‐systems

The performances of diesel cylinder liner-piston ring (CLPR) that works under harsh conditions are very important and affect the service life, reliability and economy of engines. This study aimed to gain insights into the anti-friction and self-repairing properties of lubricating oil with different silicate-based additives for marine diesel CLPR, and expect to find the types and concentrations of additives that are most appropriate for CLPR. Three kinds of silicates, including ultrafine serpentine, attapulgite and kaolin powders, were prepared and modified, and added to the lubricants with different concentrations. The tribological behaviours and worn surface features of the friction pairs were investigated after friction tests. Compared with original oil, it is found that all additives process anti-friction and self-repairing properties at appropriate concentration, and the ultrafine attapulgite powders additive presents the best performance. These findings will aid in understanding the anti-friction and self-repairing abilities of silicate-based additives to diesel CLPR, as well as its potential application to solve the wear failures of CLPR online.