Tribological Performance of Additives for Water-Based Lubricants

Fully formulated metalworking fluids have been thoroughly described in literature, but the influence of individual additives on tribological performance of such compositions is still not fully clear. In this study we want to establish the mechanism of how different additives affect tribological properties of the system, and to select the best compounds and concentrations for this purpose. The influence of various individual additives on friction behaviour, anti-wear and anti-corrosion properties of metal working fluids was examined. Additionally, chemical characterisation of the surfaces before and after tribological tests was done. The results show that additives can enhance one property while adversely affecting another. The best results were obtained for triethylamine and 1,4-buthylene glycol, however mixing both additives gives opposite behaviour.