Tribological evaluation of a boric acid fuel additive in various engine fuels

A boric acid fuel additive has shown promising results in field-tested internal combustion engines by resulting in substantial fuel consumption reductions. The present study evaluated the lubricating, tribofilm forming, and wear protective abilities of the fuel additive when mixed into four fuels; ethanol (E85), gasoline, diesel and marine gas oil (MGO). A reciprocating ball-on-disc setup was used for the test, to mimic the conditions of components that run lubricated by the fuel, such as fuel pumps and fuel injection systems. The chemistry of the varying fuels as well as the concentration of fuel additive was found to strongly affect the tribofilm formation on the sliding surfaces. The fuel additive showed no friction or wear reducing effect in any of the fuels, except for in E85.