Surface modification effect of aluminium block on the tribological performance for super olein

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of micro-pits technology to the problem of tribological performance in a sliding motion. Design/methodology/approach Vegetable oil is a sustainable and economically viable alternative to both mineral and synthetic oils, offering significant savings in both the cost of research and manufacturing. To solve the depriving issue and boost lubrication film thickness, the micro-pits on the surface may function as reservoirs that provide the oil to the contact inlet area. In this research, an aluminium block is used as the workpiece material in an evaluation of a through pin-on-disc tribotester. Lubricating oil in the form of super olein (SO) was used in the experiment. Findings The results show that the friction performance during a rubbing process between a hemispherical pin and an aluminium block lubricated with SO using aluminium alloy materials, AA5083, was significantly improved. Originality/value In this study, a material that breaks down called SO, which is derived from the fractionation of palm olein, was used to use a modified aluminium micro-pit sample that will serve as a lubricant reservoir in pin-on-disc tribotester. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-07-2023-0200/