Novel Lubricant Additives in 2025

A special issue of Lubricants (ISSN 2075-4442).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 1380

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Organometallic Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
Interests: lubricating materials; chemical synthesis; tribological behaviors; action mechanism and application research studies of lubricating additives
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Advanced Lubricating Materials, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
Interests: organic synthesis; lubricating additive; lube oil; grease; nanomaterials; tribological test; tribochemistry; surface and interface chemistry; tribological mechanism; surface characterization; molecular simulation; biomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lubricant additives are used to reduce friction between moving parts, prevent wear and tear, improve oxidation stability, inhibit corrosion and control foaming. Novel lubricant additives are designed to meet the diverse and demanding requirements of modern industrial applications, automotive systems and other pieces of machinery that require effective lubrication.

This Special Issue aims to share the latest researches in lubricant additives, focusing on the innovation of additive molecules, compositions and synthesis methods, as well as their applications in lubricating materials. We welcome research contributions covering a wide variety of topics, including experimental studies, theoretical discussions and practical application cases, etc.

We look forward to receiving your submissions to promote the development and application of novel lubricant additives, contributing to the progress of lubricating technology.

Dr. Hongmei Yang
Prof. Dr. Jiusheng Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Lubricants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • lubricant additive
  • molecular design
  • compound additive
  • synthesis method
  • lubricating applications

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

19 pages, 9858 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Tribological Performance of Melamine Long-Chain Alcohol Esters in High-Temperature Boundary Lubrication
by Jingchun Zhang, Wenjing Hu and Jiusheng Li
Lubricants 2025, 13(3), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants13030114 - 6 Mar 2025
Viewed by 498
Abstract
The requirement to improve energy efficiency is constantly driving the development of high-performance and eco-friendly friction modifiers (FMs). Herein, two innovative sulfur- and phosphorus-free melamine long-chain alcohol esters (Dodec-EG-CC and Dodec-CC) are reported as novel organic friction modifiers (OFMs). Over a wide temperature [...] Read more.
The requirement to improve energy efficiency is constantly driving the development of high-performance and eco-friendly friction modifiers (FMs). Herein, two innovative sulfur- and phosphorus-free melamine long-chain alcohol esters (Dodec-EG-CC and Dodec-CC) are reported as novel organic friction modifiers (OFMs). Over a wide temperature range of 100 °C to 200 °C, the synthesized melamine long-chain alcohol esters, which have exceptional thermal stability, dramatically lessen wear and friction of PAO4 base oil. Dodec-EG-CC particularly reduces friction by up to 50% and wear rate by approximately 92% within this temperature range. Detailed studies of the tribological properties at elevated temperatures demonstrate that the synergistic effect of the melamine structural unit coupled with ester groups significantly enhances adsorption properties of additives on metal surfaces, improving adsorption strength and lubricating film stability. The adsorption of additives on the metal surfaces is further confirmed by surface analysis and adsorption energy calculation, which serve as a key parameter for characterizing the binding strength between molecules and surfaces. These findings demonstrate the potential of the designed triazine-based derivatives, especially Dodec-EG-CC, as OFMs in effectively reducing friction losses in motor vehicle engines. This highlights their significant potential for industrial applications in improving energy efficiency and extending engine lifespan. These in-depth studies not only provide valuable insights for the molecular structure design of OFMs, but also advances the development of sustainable lubrication technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Lubricant Additives in 2025)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 10802 KiB  
Article
Low Brine Shrimp Bio-Toxicity Marine Lubricating Hydraulic Fluid with Ultra-Low Friction Coefficient and Enhanced Frictional Heat Suppression
by Wei Li, Huanyi Chen, Long Chen, Shanqin Ge, Qingzhao Cai, Genxiang Gong, Jinhong Yu, Kazuhito Nishimura, Nan Jiang and Tao Cai
Lubricants 2025, 13(3), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants13030103 - 26 Feb 2025
Viewed by 562
Abstract
Hydraulic technology has been instrumental in the extensive application of offshore mechanical equipment, particularly in drilling platforms and ships, where high-performance hydraulic fluids are essential for safe and efficient operations. Addressing the urgent need for water-based hydraulic fluids as an alternative to traditional [...] Read more.
Hydraulic technology has been instrumental in the extensive application of offshore mechanical equipment, particularly in drilling platforms and ships, where high-performance hydraulic fluids are essential for safe and efficient operations. Addressing the urgent need for water-based hydraulic fluids as an alternative to traditional oil-based fluids, this study introduces a novel water-based hydraulic fluid fortified with phytic acid, derived from plant seeds, to achieve low biotoxicity, low coefficient of friction, and reduced frictional heat generation. The integration of phytic acid has significantly enhanced the lubricating performance, reducing the average coefficient of friction to as low as 0.013, as tested by the four-ball tester, which is the lowest value reported to date. Real-time monitoring of the temperature rise of the friction testing apparatus using an infrared thermal imager revealed a 78.6% reduction in temperature increase. Acute toxicity assays using Brine Shrimp demonstrated that the 96 h LC50 value for the water–glycol flame-resistant hydraulic fluid with added phytic acid exceeded 26,304 mg/L, indicating low toxicity. Characterization analyses elucidated the mechanisms underlying the improved tribological properties, highlighting the potential of this eco-friendly fluid for safe and efficient offshore operations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Lubricant Additives in 2025)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop