Development of a PFD for a nanolubricant based on Ceylon vein graphite

Abstract

The thesis presented the information on Sri Lankan natural vein graphite resource, world nanotechnological approaches in tribology and the connection between nanotechnology, tribology and Sri Lankan vein graphite. Along with the case study on chronological timeline of vein graphite, exploitation started in 1829, peaks at 1916 and has been dropped down since 1917. Considerable damage for graphite resource of Sri Lanka has happened in British colonial era. The market analysis of graphite export industry in Sri Lanka indicates several reasons for decline of graphite export market. The potential of graphite based industries are broad due to its versatile properties without any processing. With the discovery of graphene the importance of graphite moves to a new era of advancement in applications. Therefore Sri Lankan vein Graphite should not be supply to outside of the country without value addition. Need to come*up local investor and technologists to start new graphite era. In nanotechnology, tribology using nanometerials is a burgeoning research field and there are few nanolubricant products in the market. Information on world tribological approaches on nonmaterial is reviewed. Carbon, Metal dichalcogenides, soft metals, boron based materials and some micelles and encapsulated materials are under exploration of advance tribology. Further to the lab identifications and literature reviews reflected the potential of nano* engineered lubricant using natural vein graphite. PFD for vein graphite based nanolubricant is presented with some optimization options and advanced techniques as the recommendation for future work.