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The old paradigm of oil-for-security as the cornerstone of Saudi-US relationship will increasingly become moot when renewables start replacing oil. However, the relationship between the two countries will continue for two main reasons. The first is that the role of oil as the base of security decreases, but it becomes replaced by the fear of Iran, viewed by both Saudi Arabia and the United States as an implacable foe and dangerous hegemon. Second, Saudi Arabia is on its way to start replacing its dependence on crude oil by becoming a world leader in carbon-based value-adding products, like advanced chemicals, allowing it in the near future to reduce its oil production. But Saudi success in transitioning away from oil and the US ability to sell goods to the Kingdom will both depend on open maritime trade routes guaranteed by the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article reports experimental evidence with a theoretical formalism on the enhancement of the dielectric breakdown strength of ferrofluids by inducing magneto-fibrillation with an external magnetic field. The dielectric breakdown strengths of oil based ferrofluids are determined, and it is further shown that the strength enhances due to the presence of a localized magnetic field in the streamer development zones. The improvement in breakdown strength is also supplemented by improvement in the reliability of the liquid dielectrics, which is established by a two parameter Weibull analysis. It is also noted that a horizontal magnetic field is more potent toward improved breakdown strength than an equivalent vertical field. The enhanced scavenging of electrons from the streamer development zones due to localized magnetic fibrillation by the nanoparticles is proposed as the crux mechanism. Microscopy studies are conducted to provide visual evidence of the fibrillation process in the ferrofluids due to the local magnetic field. A theoretical formalism is proposed to predict the ferrohydrodynamics of fibrillation, and this is further used to develop a model to predict the increment in breakdown strengths. The proposed model predictions are noted to agree well with the experimental observations. The study may find strong implications in design and development of high voltage liquid dielectrics with tunable electrical stress bearing caliber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceratum Galeni is an old eponym honoring the name of Galen of Pergamum (129 to cca 216 CE) and a cold cream he described more than 1,800 years ago. We traced this eponym back to the 14th and 16th centuries in published medical texts by Guy de Chauliac (ca 1300-1368) and Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564). We also found a 4th-century reference in a medical work by Oribasius (ca 320-403 CE) to a mixture of wax and oil of roses based on Galen's cold cream formula. We present the images of a 19th-century apothecary white porcelain jar from Paris, France, on which appears the words Cerat Galeni , as well as a 20th-century oil painting by the American artist Robert Thom (1915-1979), which shows Galen administering his cold cream to a woman. Today, the composition of cold cream is formulated differently from Galen's original version, although the basic concept of cold cream as an oil and water emulsion remains the same. The widespread mention of Ceratum Galeni across the centuries and the popularity of cold creams today are striking examples of Galen's enormous influence on medicine as one of its founding fathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tactile sensitivity generally decreases with aging and is associated with impairments in skin properties. Products that hydrate the skin can combat touch deficits and aromatic compounds have been shown to improve skin mechanical properties. Thus, we tested a base cosmetic oil against a perfumed oil, applied to the skin of females aged 40–60 years, on tactile sensitivity and skin properties after repeated application. Tactile detection thresholds were assessed using calibrated monofilaments applied at the index finger, palm, forearm, and cheek. Spatial discrimination on the finger was assessed using pairs of plates with different inter-band spaces. These tests were performed before and after 1 month of base or perfumed oil use. We found that tactile detection thresholds and spatial discrimination improved only in perfumed oil group. A complementary immunohistological study using human skin was conducted to estimate the expression of olfactory receptor OR2A4 and elastic fiber length. Further, the expression of OR2A4 intensity and the length of elastic fibers increased significantly with oil application, where larger effects were seen with the perfumed oil. We conclude that the application of a perfumed oil may be of additional benefit and could repair, and even prevent, tactile decline with aging by ameliorating skin condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This research aims to investigate the effect of adding copper oxide nanoparticles to the oil Gr-6004 base fluid and its concentration changes from 0.1% to 0.4% on the surface roughness of gudgeon pin and the thermal conductivity of the nanofluids during the superfinishing process. The main novelty of this investigation is analyzing the impact of utilizing CuO/oil Gr-6004 nanofluid on thermal conductivity of oil and surface quality of gudgeon pin during superfinishing process. Based on the results, adding nanoparticles to the oil Gr-6004 has significantly reduced the surface roughness. In addition, by increasing the concentration of nanoparticles to 0.4%, the surface roughness has decreased by 57% compared to oil Gr-6004. Also, by adding nanoparticles, the thermal conductivity of the nanofluids has increased to 19.5%. In addition, dispersing CuO nanoparticles into base fluid reduces oil temperature by 17.44%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of research is the process of improving the tribological characteristics of friction joints, in particular anti-wear and anti-burr properties. There is a practice of using serpentines, so-called “friction geomodifiers” (FGM), as special repair and restoration additives. Their use leads to a decrease in the coefficient of friction and temperatures in the contact zone; an increase in the mass of parts is observed, which indicates the restoration of worn surfaces. The mechanism of formation of new structures is still unclear. There are hypotheses that severe friction conditions initiate micrometallurgical processes at the atomic-crystalline level, as a result of which modified layers with unique tribological characteristics are formed on the surfaces. A comparative analysis of the main indicators of serpentines of the Dashukivka deposit in terms of chemical composition and structure showed their correspondence to widely known analogs but they were never used in such a capacity. According to the results of the tests, the additives have shown their effectiveness as geomodifiers of friction. Addition of 4 % serpentine to the lubricating composition based on I-20 A oil reduced the wear rate by 2–3 times, the friction moment by 15 %, compared to I-20 A without additives. An increase in surface microhardness was observed, from 6 GPa for the basic variant to 10 GPa, for the variant with FGM additives. It has been established that the use is most effective for heavily loaded friction pairs (ship fittings, hatch closures, etc.) as it increases the clamping load (from 600 to 1400 N for a pair of steel 45/ShKh15); with increasing load, the coefficient of friction and the rate of wear decrease. The results confirm the need to expand research into this area to solve the complex problem of increasing the reliability of tribojunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Si 3 N 4 hybrid bearings are considered the most promising motor bearings due to their characteristics of electrical insulation, high speed, low friction coefficient, and wear resistance, which can better meet the requirements of driving motors of electric vehicles. However, the tribological mechanism between the ceramic-grease-steel complex interface is unclear. Three kinds of greases, namely lithium, polyurea, and calcium sulfonate complex grease, were synthesized from poly alpha olefin 40 as base oil. The effects of grease thickener morphology on the tribological properties of Si 3 N 4 /GCr15 contact surfaces at different slip speeds were investigated, and the vibration and friction torque performances in 6204 hybrid ceramic balls were evaluated. The results showed that the thickener could form physical deposition film and friction film to protect the worn surface at low speed. The friction and wear conditions were significantly improved at high speed under lithium grease and polyurea grease lubrication, being a mixed lubrication state. In presence of lithium grease, the tribological performance of the Si 3 N 4 /GCr15 interface and the vibration performance, impacted condition, starting torque, and friction torque of the hybrid ceramic ball bearings were all the best. Because lithium grease is subjected to continuous shear of the ceramic ball, which releases the base oil stably, and forms a thick oil film with the broken thickener in the center of the raceway, the bearing is in a mild lubrication state. Therefore, for Si 3 N 4 hybrid ceramic ball bearings, lithium grease is a lubricant with good application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lubricating greases are an important class of lubricants to reduce wear and friction in moving components. SP [ sp [[1]] SP ] sp Greases consist of a thickener network which includes base oil and additives of typically low molecular weight. As expected, signals from base oil molecules, thickeners and the alkyl chains of additives were clearly detected in the SP 1 sp H-NMR spectra at 80 MHz. This reveals that additives have a strong influence on the interaction of base oil and thickener and might also affect the thickener and its structure. [Extracted from the article]

This paper aims to examine the relationship between oil prices and the indices of renewable energy and technology companies using Quantile Regression (QR.), Quantile-on-Quantile Regression (QQR), and Granger-Causality in Quantiles (GCQ) techniques. The results show strong evidence of an asymmetric effect at the sum of oil prices and technology companies' index on clean energy, indicating that the relationship is vital when these variables decrease than increase. The main finding of the QQR method demonstrates that the impact of oil prices and the technology stock index on clean energy is higher at the upper quantile than the lower quantile. We also establish bi-directional GCQ indicating the considerable change in oil price led to a change in renewable energy; besides, the outcome of the change in renewable energy does not support the causal link to the variation in oil prices across lower extreme quantile at 1%. Finally, our findings support the bi-directional causality from the tech companies market to the conventional and unconventional energy markets. Results identify the substantial role of renewable energy, with implications for global policy, decision-makers, and fund managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acne vulgaris is a very common skin problem. Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes), a common skin organism, is most notably recognized for its role in acne vulgaris. Standard oral and topical treatments have significant side effects including skin irritation, indigestion, and also, cause resistance to antibiotics. In current study, o/w creams based on ostrich and sesame fixed oils containing Mentha piperita, Origanum vulgare and Lavandula officinallis essential oils as active ingredients were developed. The results showed that using Cetomacrogol 1000/Cetostearyl alcohol (CSA) as emulsifier/co-emulsifier could produce stable o/w creams containing 10-30 % w/w of fixed oils with various consistencies. Longterm (room temperature/24 months), accelerated (40 °C/ three months), thermocycling (-10 °C for 24h/40 °C for 24 hr) and centrifuge test (3000 rpm, 30 min at 50 °C) studies all showed the very high physical stability of the formulations. The rheological studies showed the shear-thinning thixotropic behavior of creams and Ostwald equation as the best model describing behavior of the creams. Texture analysis showed the significant effects of ingredients on creams hardness and adhesiveness having a reasonable correlation to spreadability test results. The results showed that aqueous and oil soluble thickening agents had the highest effect on rheological and texture parameters. Finally, the optimum cream was standardized using gas chromatography equipped to mass detector (GC-MS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amongst the three fundamental components of a skin-care cosmetic emulsion, namely, oil, water, and emulsifiers (mainly surfactants), naturally derived alternatives to synthetic surfactants are yet to be utilized to their fullest potential, owing to their satisfactory properties like critical micelle concentration, hydrophilic-lipophilic balance, and critical packing parameter. Currently, there are no significant efforts towards green emulsions involving one or more biosurfactants, while significant combinations in varying proportions of their chemical contemporaries exist in the literature. The present study focuses on formulating a stable nanoemulsion system using a cocktail of a plant-derived surfactant (Quillaja saponin) and a microbial-derived surfactant (surfactin), using coconut oil as a base oil. With a limited understanding of the behavior of mixed biosurfactant systems and their underlying interactions, most essentially the interactions between different hydrophilic moieties such as a cyclic peptide group of surfactin and oligosaccharides of Q. saponin, the primary focus of this study is to tune up the composition of biosurfactants that results in a stable nanoemulsion. A high-energy ultrasonication method is employed to formulate the emulsion, and hierarchical-based screening of various combinations has led us toward an optimal combination of composition and operating conditions. Six samples have been identified as better among the 20-sample set, and their stability has been tested for 45 days. However, based on the optimal energy consumption and oil-to-surfactant ratio, sample 6 of cluster 5 have been identified to be the best amongst the samples, with a mean droplet size of 173 nm, polydispersity index of 0.195 along with a zeta potential of –65 mV. Stability analyses involving heat, salt, pH, and centrifugation tests have proved the stability of the best-performing sample. This study can be a precursor to future formulation using mixed micellar systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the formation, endurance and rupture of tribofilms on a honed engine liner subjected to boundary lubrication in a reciprocating Tribometer. Study focuses on the exploration of synergistic effect between ZDDP additive in the oil and two distinctly shaped nanoparticles, Graphene oxide (GO) and detonation nanodiamond (DND), in improving the characteristics of tribofilm. Tested samples were examined by scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray. The results indicated that the addition of nanoparticles to the base oil with ZDDP accelerates the tribofilm-formation. Although fully developed tribofilms were obtained with both the nanoadditives, the DND based tribofilm was more durable under the dry running conditions. However, P-rich tribofilm formed in the presence of GO showed self-mending characteristics. Nanoindentation studies on the wear tack revealed a 12% increase in elastic modulus and 23% increase in average hardness for the sample tested with DND compared to that of base lubricant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider marine controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) data and demonstrate that a typical CSEM survey is associated with significant data redundancy. Thus, it should be possible to obtain a high-quality inversion result by using only a subset of the original data. Moreover, in survey design, effort should be made to optimize the placement of the receivers. This study therefore investigates the challenges of data decimation and survey design in the case of repeated surveys by use of the data resolution matrix and model resolution matrix. A framework of analysis has been developed to efficiently use these quantities. The feasibility of the proposed approach is demonstrated using both synthetic data computed from an interpreted model of the Wisting oil field in the Barents Sea, as well as actual field data from the same oil field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Okara is the main waste of soy processing and represents a large economic and environmental burden. Nevertheless, the fibre and protein content of okara supports the upcycling of this critical waste. This study aimed at assessing the potentialities of okara as an innovative oil‐structuring ingredient. RESULTS: Structured emulsions containing up to 520 g oil kg−1 and having oil holding capacity higher than 75% were prepared by high‐shear mixing of okara with liquid oil. Microstructural analysis showed that the oil phase was evenly distributed in the okara matrix, probably due to the emulsification ability of the okara fibre–protein network. The performance of okara structured emulsions as palm margarine replacer were tested in the preparation of sweet bread. Okara emulsions (500 g oil kg−1) resulted not only in a significant reduction of saturated fatty acids (>50%), but also in an increased protein and fibre content. Compared to the use of liquid oil solely, okara emulsions allowed reducing the oil released from bread loaf. Bread containing okara emulsion also presented physical and sensory properties similar to those of palm margarine bread, the only exception being a more perceivable oiliness and rancid defect, which are, however, easily preventable by applying appropriate formulation strategies. CONCLUSION: The use of okara as innovative ingredient for oil structuring would answer the current demand for sustainable heathy diets, based on clean‐label foods with low‐saturated fat content, and increased protein and fibre supply. This approach would also allow the complete upcycling of this critical waste. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to prepare ZnFe2O4 nanospheres, sheet MoS2 and three ZnFe2O4@MoS2 core-shell composites with various shell thicknesses, and add them to the base oil for friction and wear tests to simulate the wear conditions of hybrid bearings. Design/methodology/approach: Through the characterization and analysis of the morphology of wear scars and the elemental composition of friction films, the tribological behavior and wear mechanism of sample materials as lubricant additives were investigated and the effects of shell thickness and sample concentration on the tribological properties of core–shell composite lubricant additives were discussed. Findings: The findings demonstrate that each of the five sample materials can, to varying degrees, enhance the lubricating qualities of the base oil and that the core–shell nanocomposite sample lubricant additive has superior lubricating properties to those of ZnFe2O4 and MoS2 alone, among them ZnFe2O4@MoS2-2 core–shell composites with moderate shell thickness performed most ideally. In addition, the optimal concentration of the ZnFe2O4@MoS2 lubricant additive was 0.5 Wt.%, and a concentration that was too high led to particle deposition and affected the friction effect. Originality/value: In this work, ZnFe2O4@MoS2 core–shell composites were synthesized for the first time using ZnFe2O4 as the carrier and the lubrication mechanism of core–shell composites and single materials were compared and studied, which illustrated the advantages of core–shell composite lubricant additives. At the same time, the influence of different shell thicknesses on the lubricant additives of core–shell composites was studied. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-12-2022-0367/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the behavior of vegetable oil with two additives. Base oil's tribological qualities can be improved with the help of several additions. In the present investigation, soybean oil is served as the foundational oil due to its eco-friendliness and status as a vegetable oil with two additives, named polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). Design/methodology/approach: As additives, PTFE and MoS2 are used; PTFE is renowned for its anti-friction (AF) properties, while MoS2 is a solid lubricant with anti-wear (AW) properties. This investigation examines the synergistic impact of AF and AW additions in vegetable oil. The lubricity of the base oil is measured by using a four-ball tester, and the wear properties of the oil at different additive amounts are determined by using a universal tribometer. Findings: PTFE (at 5 Wt.%) and MoS2 (at 1 Wt.%) were found to improve the tribological performance of the base oil. The weld load is significantly increased when 5 Wt.% of PTFE + MoS2 is added to the base oil. Originality/value: A better tribological characteristic can be achieved by combining additives that amount to less than 1% of the base oil. In experiments with highly concentrated MoS2, the adequate pressure improved dramatically, but the lubricant's tribological characteristics did not. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-11-2022-0321/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Studies on this topic have shown the remarkable lubricating properties, viz. friction-reducing and anti-wear, of certain nanoparticles. This makes them potential candidates for replacing the lubrication additives currently used in automobile lubricants, especially because the latter is known to be pollutants and less efficient in some specific conditions. This has not gone unnoticed to professionals in the sector, including those commercializing these additives, the oil companies and the car industry, all of whom are following this burgeoning research area with keen interest. All of them are faced with the problem of providing lubricants that meet the needs of the technological evolution of engines while respecting ever-stricter environmental norms. Design/methodology/approach: The impact of copper oxide (CuO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on the tribological properties of the SAE-40 pure diesel oil is studied in this paper. The two nanoparticles are not oxide or deteriorate with the base oil. The average size of CuO and ZnO nanoparticles is 40 and 20 nm, respectively. Nanoparticle concentrations of 0.1 Wt.%, 0.2 Wt.%, 0.3 Wt.%, 0.4 Wt.% and 0.5 Wt.% are tested using a pin-on-disk tribometer to evaluate their impact on friction and wear. The test is carried out at different loads and rotating speeds of 58.86 N and 300 rpm, 39.24 N and 500 rpm and 78.48 N and 900 rpm at room temperature, respectively. Findings: The obtained results of the nanolubricants are compared with those of pure diesel oil in terms of % improvement in tribological properties. However, it is observed that an increase in the nanoparticle concentrations does not guarantee to enhance the tribological properties. Similarly, increasing the applied load and the rotating speed does not lead to improving the anti-friction and anti-wear properties. The results obtained revealed that the optimal improvements in the anti-friction and anti-wear properties of the pure oil are 69% and 77% when CuO nanoparticle concentrations of 0.3 Wt.% and the ZnO nanoparticle concentrations of 0.1 Wt.% are used, where the applied load and rotating speed are 39.24 N and 500 rpm, respectively. It has also been noticed that the CuO nanolubricants have a significant impact on the anti-friction property compared with ZnO nanolubricants. Originality/value: All these nanoparticles have been the subject of detailed investigation in this research and many key issues have been tackled, such as the conditions leading to these properties, the lubrication mechanisms coming into play, the influence of parameters such as size, structure and morphology of the nanoparticles on their tribological properties/lubrication mechanisms and the interactions between the particles and the lubricant co-additives. To answer such questions, state-of-the-art characterization techniques are required, often in situ, and sometimes an extremely complex set up. Some of these can even visualize the behavior of a nanoparticle in real time during a tribological test. The research on this topic has given a good understanding of the way these nanoparticles behave, and we can now identify the key parameters to be adjusted when optimizing their lubrication properties. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-08-2022-0234/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoadditive with multifunctional properties holds commercial importance in the lubricant industry. Herein, GO‐N‐PPDA was synthesised as nanoadditive by functionalizing graphene oxide (GO) using N‐phenyl‐p‐phenylenediamine and characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analysis. The antioxidant behaviour of GO‐N‐PPDA was analysed by 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picryl‐hydrazyl‐hydrate. The nanoparticles dispersed mineral base oil (N‐250) in 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6% (w/v) concentrations were evaluated for tribological, rheological and thermophysical analysis by ASTM methods. The flow behaviour of the nanolubricant shows shear thickening behaviour with an increase in shear rate. In contrast, tribological results indicate a significant reduction in wear scar diameter and coefficient of friction to the base oil. Furthermore, GO‐N‐PPDA shows improved thermophysical properties compared with the mineral base oil. Thus, GO‐N‐PPDA shows multifunctional behaviour in terms of viscosity index, pour point, antioxidant activity, rheology and tribological properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the agglomeration of graphene and improve the synergistic friction‐reducing and anti‐wear action of graphene loading copper, one‐step preparation of reduced graphene oxide/copper(RGO/Cu) nanoparticles by freeze‐drying method was used, the influence of process parameters on particles size of RGO/Cu is studied by orthogonal experiments. The microstructures of RGO/Cu nanoparticles are characterized by SEM and AFM, and the tribological properties of RGO/Cu nanoparticles are studied on a tribometer. The results show that the purity of RGO/Cu nanoparticles prepared by freeze‐drying was higher, and the copper nanoparticles 100–200 nm are uniformly attached to the graphene surface. It was found that RGO/Cu nanoparticles have better friction reduction and anti‐wear properties than graphene mono‐agent as lubricant additive. The synergistic anti‐friction and anti‐wear performance are better at the addition of 0.10 wt% for RGO/Cu nanoparticles. Compared with the base oil, the friction coefficient decreases by 23.1%, and the width of wear scar decreases by 62.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classification and evaluation of reservoirs conforming to geological characteristics are the proposed premises of the high‐quality development of unconsolidated sandstone heavy oil reservoirs. The P oilfield in Bohai Bay is one of the largest offshore oilfields in China, but the reservoirs are highly heterogeneous, have complex pore structures, and change fluid properties, which make the classification of reservoirs very difficult. At present, the most commonly used reservoir classification methods are based on the results of logging interpretation, which cannot eliminate the constraints of linear relationships such as empirical formulas. Machine learning has significant advantages for identifying reservoir classification problems that are complex and nonlinear with geological characteristics. First, this study fully considered the pore structure and fluid properties and selected four representative evaluation parameters. An improved K‐means method was used to establish a reservoir classification evaluation system. Characteristics, such as the sedimentary microfacies, pore structure and oilfield production performance, of different types of reservoirs were then analysed. Finally, six logging curves were selected as input results, reservoir classification was used as an output result, and XGBoost was used to carry out reservoir classification evaluation for the entire area. The accuracy of XGBoost was 85.35%. Furthermore, XGBoost was compared with three other machine learning methods to confirm its reliability. The results showed that the reservoirs in the study area can be divided into three types. Sandstone thickness and pore structure were the most important parameters that affected reservoir quality. Among various machine learning algorithms, XGBoost can accurately and quickly achieve a quantitative evaluation of reservoir quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooling performance and energy conservation are important requirements in modern industries and machines. However, low thermal conductivity is the main limitation in developing energy-efficient heat-transfer fluids for cooling purposes. In this study, nanolubricants with alumina nanoparticles dispersed in a base oil for rotary machines were investigated for improved thermal and tribological performances. Initially, to improve the dispersibility of the nanoparticles in the base oil, the nanoparticles were surface functionalized via a (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) coating, and the corresponding material and thermophysical properties were analyzed. Subsequently, the reliability of the nanolubricant for long-term operation was investigated by applying it to a small platform and performing a rolling contact fatigue (RCF) test that simulates the actual operating environment. The results show that the thermal conductivity improved with an increase in the particle concentration by up to 5.78% at 2 vol.% particle fraction as compared to that of the conventional lubricant (base oil). Furthermore, an RCF test of the nanolubricant performed in a real environment showed that the roller bearing life improved by approximately 3.23 times, owing to a ~ 5.88% reduction in lubricant temperature, modified frictional characteristics from polishing, and nanofin effects of the nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzymatic interesterification (EIE) of beef tallow (BT) blended with soybean oil (SO), peanut oil (PO) and canola oil (CO) in different proportions were analyzed in terms of the fatty acid compositions, thermal properties (melting and crystallization behaviors), rheological properties, hardness, crystal, and microstructure to achieve their sufficient utilization. The content of saturated fatty acids in all interesterified oils (IOs) decreased gradually with the increase of plant oil content in base stock. The higher the proportion of plant oil in the base stock, the lower the enthalpy of IOs. All IOs were in the solid-like state, and the hardness of all IOs met the requirements of traditional plastic oil. All IOs were mainly in α and β′ crystal forms and can be used as basic stock for special oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess and predict the food safety risk of benzopyrene (BaP) in edible oils in China, this study collected national sampling data of edible oils from 20 Chinese provinces and their prefectures in 2019, and constructed a risk assessment model of BaP in edible oils with consumption data. Initially, the k-means algorithm was used for risk classification; then the data were pre-processed and trained to predict the data using the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) models, respectively, and finally, the two models were combined using the inverse error method. To test the effectiveness of the prediction model, this study experimentally validated the model according to five evaluation metrics: root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), precision, recall, and F1 score. The variable-weight combined LSTM-XGBoost prediction model proposed in this paper achieved a precision of 94.62%, and the F1 score value reached 95.16%, which is significantly better than other neural network models; the results demonstrate that the prediction model has certain stability and feasibility. Overall, the combined model used in this study not only improves the accuracy but also enhances the practicality, real-time capabilities, and expandability of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been used effectively in many applications for reducing problems related to friction and wear. In this work, the potential of ILs as an anti-wear and extreme pressure lubricant additive for high load-carrying gearbox applications such as helicopter transmissions has been studied. Two halide-free ILs: P 8881 (BuO) 2 PO 2 − (1) and P 8881 (MeO) 2 PO 2 − (2), which are blended at 5 wt% each into a standard non-additivated FVA2 base oil (BO) are examined. Their solid—liquid interface, friction and load-carrying capacity, and wear (scuffing) behavior are studied on the nano-, lab-, and component-scale, respectively, at a different range of temperature and loading conditions by using the atomic force microscopy (AFM), Schwing—Reib—Verschleiß (SRV) friction tests, and Brugger tests, as well as forschungsstelle für zahnräder und getriebebau (FZG) back-to-back gear test rig. The AFM analysis shows nearly no change of adhesion over the full range of studied temperature for the IL blends compared to the BO. Similarly, IL blends demonstrate a very stable coefficient of friction (COF) of around 0.16, which even decreases with increasing test temperatures ranging from 40 to 120 °C. A clear reduction in COF up to 25% is achieved by adding only 5 wt% of the investigated ILs in the BO, and the Brugger tests also show a pronounced enhancement of load-carrying capacity. Finally, on the component-scale, a significant improvement in gear scuffing performance has been observed for both used IL blends. A detailed characterization of the wear tracks from the SRV friction tests via the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the formation of a phosphate (P—O)-based amorphous tribo-chemical layer of about 20 nm thickness. Therefore, this work may present an approach for ILs to be used as an additive in conventional lubricants due to their ability to enhance the lubrication properties, making them an alternative lubricant solution for high load-carrying gearbox applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the frictional response of a functional surface interface has been a significant research concern. During the last couple of decades, lubricant oils have been enriched with several additives to obtain formulations that can meet the requirements of different lubricating regimes from boundary to full-film hydrodynamic lubrication. The possibility to improve the tribological performance of lubricating oils using various types of nanoparticles has been investigated. In this study, we proposed a data-driven approach that utilizes machine learning (ML) techniques to optimize the composition of a hybrid oil by adding ceramic and carbon-based nanoparticles in varying concentrations to the base oil. Supervised-learning-based regression methods including support vector machines, random forest trees, and artificial neural network (ANN) models are developed to capture the inherent non-linear behavior of the nano lubricants. The ANN hyperparameters were fine-tuned with Bayesian optimization. The regression performance is evaluated with multiple assessment metrics such as the root mean square error (RMSE), mean squared error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and coefficient of determination (R2). The ANN showed the best prediction performance among all ML models, with 2.22 × 10−3 RMSE, 4.92 × 10−6 MSE, 2.1 × 10−3 MAE, and 0.99 R2. The computational models' performance curves for the different nanoparticles and how the composition affects the interface were investigated. The results show that the composition of the optimized hybrid oil was highly dependent on the lubrication regime and that the coefficient of friction was significantly reduced when optimal concentrations of ceramic and carbon-based nanoparticles are added to the base oil. The proposed research work has potential applications in designing hybrid nano lubricants to achieve optimized tribological performance in changing lubrication regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's fast, globalised world, lubrication has become essential in enhancing engine efficiency, including in the marine sector. While the number of fishing vessels increased, so did the environmental pollution issues, due to inefficient engines. An outboard engine oil's tribological, oxidation and thermal conductivity behaviour play a crucial role in improving the quality of an outboard engine's life. In this research, Ti3C2Tx MXene nanoparticles with different interlayer spacing were synthesised via an advanced microwave–hydrothermal approach. Later, the nanoparticles were dispersed in TC-W outboard engine oil to formulate the Ti3C2Tx MXene nanolubricant with different concentrations. The results show that nanolubricant with a 0.01 wt.% Ti3C2Tx MXene concentration with higher interlayer spacing reduced the coefficient of friction, and the average wear scar diameter by 14.5% and 6.3%, respectively, compared to the base oil. Furthermore, the nanolubricant with a 0.01 wt.% concentration of the Ti3C2Tx MXene nanoparticle showed an improvement of 54.8% in oxidation induction time compared to the base oil. In addition, MXene nanolubricant established a more than 50% improvement in thermal conductivity compared to the base oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the experimental results of the effects on base oils after thermal and electrical aging to determine key parameters of next-generation fluids for thermal management in electric vehicles. The test fluids selected were a mineral base oil API G-III, an API G-IV Polyalphaolefin (PAO), a diester, and a polyolester, all of which had similar kinematic viscosity (KV100 = 4 cSt). All were initially characterized with measurements of density, viscosity, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, breakdown voltage, resistivity, and dissipation factor. They underwent two separate aging processes, one thermal, heating the test fluid at 150 °C for 120 h with a copper strip as a catalyst; and the second one an electrical aging process, with the application of 1000 breakdown voltage discharges. The same properties were measured again after each aging process and compared to the initial ones. It was found that the thermal properties ranged with similar values and did not suffer major changes after the aging processes, unlike electrical properties, which vary between samples and after thermal and electrical stress. The insights gained from this study have implications for both the development of next-generation e-thermal fluids and the future standardization of these fluids for EV thermal management applications. The findings of this study underscore the significance of formulating and selecting a suitable dielectric fluid for EV thermal management. By leveraging the insights provided, researchers and engineers can advance in the development of efficient and reliable e-thermal fluids while working towards future standardization to enhance the performance and safety of EV battery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Shipin Kexue/ Food Science is the property of Food Science Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Olive cultivars present unique chemical properties due to the different ripening conditions and the dielectric factor of the extracted extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is one of the most acceptable parameters for their evaluation. This study aims at discriminating olive oil samples using their chemical and dielectric properties. Three cultivars of olives: Oily, Yellow and Fishemi, at three ripening stages of unripe, semi-ripe and ripe, harvested using two different machines were tested. The quality characteristics of olive oil include the value of acidity, peroxide, sterol compounds, fatty acid composition and total phenol of the extracted olive oil were measured. The EVOO's dielectric parameters were measured using a laboratory developed low-frequency device. The measures were done in the range from 0.1 to 10 MHz. The obtained parameters consisted of gain and phase shift voltages that were analyzed by principal component analysis, linear discriminant analysis, decision trees, support vector machine and artificial neural network. Out-of sample validation indicated the artificial neural network had the best performance with correlation coefficient of 0.9479, mean absolute error of 4.762 and root mean square error of 6.6652.The results revealed that the sensor measure followed by a machine learning approach have potential for the industrial application for discriminating the EVOO on the basis of the cultivar and ripening stage of the processed olive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent carbon neutrality policies have led to active research in the agricultural tractor sector to replace internal combustion engines, making it imperative to minimize power losses to improve efficiency. Dual-clutch transmissions (DCTs) have been employed in agricultural tractors primarily due to their short shift time and smooth shift feel. However, DCTs have a relatively large number of components and complex structures owing to spatial constraints, making it challenging to predict power losses. Therefore, to predict DCT power losses, this study defined oil churning by considering the structural characteristics and oil circulation and comparing and analyzing the theoretical calculation and test results of power losses at different oil levels. Power loss was calculated based on ISO standards and fluid viscosity theory, and tests were performed to verify. We calculated power losses based on the defined oil churning of a DCT in agricultural tractors and confirmed that their consistency in test results improved when reflecting the lubrication state, considering the structural features and oil circulation. In addition, the factors contributing to power loss under low- and high-speed conditions were analyzed by calculating the power loss for each component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to map population of common juniper (Juniperus communis L.) in the territory of Slovak Republic. Common juniper is not protected by Slovakian law or the authorities; therefore, there is no law to preserve these plant populations. Biotopes of common juniper consist of light- to heavy-density trees and shrubs. The expansion of its habitat is also connected to human involvement. The loss of juniper naturally in observed plants is caused by a change in land use, loss of feeding pastures for cattle and sheep, and eutrophication of the environment. The current study was focused on monitoring the population of this plant species in the years of 2018–2020, the isolation of essential oils, and the identification of qualitative and quantitative characteristics. It was confirmed that juniper berries usually contain from 0.5 ± 0.05 to 1.8 ± 0.06%, usually 1.2 ± 0.16%, volatile oil depending on geography, altitude, ripeness, and other factors. Volatile oil is made up mostly of monoterpenes, mainly α-pinene (from 37.60 ± 2.23 to 61.00 ± 0.60%), β-myrcene (from 8.03 ± 2.02 to 10.56 ± 0.05%), and sabinene (from 3.50 ± 0.30 to 22.0 ± 0.96%). The dendrogram was constructed after a hierarchical cluster analysis based on the essential oil substances, which showed four different confirmed chemotypes. The essential oil is widely used in medicines, perfumes, insect repellents, insecticides, shoe polish, and in microscopy as a clearing agent of an immersion oil. The quality and chemotypes of juniper berries are very important for the Slovak national beverage "Borovicka" and the distillery industry on a whole in this country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Mechanical Engineering is the property of Editorial Board of China Mechanical Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The quality of food, considering increasing consumer demands and competition among producers, is a highly important issue. Quality concerns are also applicable to the odor quality of herbs and spices (HSs). Meanwhile, HSs commonly are graded based on their essential oils (EOs) content and analysis; but does the instrumental analysis really provide general information about the HSs sensory quality? Three chemotypes of Mentha spp. were used in the present study. From samples diversified by convective drying at different temperatures, EOs were hydrodistillated and analyzed by enantioselective GC-MS; moreover, the source plant material's volatile profile was analyzed by the HS-SPME technique. The instrumental analysis was confronted with the results of the sensory panel. Changes in enantiomeric composition were observed during the drying process, although no clear correlations or trends could be found for individual chiral components. Furthermore, even with significant differences in particular volatiles' contribution to plants' EOs and their volatile profiles, judges were not able to match the sample EOs and plant samples with sufficient effectiveness (~40%). Based on those results, we suggest that volatile enantiomeric distribution does not have an actual influence on odor quality and that the sensory analysis should not be replaced with instrumental analysis, which cannot predict general sensory quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of applying external electric fields on the coefficient of friction of a selected elastomer during mechanical interaction with steel and copper surface oil (counter samples) immersed in a pin-on-disc setup were studied and investigated. The synthetic base oils used were PAG 68 and PAO 6. The elastomer selected for the study is commonly used in the manufacture of rotary lip seals. During the investigations, the viscosity of the oils tested was also experimentally determined in the temperature range of between 286 K and 393 K. It was found that the external electric field had a significant effect on the friction coefficient, depending on the type of base oil, the angular velocity of the load force, and the counterpart. It was observed that for both oils tested, the coefficient of friction values decreased by about 30% when an external DC electric field was applied. In addition, a simple numerical model of the friction interface was proposed and studied. The experimental results were complemented by molecular simulations to determine the interaction between the lubricant molecule and the metal surface. Furthermore, molecular models of the metal surface and lubricant molecules were simulated using ReaxFF and COMPASS force fields to determine adsorption energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaginal candidiasis (VC) is an emerging global hardly treated health issue affecting millions of women worldwide. In this study, the nanoemulsion consisting of clotrimazole (CLT), rapeseed oil, Pluronic F-68, Span 80, PEG 200, and lactic acid was prepared using high-speed and high-pressure homogenization. Yielded formulations were characterized by an average droplet size of 52–56 nm, homogenous size distribution by volume, and a polydispersity index (PDI) < 0.2. The osmolality of nanoemulsions (NEs) fulfilled the recommendations of the WHO advisory note. NEs were stable throughout 28 weeks of storage. The stationary and dynamic (USP apparatus IV) pilot study of the changes of free CLT over time for NEs, as well as market cream and CLT suspension as references, were conducted. Test results of the changes in the amount of free CLT released from the encapsulated form were not coherent; in the stationary method, NEs yielded up to 27% of the released CLT dose within 5 h, while in the USP apparatus IV method, NEs released up to 10% of the CLT dose. NEs are promising carriers for vaginal drug delivery in the treatment of VC; however, further development of the final dosage form and harmonized release or dissolution testing protocols are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the analgesic ingredients and mechanism of Cinnamomum camphora essential oil (CCEO). The constituents in CCEO were characterized qualitatively by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Targets related to active ingredients were collected by PubChem and Swiss Target Prediction. Targets related to pain were screened by TTD and OMIM database, and compound-target network was established by Cytoscape software. Gene ontology (GO) function and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of targets were carried out by DAVID database. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established and analyzed by STRING database. Molecular docking method was used to verify the interaction between main components and relevant core targets. A total of 13 compounds were identified in CCEO, and 58 related targets were predicted. GO function enrichment analysis revealed that the selected targets were mainly involved in biological processes such as chemical synaptic transmission and molecular function such as neurotransmitter receptor activity; 24 signal pathways were screened by KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, including neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, retrograde endocannabinoid signaling and calcium signaling pathway. Docking results showed that the main constituents had certain affinities with the key targets. The active ingredients in CCEO regulated multiple signaling pathways to ameliorate pain through AR, ACHE, ESR1, GABRG2, PTGS2 and PPAR? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to enhance the characteristics of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs). Because these NPs stick together easily and are difficult to distribute evenly, they cannot be used extensively in lubricating oils. Altering TiO2 was recommended as an alternate way for making NPs simpler to disperse. Design/methodology/approach: Through dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBDP)-assisted ball mill diagnostics and modeling of molecular dynamics, TiO2@PEG-400 NPs were produced using the DBDP-assisted ball mill. The NPs' microstructure was examined using FESEM, TEM, XRD, FT-IR and TG-DSC. Using the CFT-1 reciprocating friction tester, the tribological properties of TiO2@PEG-400 NPs as base oil additives were studied. EDS and XPS were used to examine the surface wear of the friction pair. Findings: Tribological properties of the modified NPs are vastly superior to those of the original NPs, and the lipophilicity value of TiO2 NPs was improved by 200%. It was determined through tribological testing that TiO2@PEG-400's exceptional performance might be attributable to a chemical reaction film made up of TiO2, Fe2O3, iron oxide and other organic chemicals. Originality/value: This work describes an approach for preventing the aggregation of TiO2 NPs by coating their surface with PEG-400. In addition, the prepared NPs can enhance the tribological performance of lubricating oil. This low-cost, high-performance lubricant additive has tremendous promise for usage in marine engines to minimize operating costs while preserving navigational safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil-based drilling fluids have low gel strengths and pipe sticking by the settled drilled cuttings is easy to be encountered. A polyether fatty acid gelling agent LQZ has been developed to deal with this problem. The molecular structure, thermal stability, gelling property and emulsion stability of the synthesized LQZ were analyzed using IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric curve, gel strength measurement and emulsion stability test. The effects of the base oil for formulating the mud, oil/water ratio, density and temperature on the gelling performance of the LQZ were investigated. It was found that in the LQZ molecules there are polar groups such as hydroxyl, amide and ether bond which can form network structures. The network structures render the LQZ a fast weak gelling characteristics. At 300 ℃, the LQZ has no obvious thermal decomposition. The LQZ is beneficial to the emulsion stability of the oil-based muds at a concentration of less than 0.85%. The LQZ can be used in various nonaqueous drilling fluids formulated with white oil, diesel oil or synthetic fluids, with white oil-based drilling fluids being the best environment for the LQZ. LQZ in an oilbased mud with oil/water ratio of 8∶2 and density of 2.1 g/cm³ has the optimum gelling capacity at 190 ℃, the yield point, the low shear rate，φ6 and φ3 reading and the gel strengths are all doubled. Compared with the similar products produced abroad, LQZ has the advantages of increasing gel strengths of a mud, without simultaneously increasing the plastic viscosity of the mud. In field operation, 1% LQZ in a white oil-based drilling fluid and in a diesel oil-based drilling fluid increased the gel strengths of the muds by more than twice, and the plastic viscosity was only slightly increased. The LQZ can be used to improve the suspending capacity of an oil-based drilling fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bearing is the property of Bearing Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Shale oil reservoirs differ from conventional reservoirs in several aspects, including the sedimentary model, accumulation mechanism, and reservoir characteristics, which pose significant challenges to their exploration and development. Therefore, identifying the location of optimal spots is crucial for the successful exploration and development of shale oil reservoirs. Mobility, particularly in low-permeability shale oil reservoirs with nano-scale pores, is a crucial petrophysical property that determines the development plan. However, two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D-NMR) is expensive and has limited applicability, although it can estimate shale oil mobility. Hence, it is of great significance to find a precise method for evaluating shale oil mobility using conventional logging. In this paper, we propose a new method for assessing shale oil mobility based on free oil porosity derived from the difference in flowing porosity detected at different ranges of logging, utilizing the Maxwell conductivity model and conductivity efficiency theory. Our study shows that longitudinal-T2 (T1-T2) NMR logging can accurately evaluate the mobility of shale oil. This is demonstrated by comparing the processing results obtained from our proposed method with those from 2D-NMR and laboratory NMR experiments. The predicted results based on conventional well logs also show good agreement with experimental results, confirming the effectiveness and reliability of our new method. Our proposed method carries reference significance for evaluating shale oil reservoir quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of South China University of Technology (Natural Science Edition) is the property of South China University of Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, the wetting behavior of microstructured polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foils for polar and nonpolar liquids produced by plate‐to‐plate hot embossing is investigated. For the embossing step, stainless steel plates are used as stamps, which are microstructured with single‐scaled and hierarchical textures using direct laser writing and two‐beam direct laser interference patterning. The imprinted microstructures, containing pillar‐ and line‐like textures, show increased water contact angles combined with a superoleophilic behavior. Time‐resolved measurements reveal that oil droplets spread rapidly on the hierarchical textures with velocities of up to 1.4 mm2 s−1. This functionalization of PET foils creates new opportunities for a wide range of industrial applications, such as the use of oil‐based instead of solvent‐based paints, an improved distribution of lubricants in mechanical components or for oil–water separation in maritime surroundings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Lubrication Engineering (0254-0150) is the property of Editorial Office of LUBRICATION ENGINEERING and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)