Tribological study of novel S–N style 1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thione derivatives in rapeseed oil

Two non-phosphorus and ashless 1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thione derivatives, 5-dodecyldithio-3-phenly-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thione (DPTT) and 5-cetyldithio-3-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thione (DHTT), were synthesized and their tribological behaviors as additives in rapeseed oil (RSO) were evaluated using a four-ball friction and wear tester. Their thermal stabilities and anticorrosive properties were investigated. The results indicate that the additives possess good thermal stabilities, corrosion inhibiting abilities and excellent load-carrying capacities. Moreover, they both have good anti-wear and friction-reducing property at relatively low concentration and under all test loads. The worn surfaces of the steel balls were observed using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is supposed that the synthetic additives adsorb and react with the steel surfaces during the rubbing process and generate a surface protective film composed of sulfate, sulfide, iron oxide and organic nitrogen-containing compounds, which accounts for the better tribological behaviors of the base stock containing the synthetic additives as compared with the base stock alone.