Friction and wear performances of magnesium alloy against steel under lubrication of rapeseed oil with S-containing additive

A S-containing additive, sulfuration modified rapeseed oil (named as SRO), was prepared by chemical modification of rapeseed oil with sulfur compounds. The results indicate that the friction and wear of the magnesium alloy–steel tribomates could be effectively reduced by formulating SRO into rapeseed oil lubricant. The friction coefficients and the wear volumes of magnesium alloy decrease with increasing contents of SRO. The surface lubricated with SRO-doped rapeseed oil was characterized by less wear as compared with that lubricated with neat rapeseed oil. The enhanced anti-wear and friction-reducing abilities of rapeseed oil by SRO in the lubrication of magnesium alloy against steel were ascribed to the formation of a composite boundary lubrication film due to the strong adsorption of SRO and rapeseed oil onto the lubricated surfaces and their tribochemical reactions with magnesium alloy.