Sustainable lubricants: Optimizing neem seed oil-polyalphaolefin blends with Ti ₃ C ₂ T _x MXene nano additives for enhanced tribological performance

Vegetable oils are a viable sustainable substitute for mineral oils in industrial lubrication owing to their biodegradability and environmental benefits. However, their inadequate tribological properties hinder widespread adoption. This study addresses this challenge by developing and characterizing novel lubricant formulations based on blends of Neem Seed Oil (NSO) and Polyalphaolefin (PAO6), incorporating Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene nanoparticles as an additive through different tribological techniques by considering various characteristics like Coefficient of friction, Wear scar diameter, extreme pressure properties etc. and wear scar morphology. A systematic investigation explored the impact of varying MXene concentrations (0.01–0.20 wt.%) and NSO-PAO6 ratios on tribological performance. Our findings reveal a combined interaction between NSO and PAO6, with a 75:25 NSO-PAO6 blend exhibiting superior base oil properties. Addition of 0.08 wt.% Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene to this optimal blend significantly enhanced its tribological characteristics, demonstrating a 10% improvement in the coefficient of friction (COF) compared to the base oil and achieving performance comparable to ideal mineral oil blends. This optimized bio-lubricant formulation demonstrates the potential of NSO-PAO6-MXene nanoblend for sustainable lubrication in demanding automotive and industrial applications, offering a viable pathway towards replacing environmentally detrimental mineral oil-based lubricants.