Frictional Behavior of a Wet Clutch Using Blends of Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) and Biolubricant (<i>Jatropha</i>Oil) in a Pin-on-Disk Tester

Abstract

Nowadays, biolubricants are being used to replace mineral lubricants totally or partially and it is of great importance due to interest in environmental protection. Jatropha oil is a good alternative as lubricant feedstock and combustible. Its production is cheap in comparison to other vegetable oils. In México, Jatropha curcas L. is widely distributed in more than 15 states, which makes a sustainable supply of this natural resource possible. The aim of this work was to investigate the frictional behavior of blends of automatic transmission fluid with vegetable oil tested in a pin-on-disk rig simulating the wet clutch operation. Two different friction materials were separately tested and used as pins against actual steel disks from a wet clutch. The frictional behavior results demonstrated that the mixtures presented antishudder characteristics. Thus, Jatropha oil could be potentially used as part of automatic transmission fluid (ATF) formulations to enhance their antishudder properties and increase the efficiency of the torque transferred of wet clutches with a controlled lock-up clutch system, which improves the full economy of vehicles.