A study of the feasibility of canola oil use in saw guide lubricants, utilizing an apparatus developed for investigating the friction resistance of lubricants

Lubricants are designed to reduce friction and help control wear of sliding surfaces. The energy that is utilized to overcome friction resistance is generally lost as heat and no practical work is achieved. Canola oil lubricants are often thought of as an environmental improvement over other products, but at an increased cost. The primary saw milling industry is a large user of saw guide lubricants and the opportunity exists to demonstrate the benefits of renewable oils. A study of the friction resistance properties was needed. A prototype apparatus for testing the friction resistance of different lubricants with soft guide materials was designed and built to accommodate this research.; Two blind experiments were completed, one with the non-lead babbitt material and the other with the phenolic material. Based on the test results, canola oil usage in saw guide lubricants is a sustainable alternative to the traditional hydrocarbon based products.