The impact of biofuels on engine oil performance

The dilution of biogenic fuels into lubricating engine oils often leads to a shortening of the recommended oil drains (between 30% and 60%) and an increase in wear. 

The large number of overlapping and influencing factors, of which dilution and polymerization of fuel components in the engine oil are emphasised, makes it difficult to find a uniform solution to prevent failures in the various applications.

Insofar single solutions for the different types of biofuels are needed. The contribution of base oil chemistry and additives as well as triboactive materials is featured to deal with the adverse effects of biofuels. In the frame of the European Commission (EC)-funded project ‘cleanengine’, tentative engine oils based on esters with a content of renewables and polyglycols are formulated to increase the lubricant´s tolerance in engines fuelled with biofuel-based blends, with the aim of ensuring required lubricating and wear protection performance while keeping oil drain intervals unchanged.

The present paper focuses on four-stroke diesel applications, fuelled by biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester — FAME) as well as by rapeseed oil and Jatropha oil (pure vegetable oils, triglycerides), together with relevant blends of those biofuels and conventional diesel fuel.

This paper screens the functional profile (in particular rheological, toxicological, bio-compatibility, tribological and biofuels affinity) of lube families with respect to biofuel contamination. Moreover, this is followed by the contributions of piston ring and liner materials as well as thin film coatings.