Potential exploration of nano-talc particles for enhancing the anti-wear and extreme pressure performance of oil

A series of nano-oils containing nano-particles (NPs) of talc (≈50 nm size) in varying amounts (0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4 wt%) and dispersant (1%) was developed. Apart from physical properties, they were evaluated for anti-wear (AW) and extreme-pressure (EP) performance on a 4 ball tester since tribo-potential of nano-talc particles are not explored in the literature. The optimum amount for the best performance was around 2–3 wt % and the enhancements in AW and EP performance were 42% and 122%; highest as AWA ever reported for inorganic NPs in the literature. It was due to remarkable softness and film transferring capability of Talc NPs as physical as well as chemical film.