TITLE:
Rheological Study of Polymers Used as Viscosity Index Improvers for Automotive Lubricant Oils
AUTHORS:
Ana Paula Pena Almeida, Ana Paula Lelis Rodrigues de Oliveira, Cynthia D’Ávila Carvalho Erbetta, Ricardo Geraldo de Sousa, Roberto Fernando de Souza Freitas, Maria Elisa Scarpelli Ribeiro e Silva
KEYWORDS:
Viscosity Index Improvers, Automotive Lubricants, Rheology, Viscosity Index, Polymer Additives
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Modern Physics,
Vol.5 No.12,
July
23,
2014
ABSTRACT: In this
work, a rheological study of automotive lubricant oils, neutral light
paraffinic (NLP) and neutral medium paraffinic (NMP), additivated with two
commercial viscosity index improvers-VIIs, based on hydrogenated poly
(isoprene-co-styrene), at different concentrations, was carried out. The study
included the determination of the kinematic viscosity of the mixtures, the
calculation of the viscosity indexes and their behavior when subjected to
various rheometric experiments, including stress sweep, steady state flow,
creep and recovery, and temperature ramp oscillatory tests. The obtained
results showed the efficacy of the additives as viscosity index improvers, enabling
a significant increase in the viscosity index of the pure oils at relatively
low concentrations. The determination of the storage (G’) and of the loss (G”)
moduli for the mixtures oil/VII additives showed a large predominance of the
viscous effect over the elastic one. Except when under low shear stress, the
mixtures showed a pseudoplastic behavior, with the flow curves being adjusted
to fit the Ostwald-de-Waele model (Power Law), with negative flow behavior
indexes.