Bismuth nanoparticles synthesized by laser ablation in lubricant oils for tribological tests

The improvement of the tribological properties of mineral base oils through the addition of bismuth nanoparticles as an additive, together with the idea of obtaining lubricants free of heavy metals, was evaluated. Bismuth nanoparticles were produced directly in the heavy and light viscosity mineral base oils (BS900 and BS6500) using the technique of laser ablation of solids immersed in liquids. Transmission electron microscopy measurements showed the presence of pure bismuth nanoparticles. Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) measurements showed that the average size of the nanoparticles was between 7 and 65 nm depending on the experimental conditions used. The tribological properties of the base oil with the bismuth nanoparticles additives were evaluated using a four-ball tester. Tests were performed using the base oil with and without Bi nanoparticles. It was observed that the coefficient of friction of the oil decrease with an increasing concentration of the nanoparticles. The results also showed that the wear rate was reduced when the Bi nanoparticle additives were used.