Our research is aimed at the application of lamellar ceramic solid nanoparticles as surface reconditioning additives to industrial lubricating oils to achieve self-repair and improve lubricity. According to a NERC, lubrication failures are among the top causes of outages and deratings of hydroelectric turbines. This problem represents a tremendous opportunity to improve the reliability and availability of hydroelectric turbines by improving their lubricating technologies. The majority of the environmental toxicity of these lubricating compositions is from the additives, where few alternative options are being explored. Today, the ability to formulate lubricating compositions that are safe for the environment greatly depends on additives. There has been a steadily growing interest toward solid, inorganic nanopowders of natural minerals such as Magnesium Hydro-Silicates(MHS) as antiwear and friction modifying additives in lubricating oils. Such powders can reduce wear and promote the formation of thick (up to 30 microns) tribofilms on the rubbing surfaces with great lubricating properties. Self-regulating mechanism of a film formation, and the ability to compensate for wear, allows for the self-repair effect to be achieved. This research is directed at expanding our understanding of the industrial applications for this technology and not only improve current lubricating compositions, but also note additional effects: such as superlubricity and reconditioning worn surfaces. We evaluated the influence of temperature, pressure, and concentration on friction properties. The optimal concentration of nanoparticles was obtained for steel-on-steel friction pairs. Our additives can be applied toward regular and preventative maintenance in the power generating industries as well as emergency surface treatment after lubrication failure has occured to compensate for wear.
