Evaluation of ball and disc wear scar data in the HFRR lubricity test

The high-frequency reciprocating rig (HFRR) lubricity tester has become a widespread method for determining the lubricity of diesel fuels. The test is a ball-on-disc method, in which a steel ball scrapes over a steel disc immersed in the liquid to be tested. According to standards, the wear scar generated on the ball, in the form of the average of the x- and y-axes, is used for evaluating the lubricity of the sample. Generally, the smaller the wear scar, the greater the lubricity of the sample. However, a wear scar is also generated on the disc. The size of the wear scar on the disc also depends on the lubricity of the sample. In this work, the wear scar data of the balls and discs of 230 samples related to the testing of biodiesel and related compounds with petrodiesel were evaluated. Data comparisons for all wear scar combinations correlated well by linear regression. Although correlations are slightly better when using only ball wear scar data (r2 > 0.99), other wear scar data, including those generated on the disc, appear just as useable (r2 ≈ 0.97–0.99) for evaluating lubricity by the HFRR test. The wear scars on the disc have the advantage of being more easily measurable and recognisable under the microscope, especially if the wear scars are small. Limits for all wear scar values corresponding to current limits for average ball wear scar data in standards are presented. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.