Role of Lubricating Oil in Tribology

Abstract

Tribology plays an important role in the smooth operation of mechanical systems. Recent years, in the efforts toward SDGs, great expectations are placed on the performance improvement of lubricating oil as an effective means for improving the energy efficiency and reducing the environmental load of mechanical systems. Lubricating oil consists of base oil and additives. The base oil is mainly responsible for viscosity characteristics, and the additives are responsible for interaction characteristics with the friction surface. This paper outlines the role and main composition of lubricating oil from the viewpoint of lubrication mechanism.